Ferry Line Ventures cuts Langkawi trips from five to three daily, citing a 100% diesel price surge that threatens the industry’s survival.

ALOR SETAR: The operator of the Langkawi ferry service says a drastic reduction in daily trips is essential to prevent a total collapse of the vital transport link.

Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd has cut services from five to three trips per day, a move it attributes to unsustainable operating costs following a more than 100% spike in industrial diesel prices.

General manager Dr Baharin Baharom stated the company had no choice but to ration the schedule to ensure continuity. He warned the entire ferry transport industry to Langkawi faces the risk of going out of business.

“Some blame ferry operators for the reduction and believe it will affect transportation facilities for users, but this perception does not take into account the true reality of the industry,” Baharin said in a statement.

He highlighted that the ferry fare to Langkawi is among the lowest in Malaysia, at around 88 sen per nautical mile. This compares to approximately RM2 per nautical mile for routes to Pulau Tioman and Pulau Pangkor.

According to Baharin, these low fares have long been maintained to ensure affordable tourism access. Sharply increasing operating costs now pose a major challenge to business viability.

“This reduction in schedule is expected to impact the Langkawi tourism sector,” he acknowledged. He added that without stabilisation measures, the industry risks operational closure.

Such measures could include schedule rationing, fare adjustments, or policy support from authorities. The schedule rearrangement is intended to reduce the risk of mounting losses for ferry operators.

The new reduced schedule began yesterday.

 The Sun Malaysia