Lee (centre) welcomes a tourist on board Flight AK1757 at Miri Airport.
MIRI (April 30): The Ministry of Transport is pushing AirAsia to give the nod for direct Singapore-Sibu flights to cater for demand from business travelers and tourists in central Sarawak, says Minister of Transport Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin.
“AirAsia plans to add more flights to Sarawak, perhaps, toward the later part of the year,” he told a press conference after leading a welcoming party to welcome 67 passengers from Singapore to here yesterday, adding that flights revival in the state might likely include Pontianak in Kalimantan.
AirAsia Flight AK1757 touched down at Miri Airport at 11.35am yesterday, bringing in among them tourists from France and Singapore, marking the return of this route by AirAsia and the first since Malaysian borders re-opened on April 1.
Among those in Lee’s entourage were mayor Adam Yii, and representatives of AirAsia and Sarawak Tourism Board.
With a welcoming theme ‘Welcome Back! We missed you’, AirAsia staff decked in their trademark red costumes held placards ‘Nice to See You Again’ while STB, represented by Orang Ulu in their traditional costumes, held ‘Back from a Super Holiday’ placards for the occasion.
AirAsia is mounting daily Singapore-Kuching and four Singapore-Miri return flights weekly starting yesterday.
It has played an important role in Sarawak air transportation, connecting major towns in the state to Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and now Singapore, and Lee hoped it could further promote Sarawak in BIMP-EAGA region and bring in more business, tourists and travelers to the state.
Lee also expects AirAsia and Scoot Airlines, which also fly to Kuching and Miri from Singapore, would boost arrivals in the state with healthy competition that will result in attractive airfares and generate more passenger volume and tourist receipts.
AirAsia in a statement said it operates 44 flights weekly between Singapore and Malaysian destinations and will be increasing frequencies in tandem with demand.
It (AirAsia) will also continue to explore opportunities to connect Sarawak to more destinations within Asean and beyond, pledging to support the full re-opening and resumption of the travel and tourism industry in collaboration with stakeholders.
Lee, meanwhile, called on airlines operating in Sarawak to offer affordable airfares during festive seasons such as Hari Raya, Gawai Dayak and Christmas this year to enable more people to fly while advising would-be passengers to book their flights early to avoid paying more.
Lee said domestic flights in Sarawak are back on track with 362 weekly flights connecting major towns and rural airports which are mostly operated by MasWings and the rest by MAS and AirAsia.
Miri Airport records the highest connectivity with 211 flights weekly, followed by Kuching (158), Sibu (74), Bintulu (51) and Limbang (33). The rest are short take-off and landing ) STOL) airports under the rural air service sector.
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