AirAsia launches Shenzen-Kuching, Singapore-Bintulu direct flights
KUCHING: AirAisa yester��ay flew two mai��en international flights from Shenzen to Kuching an�� from Singapore to Bintulu.
The Shenzhen-Kuching flight landed at Kuching International Airport at 7.50am with the passengers and crew given a Sarawak traditional welcoming ceremony which was led by the Assistant Minister of Tourism�� Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin�� Sarawak Tourism Board chairman Datuk Abdul Wahab Aziz�� Acting Chief Executive Officer Mary Wan Mering and the AirAsia Berhad Director of Government Relations Zamani Mohd Ra��que. Also present was Deputy Consul General�� The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China In Kuching�� Zhang Yang.
The Singapore-Bintulu flight landed at 11.00 am at Bintulu Airport with Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing�� AirAsia Berhad Head of Commercial Spencer Lee�� Lee Kim Shin�� Abdul Wahab�� Mary�� and Zamani welcoming the passengers and crew.
The two new direct international flights are part of AirAsia’s plans to boost the international connectivity into East Malaysia in line with the State Government’s effort to improve the tourism industry and flight connectivity into Sarawak.
“We are honoured and humbled to welcome two new international flights into Sarawak today. AirAsia has always been committed towards expanding the markets in Sarawak and these direct flights reiterate our commitment to grow the connectivity in and out of the state��” said Spencer.
“To-date�� we have flown about 4.8 million guests in and out of Sarawak which is 12.1 per cent more from 2016 with China and Singapore in the top five nationality.
“We hope the introduction of these new routes will foster the number of visitors into Sarawak next year�� and this is only made possible by the continuous support rendered by Sarawak’s state government and tourism authorities.
“We are also proud to be recognised as the leading airline operator by the Sarawak State Government at the Sarawak Hornbill Tourism Award 2015/2016 this year. Hence�� we would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism�� Arts and Culture Sarawak as well as Sarawak Tourism Board for their endless support and we will continue to uphold the state government’s policy to improve the connectivity to drive the state’s tourism growth and we look forward to being the leading airline that connects the ‘Land of the Hornbills’ further��” he said.
Meanwhile�� Abdul Wahab expressed gratitude and thanks to AirAsia for the air connections from international hubs.
“It augurs well for the development of the tourism industry in Sarawak and to the international world and we hope and look forward to more international connectivity in the years to come��” he said.
AirAsia now flies to 12 destinations from Kuching with a total of 229 weekly flights one way. In addition to Shenzhen�� the airline also flies from Kuching to Singapore�� Pontianak�� Miri�� Sibu�� Bintulu�� Kota Kinabalu�� Johor Bahru�� Kota Bharu�� Penang�� Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi. AirAsia also flies to three destinations from Bintulu�� namely Singapore�� Kuala Lumpur and Kuching with a total of 39 one-way weekly flights.