MAHB allocates RM17 mln for KKIA
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has allocated RM17 million to encourage more airlines to operate at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).
This was to assist in destination marketing activities undertaken by the Sabah government and airlines to further promote new routes, including Wuhan, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzen, Taipei and Singapore, the airport operator said in a statement.
MAHB said for the first half of 2018, KKIA recorded a seven per cent growth in passenger traffic over the same period last year.
“This impressive growth was mainly due to the rise in international passenger traffic movements, which reflected the high tourist numbers Sabah has enjoyed in recent years,” it said.
International traffic movements grew from 1.6 million in 2014 and 2015 to 2.1 million in 2016, an increase of 27 per cent. Last year, the figure increased by a further 22 per cent to 2.5 million.
Meanwhile, MAHB said the move to consolidate all airport and flight operations under one roof at KKIA’s Terminal 1 (T1) had benefited national tourism, particularly for Sabah, tremendously.
Besides the better facilities, T1 also has the advantage of greater connectivity and offers more growth opportunities for the airlines.
“Six new international airlines have started operating at KKIA, bringing in tourists from South Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan,” it said, adding that there were now 25 airlines operating at the airport.