Realign S’pore-Sibu flight schedule for travellers’ convenience — SUPP man

SIBU: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong chairman Wong Ching Yong has made a proposal for the Singaporean low-cost airline Scoot to consider adjusting its Sibu-bound flight schedules.

In making this suggestion, Wong pointed out the hassle and inconvenience faced by the travellers who had to board the 5.25am flight from Singapore to Sibu, with some having to fork up for a stay at the pricey hotels in Changi Airport.

Despite the airline’s reasonably low fare, he claimed that the inappropriate timing for its flight schedule had caused some travellers to fork up more for a stay at the pricey hotels in Changi Airport, with some opting to wait for the earliest flight at the airport.

“For me, it is good to have Scoot coming in to Sibu, but the timing is not friendly,” he told the reporters during the party’s mobile service session at a coffee shop at Lorong Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce 28A here, yesterday.

“The flight from Singapore to Sibu is at 5.25am every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while the SibuSingapore flight is at 7.50am.

“Also, passengers are compelled to spend one night in Singapore, and the hotels’ rates are ‘painfully’ expensive. For example, a five-star hotel at the airport in Singapore charges about RM1,325 per night, while a one-night stay at a threestar hotel may cost RM601 or RM400, the least.”

This, Wong said, was unlike the airline’s ‘much friendlier’ flight schedules for Singapore-Miri flights.

“The Singapore-Miri flight is at 4.55pm, while Miri-Singapore flight is at 7.40pm and such is considered a friendlier timing,” he said, expressing his hope for the airline to look into this matter and to ease the travel for the Sibu people, especially those travelling with the elderly folks and little children.

Minister of Transport Sarawak Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin had recently said that the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines had agreed to Sarawak’s request to increase its flights to Sarawak, starting this May, following a meeting in Miri last year.

With this new agreement, Kuching would remain with seven flights weekly, Miri with four flights weekly starting May 20, and Sibu to have three flights weekly starting June 5.