100 China-KK weekly flights
KOTA KINABALU: Xiamen Airlines will launch its XiamenKota Kinabalu (XMN-BKI) flights tomorrow, October 28 to boost air links between China and Sabah.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the XiamenKota Kinabalu route, the third after the airline launched the Fuzhou-Kota Kinabalu route on January 9, 2017 and Beijing-Kota Kinabalu route on January 16, 2018, would see four weekly flights, bringing the number of weekly direct flights to 100 from 12 major and secondary cities in China to Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).
“I was told that Xiamen Airlines network expands to over 55 China cities with around 160 million population.
"The airline has both Xiamen and Fuzhou as its transfer hubs for these 55 Chinese cities,” said Christina, who is also Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, during the XMN-BKI inaugural flight press conference at Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens here yesterday.
“I was also informed that 80% of passengers from Fuzhou and Kota Kinabalu route are from Beijing and Northern Asia.
"Therefore, the airlines winter schedule schedule may include daily flights from Beijing to Kota Kinabalu.
“Xiamen Airlines is currently providing connections to 11 cities in South East Asia.
"The airline’s long haul connection to Europe (Amsterdam), America (Los Angeles, New York) and Australia, once strategically tapped, could be beneficial to Sabah.
"All these potential arrivals now have many options flying in to Sabah,” she added.
Christina said, as of August this year, total arrivals to Sabah had increased by 5.4% or or 2.56 million compared to the same period last year.
She added 45.2% or at least 417,574 of these international arrivals came from China making it the largest market source for international arrivals to Sabah.
“We are still on target to achieve 500,000 China arrivals by the end of this year.
"We will work closely with the office of the Chinese Consul General to strengthen the Malaysia-China relations,” she said.
“Up to August this year, Sabah Tourism has estimated that the total tourism receipts have reached RM5.55 billion or 7.5% more compared to the same period last year.
"Sabah is on track to achieve RM8 billion in revenue from tourism by the end of this year,” she added.
Christina said the ministry also aims to reemphasize tourism in the East Coast especially in Tawau and Sandakan.
“Our ministry is working on upgrading the airports in the East Coast to international status so that all the foreign airlines can establish a direct flight there. Sabah’s attractions vary from the West Coast to the East. Today we have just unveiled a new and fresh team of tourist assistants at the airports to assist tourists when as they arrive,” she revealed.
People’s Republic of China deputy consul general in Kota Kinabalu, Zhang He, said China has the world’s largest tourist market and outbound tourism consumer for many years in succession since 2012, contributing more than 13% annually to global tourism revenue.
He added, in 2017, the number of Chinese citizens traveling abroad reached 131 million and the outbound tourism expenditure amounted to USD115.29 billion and, in the first half of this year, the number of Chinese outbound tourists reached 71.31 million, up 15% from the same period last year.
In addition, he said the number of outbound Chinese tourists was expected to reach 200 million by 2020.
'In 2017, the estimated number of Chinese tourists to Sabah was 430,000. It is expected to exceed 500,000 this year.
"The prospect between the two places for tourism cooperation is broad,” said Zhang.
Christina said the airports in the east coast would be upgraded, such as Tawau, to international status so that foreign airlines can establish a direct fight there.
Xiamen Airlines Kuala Lumpur Office general manager Guo Yuan said the airlines would fly in using the Boeing 737-800 and since January 19, the passenger volume between China and Sabah had reached 145,574 for the airline.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad senior manager for Kota Kinabalu International Airport Sunif Naiman and Sabah Tourism Board general manager Suzaini Sabdin Ghani were also at the press conference.