Sarawak’s Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said he has also asked Mavcom to consider the 90-minute interval between flights from outside Sarawak to avoid airport congestion and to allow enough time for health and immigration clearance. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
KUCHING, Sept 29 — Sarawak’s Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin today said he has asked the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) to examine details of the new flight frequency schedule to Sarawak since it involves other technical requirements such as manpower, aircraft mobilisation and flight connectivity.
He said he has also asked Mavcom to consider the 90-minute interval between flights from outside Sarawak to avoid airport congestion and to allow enough time for health and immigration clearance.
Lee said the requests were made at a meeting with the federal Transport Ministry and Mavcom yesterday, which was held to discuss and coordinate the new flight frequency schedule to Sarawak that begins on October 1.
“The meeting decided that the increase in flights will be gradual,” he said in a statement.
He said this can begin by increasing the present passenger load capacity, after the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) approved 100 per cent passenger load instead of 60 per cent from October 1.
“This will be followed by a gradual increase in the number of weekly flights, subject to the maximum number as approved by SDMC,” he said.
Lee said he hopes airlines will be able to lower their fares with the approval of 100 per cent passenger load capacity for all flights and the gradual increase in weekly flights from 22 to 87.
He added the state Transport Ministry’s proposal to increase the flight frequency gradually to Mavcom was upon the advice of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg and SDMC.
“This includes other factors such as the availability of flights to the state, the high airfare which can reach up to RM1,500 one-way, requests from the tourism sector, public demand and the advice of medical experts in SDMC.
“This new flight frequency and scheduling is also critical with the reopening of schools, colleges and universities starting next month,” he said, adding there will be a lot of student movement from Sarawak to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Kinabalu, and vice-versa.
Lee also reiterated SDMC’s new standard operating procedures (SOPs) that no longer require fully vaccinated passengers to quarantine upon arrival in Sarawak.
“However, those passengers who are not fully vaccinated and those from overseas will be quarantined for 10 days at the assigned hotels or quarantine centres,” he added.