New routes will boost tourist arrivals in Sibu and Bintulu

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SIBU: The newly introduced AirAsia’s KK-Sibu and KK-Bintulu sectors will result in an increase in the number of visitors to the two Sarawak towns in particular and the state in general besides making it easier for locals to fly to Sabah or overseas.

Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told reporters this when asked if the new sectors would boost tourist arrivals for Sibu and Bintulu.

He added: “This is something which Sibu/Bintulu residents as well as his ministry have been asking for a long time too.”

Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman, hoped that with the new sectors as well as the just launched Kuching-Tawau four weekly flights, these will further boost the number of visitors either way.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook recently announced that the KK-Sibu and KK-Bintulu sectors, which will be operated by AirAsia beginning Jan 1, 2019, will see a whopping 165 per cent increase weekly in passenger volume.

Loke has said flights between these two sectors, which were removed from the Rural Air Service (RAS) agreement recently, would resume with 14 weekly flights for both routes using AirAsia Airbus A320 which can carry 2,520 passengers.

Previously, MASwings used ATR propeller planes which could only carry 920 passengers weekly, Loke said.