Liew
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said that the direct Guangzhou-Tawau flight has been postponed to January 2020.
Liew, who is also Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, recollected that the direct route was announced in April and the commencement was originally planned for July this year.
“I have received information that the direct flight has some technical issues so they have postponed it to January next year. I think because of the landing rights and things like that deterred flight into Tawau in the month of July,” she said.
“So we postponed the arrival of direct flights from Guangzhou to Tawau. We postpone until next year,” Liew responded to Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai’s additional question at the State Assembly sitting yesterday.
In April, Liew said more tourists from China would be flying into Tawau once the direct flight from Guangzhou to the district takes off in July.
During that time Dongfang International Travel Service announced that it planned to organize a one-year direct charter flight service from Guangzhou to Tawau until July 2020.
The Guangzhou-based charter flight operator submitted its application to Hainan Airlines for flight service approval, where B737-800 aircraft will fly twice a week.
The plane has eight business class and 154 economy class seats.