Transport Ministry overseeing essential travel, cargo flights between Sarawak and KL

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MAB has agreed to reinstate the flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak effective April 15.

KUCHING: The Ministry of Transport together with its federal counterpart will continue to monitor and ensure that there is no interruption of passengers and cargo flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak, said its minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin.

Lee said he had spoken with federal Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail on the reinstatement of flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak following the airline’s decision to cancel all flights to the state with effect from tomorrow.

“MAB has agreed to reinstate the flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak effective April 15. There will be one flight per week from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu every Thursday and from Kuala Lumpur to Miri every Friday.

“Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching and from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu will be effective from April 16 to May 14 while the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Miri will take effect from April 17 to May 14,” he said in a statement today.

He also said that MAB has assured that the flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak can be connected to other cities in the state through MASwings flights namely Kuching-Sibu-Kuching, Sibu-Bintulu-Sibu and Miri-Bintulu-Miri.

“MAB has confirmed that the number of flights will be added if the passengers load increase,” he said, adding that the airline will also ensure that cargo flights will continue to fly between Kuala Lumpur to bring in cargos especially essential items.

Lee said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) led by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas strongly felt that flights between Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak should not be halyed during the Covid-19 situation.

“These flights must continue for essential travels and to ensure sufficient supply of essential services and goods especially medical and good items.

“The availability of these essential items are even more critical during this trying time when we are facing the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

He also highlighted that SDMC had already made all the necessary preparations to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the state including the arrangement and establishment of many quarantine centres to accommodate for the anticipated number of passengers travelling to Sarawak from flights between Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak.

“On behalf of SDMC, I would like to thank both the federal Minister of Transport and MAB chief executive officer for their cooperation and prompt decision to reinstate the MAB flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak, to continue MASwings connectivity and services within Sarawak as well as to maintain cargo flight between Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak,” he said.