China airline to resume flight to KK from April 29

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Liew receiving a plane model of China Southern Airlines B787 from Wang.

KOTA KINABALU (April 26): Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew welcomes China Southern Airlines’ resumption of the Kota Kinabalu-Guangzhou route beginning April 29.

“It augurs well for potential tourists from second-tier or third-tier cities in China to visit Sabah, given that the airlines’ main hub is Guangzhou with connectivity to those cities.

“We look forward to welcoming some 194 passengers from Guangzhou flying on China Southern Airlines,” Liew said in a statement after receiving a courtesy call from China Southern Airlines General Manager Eric Wang (Kuala Lumpur Office) on Wednesday.

“The passengers will be taking off from the Bai Yun International Airport in Guangzhou at 3.10pm and arriving here at 6.20pm. They will be flying on Airbus 321.

“The return flight will depart from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 7.20pm the same evening and arrive in Guangzhou at 10.35pm,” Wang told the minister.

China Southern Airlines was forced to cancel the Kota Kinabalu-Guangzhou route in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Briefing the minister on the current flight plan, Wang said scheduled flights from Kota Kinabalu to Guangzhou will be thrice weekly (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) starting in June.

“This resumption of direct flights between Kota Kinabalu and Guangzhou will help generate economic opportunities and boost tourism exchange between China and Sabah,” he said.

According to Wang, China Southern Airlines possesses the largest fleet and the most developed route network, and offers the largest passenger capacity among any airlines in China with a total fleet of 850 passenger and cargo aircraft.

“China Southern Airlines has formed an extensive network across China that links Europe and Oceania and radiates throughout North America, the Middle East and Africa from Asia,” he said.

Also present were the Ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary II Alesia Sion and Sabah Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Noredah Othman.