Mohammed Abdullah Izkandar, in welcoming the inaugural flight on Dec 16, said having more direct international flights to Sibu means having more foreign direct investments and more business opportunities to the central region.

This will help spur domestic economic growth and liven up tourism activities in Sibu and other surrounding areas, said Mohammed, who is a councillor and also an entrepreneur.

“For this, businesses and all industries need to shift towards providing better, higher standard of services to cater to international tourists,” he said.

Entrepreneur Dr Gregory Hii described the Singapore-Sibu international direct flight as one that has been much-awaited as it augurs well with the business community.

“It is definitely cost and time-saving, unlike in the past when one has to fly to Johor Bahru or Kuala Lumpur to catch a connecting flight to Singapore,” Hii told The Borneo Post yesterday.

The former president of Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) could foresee the central region as one good venue for leisure and international sporting events.

The inaugural Singapore-Sibu direct flight marked a historical moment for the riverine town as it welcomed its first international flight.

The arriving AirAsia aircraft received a water cannon salute upon touching down at Sibu Airport at 6.15pm that day.