SARAWAK MOT: MORE FLIGHTS DURING HARI RAYA, SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

For Malaysia Airlines, one additional flight has been scheduled departing Kuala Lumpur to Kuching on May 6; an additional 12 flights departing from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching from April 18 to 21, April 28 to May 2 and May 5 to 7.

One additional flight has also been scheduled on April 20 from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching and from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching.

For low-budget airline Firefly operations in Sarawak, effective May 16, there will be a flight departing Kota Kinabalu at 12.45pm and arriving at Kuching at 2.05pm; and departing Kuching at 2.45pm and arriving at Kota Kinabalu at 3.45pm.

The airline will also operate the Miri-Kuching route; departing Miri at 4.25pm and arriving at Kuching at 5.25pm; as well as departing Kuching at 6.05pm and arriving at Miri at 7.35pm.

MASWings has also launched a new direct flight twice a week from Miri to Long Banga on March 26 and six extra flights will be mounted for the Kuching-Limbang route during Hari Raya Aidilfitri from April 18 to 26 and Gawai Dayak from May 28 to June 4.

So far, one additional flight per day will be mounted for the Kuching-Limbang route on April 18, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 26.

The schedule of the flight frequencies was issued in a press statement following a meeting between Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, Malaysia Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) on March 27.

Lee had raised the issue concerning flight fares during the meeting, which was sometimes priced too high for the rural routes, including the recent case of a Miri-Mukah-Kuching route of over RM1,000.

MAG was tasked to address the price issue and to also propose a new schedule and frequencies for the Miri-Mulu flights due to the unique weather condition that limits the flight operation hours.