State Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said the developments were conveyed during separate recent courtesy calls and briefings by representatives of AirAsia and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG).

He said the State Transport Ministry had been continuously engaging airlines on the need to maintain sufficient flight capacity to, from and within Sarawak, particularly during periods of high demand.

“For Sarawak, adequate flight capacity is very important, especially during school holidays and festive seasons when demand increases significantly.

“We welcome the resumption of routes and additional frequencies, which will provide passengers with more travel options,” he said in a statement.

AirAsia Sarawak Affairs Director Hamdan Mohamad informed Lee that the airline would resume its Kuching-Kota Bharu service on Oct 27, followed by Bintulu-Kota Kinabalu on Nov 1 and Sibu-Kota Kinabalu on Nov 2.

The airline will also increase frequencies on several key routes from November, with its Kuala Lumpur-Kuching service rising from 63 to 77 flights per week.

Additional frequencies are also planned for services involving Sibu, Miri, Bintulu, Penang, Johor Bahru and Pontianak.

Meanwhile, MAG briefed Lee that Malaysia Airlines plans to add a combined 11 weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu under its 2027 schedule.

This will increase the total number of weekly flights on the four routes from 86 to 97.

Firefly, which is also part of MAG, is planning to increase its Kuala Lumpur-Kuching service to 14 flights per week from February 2027.

Lee said the additional services would strengthen overall flight capacity serving Sarawak and give passengers more travel options.

During his meeting with AirAsia, he also raised concerns over complaints about high last-minute airfares, with the ministry receiving feedback that fares involving Sarawak had exceeded RM1,000 in some instances.

“We understand that airfares are influenced by demand, available capacity and the timing of bookings. However, not everyone who buys a ticket at the last minute is travelling by choice.

“Some need to travel urgently because of family matters, medical reasons or other unforeseen circumstances,” he said.

Lee suggested that AirAsia explore whether a reasonable fare ceiling or other appropriate mechanism could be considered to prevent last-minute fares from becoming excessively high.

“We understand the commercial considerations involved in airline operations, but we hope there can be a reasonable balance between commercial viability and the needs of passengers,” he said.

He said the ministry would continue engaging airlines on flight capacity, connectivity and airfares to ensure sufficient and reasonably accessible air services for Sarawak, particularly during periods of high passenger demand.

Credits: Samuel Aubrey, The Borneo Post 2026