Malaysia will intensify efforts to promote the Kota Kinabalu International Airport in Sabah as its second aviation hub, especially after Japan agreed to open skies arrangement with the country.
Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha said more flights to and from Tokyo to Malaysia through Kota Kinabalu were expected as many Japanese wanted to visit Sabah.
“We are currently working towards promoting Kota Kinabalu as a second hub. By this arrangement, it will allow more flights and airlines from Malaysia flying to Tokyo, and this is good for air travelling between the two countries,” he said.
Kong told Bernama that his officials met with counterparts from Japan’s Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry here last Wednesday to finalise the arrangement.
Following the meeting, the Japanese ministry announced on Friday that the arrangement would, in principle, allow airlines to freely decide on the number of flights and routes they operate between the Narita International Airport in Tokyo and Malaysia from the summer of 2013.
This will take place when the maximum quota of landings and take-offs at Narita are raised to 270,000 per year.
Kong said that with the arrangement, Malaysian carriers would also be able to fly more frequently to Narita, if slots for landings and departures at the airport increased gradually before summer of 2013.
Earlier, the two countries agreed on air service liberalisation, except services in Narita due to the airport’s lack of available slots for landings and departures.
Currently, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has daily flights to Narita from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport while Air Asia X operates three times a week to Haneda.
Last year, MAS announced that it was making Kota Kinabalu as its eastern hub to tap into major international destinations from the Far East to Australia, with development over three stages, beginning Nov 15, last year to June 3, this year.
- Bernama
Would AirAsia eventually leaves Sabah market?
Sabah akan menjadi pintu masuk utama ke negara kita.
Well good for Sabah, i guess.
Beside there be more tourist to come a visiting Sabah.
This will encourage tourists come to Sabah.
So from Tokyo can go direct to KKIA Sabah and no need to transit from KLIA. This good for Sabah, and increasing number of tourists come to Sabah.
Airasia likes to make fuss, yet, at the end of the day, I think Airasia will stay. Leaving KK would be a loss in the long run if the airline decides to leave.
And so it will be more easier for the Sabahans travel to Japan! Yay!
This is a good news for Sabah!