Malaysia Aviation Group Gives Booster Shot To Sarawak’s Tourist Arrivals For 2022 – with Event Video

By Anthony Tan
VIRGIN Communications 

email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk

 

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) has partnered Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) to woo more tourist arrivals into Sarawak in 2022, moving in tandem with the recent increase in air connectivity to more destinations within the Land of the Hornbills from Peninsular Malaysia, and other countries to come in the near future.

Standing from left: Captain Izham Ismail, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, 

Dennis Ngau and Hii Chang Kee
Sitting from left: Sharzede Salleh Askor and Lau Yin May 

The collaboration between them was formalised via the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) group chief marketing and customer experience officer Lau Yin May and STB chief executive officer (CEO) Sharzede Salleh Askor on 19 February in Kuala Lumpur. 

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the ministry’s permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee, STB chairman Dennis Ngau and MAG group CEO Captain Izham Ismail.

Sia Sitok Sarawak Plus is officially launch

STB and MAG will be jointly marketing and promoting events as well as working together on inter-organisational partnerships for Sarawak’s tourism activities, corporate social responsibility activities, and other collaborative opportunities.

Under MAG’s wing, the parties involved are Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings and MHholidays.

One of the objectives of their year-long partnership is to promote Sarawak as a choice favourite tourist destination in 2022 through the launch of the Sia Sitok Sarawak Plus Interstate Travel Campaign. Sarawak is targeting 1.2 million domestic tourists this year.

The full recording of the event can be viewed below:-

Sarawak Eases Requirements For Visitors

By Anthony Tan

VIRGIN Communications 
email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk

Sarawak’s State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has announced that with immediate effect from 14 January, Malaysians entering the state will no longer need to apply through EnterSarawak if they have no history of travelling abroad the past 14 days.

This so applies to non-Malaysians who have been in the country for more than 14 days.

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) sees this as a positive development to revitalise its tourism sector. 

Confident of the recovery of the tourism industry in 2022, its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor believes this will make travelling into Sarawak even more seamless.

CEO Sharzede 

“We are confident this move will bode well for the entire state and for Sarawak tourism as we continue to intensify promoting our tourism destinations to the domestic market in 2022.

“We will further highlight culture, adventure, nature, food and festivals, which are unique to Sarawak.”

According to the SDMC’s travel requirements, it is still mandatory for those entering Sarawak to fill up the e-Health Declaration Form. 

Individuals must also be fully vaccinated and their vaccination status will be checked at the airport.

Login to Sarawak Tourism Board’s website, https://sarawaktourism.com/travel-advisory/ for more information.

Cultural Heritage Still Alive In Sarawak

A group of Swiss tourists going on an adventure ride
in traditional boat up river to Mulu

The Rainforest World Music Festival -
The longest running annual music festival in Malaysia
and have won multi-international awards 

AirAsia Adds Four New Routes In January 2022

By Anthony Tan
VIRGIN Communications

email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk

Encouraging more domestic travel at the start of 2022, AirAsia Malaysia (flight code AK) has scheduled launches of four new routes connecting East and West Malaysia. 

Its Kuching-Langkawi flight took off on 5 January while three other routes will take off towards end-Jan.

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat says with the festive season upon us, AirAsia is excited and fully ready to offer our guests more routes between more major towns and cities in Malaysia. 

“These new routes will further strengthen our tourism footprint in Malaysia, providing more options for international visitors to travel between the states.

“We look forward to explore even more new routes across Malaysian airports from other parts of our Asean network. 

“From an operational standpoint, we have extensively prepared to ensure all of our guests can travel safely, seamlessly and with peace of mind. 

“AirAsia guests are always assured of the stringent health and safety protocols enforced on all of our flights with our highly trained and fully vaccinated crew continuing to deliver the world’s best service during the pandemic.”

AirAsia’s Four New Routes 

Routes	2022 Launch Dates	Weekly Frequency	All-in one-way fare from
Kuching – Langkawi	5 January	Wednesday and Sunday	RM99
Penang – Sibu	27 January	Thursday and Saturday	RM139
Johor Bahru – Bintulu	28 January	Friday	RM119
Kota Kinabalu –Kuala Terengganu	30 January	Sunday	RM159

Langkawi International Airport

Besides having only fully-vaccinated employees operate flights and be on-duty at airport terminals, only fully-vaccinated guests are accepted onboard its flights.

To add value to these new routes, AirAsia’s passengers can purchase great value flights and hotel deals from RM239 via the SNAP icon on the airline’s Super App from now until 16 January for travels from 25 January to 30 June.

Those who prefer to book their hotels separately may check out the Hotels icon in the app and get an extra 10% off with the promo code, AAHOTEL10.

Sultan Mahmud Airport – Kuala Terengganu

As part of its robust Covid-19 mitigation plan, AirAsia has made it mandatory for guests to check-in via its Super App and launched a unique FACES facial recognition boarding system that makes the entire journey fully digital and contactless.

The airline has spent the downtime period in travel over the past 20 months to further improve and revamp its flight procedures and processes in the interest of safety and well-being of all its guests and employees.

Its aircraft are properly maintained according to procedures set by the manufacturer, claims AirAsia, which has set up an in-house maintenance, repair and operations unit, Asia Digital Engineering, that provides services not only to AirAsia but also other airlines. 

Likewise, its pilots and cabin crew are regularly trained for mandatory refresher courses and ongoing retraining so that they are always on top of their job.

For more information on AirAsia’s safety measures and travel SOPs, please read its latest travel advisory here.

Malindo Air To Launch Four Times Weekly Flights On Kota Bharu–Langkawi Route

By Anthony Tan
VIRGIN Communications
email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk

ATR72-600’s 72-seat turbo-prop aircraft

Malindo Air has announced in early January that all flight bookings are open for its Kota Bharu-Langkawi return service commencing 27 January 2022. 

This four times weekly service marks the airline's new route into Langkawi in order to meet the domestic travel demands.

Malindo Air CEO Captain Mushafiz Mustafa Bakri remarks, “We are very delighted to launch our latest service between Kota Bharu and our famous holiday destination of Langkawi. This new service is in response to the high demand by the public. 

“We see immense opportunities for future growth associated with this new connectivity as Langkawi is a tax-free haven.”

The Langkawi pilot travel bubble has provided the much-needed respite for Malaysians to pursue their wanderlust again after almost two years of travel restrictions during the pandemic. Langkawi’s breathtaking natural scenery and landscapes, with its local touch of cultural heritage, have made it a great tourist attraction.

Malindo Air Chief Executive Officer 
Captain Mushafiz bin Mustafa Bakrie 

Mushafiz says this new route will not only boost the tourism industry but also other businesses from those visiting their family and relatives or on business travel. 

“We will work closely with the Langkawi Development Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture as well as the tourism agencies from both states.”  

Meanwhile, the Kelantan government is focusing its efforts to attract domestic tourists to its state and reviving its Visit Kelantan campaign which has been derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A quick check at Malindo Air booking website shows the one-way promotional fare for the new Kota Bharu –Langkawi route starting from RM169 for the super saver ticket while the Flexi category starts from RM349.

The new service will be operated using ATR72-600’s 72-seat turbo-prop aircraft. 

Malindo Air’s scheduled flights between Kota Bharu (KBR) and Langkawi (LGK) from 27 Jan 2022

Sector	Flight No.	ETD	ETA	Frequency	Flight Time
KBR-LGK	OD1334	10:15	11:20	Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat	1:05
LGK-KBR	OD1335	14:50	15:05	Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat	1:15
All timings stated are local time in 24-hour format. ETD: Estimated time of departure; ETA: Estimated time of arrival

Visit: https://www.malindoair.com for more details.

SKS Airways Ready To Take Off For Domestic Flights

 By Anthony Tan
VIRGIN Communications
email:  anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk

Established since 1983, the Johor-based SKS Group has diversified over the years into property development, investment holding, hospitality and credit finance in Malaysia and Australia. Its latest venture in setting up SKS Airways, a new commercial airline in Malaysia, saw the company SKS Airways Sdn Bhd being incorporated on 13 November 2017.

SKS Airways was also awarded the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) effective 1 October 2021 and finally awarded a full Air Service Licence (ASL) by Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) effective 1 January 2022. 

An ASL is required to transport passengers, mail or cargo on a fixed schedule by air between two points within Malaysia. 

"With the ASL licence approval, SKS Airways is now officially in business and looking forward to serve its customers while maintaining the highest hygiene and safety standards,” says its director Datuk Rohman Ahmad.

The new commercial airline will be focusing on domestic short-range leisure and commuter flights to unserved and underserved routes or destinations in Peninsular Malaysia.

SKS Airways will complement existing airlines and regional carriers that are unable to reach these destinations with their larger aircraft.

De Havilland DHC6 300 Twin-Otter 19-seater

It will initially secure four De Havilland DHC6 300 Twin-Otter 19-seater, a tough and reliable turboprop aircraft with Short Take Off Landing (STOL) capabilities. 

The interior of the 19-seater aircraft 

These aircraft are deemed reliable in alternative air transportation providing especially to remote island resorts or inland destinations which are only accessible via long distant roads, dirt tracks or by boats. SKS Airways reportedly took delivery of its first aircraft, a DHC-6-300, on 12 December 2019.

It plans to serve underserved tourist destinations such as Pulau Pangkor, Pulau Redang and Pulau Tioman and base its operations out of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor while flights from Senai Airport in Johor are in its final stages for take-off. 

Its future plans will extend to destinations such as Kota Bharu, Ipoh, Pulau Langkawi and Taman Negara. SKS Airways also intends to fly out from Singapore’s secondary airports to unserved and underserved  tourist destinations in the near future.

First SKS Airways DHC6 Twin Otter arrives home! Sion to Subang (SZB) | 11.29 pm, 12 Dec 2019

SKS Group’s latest venture will further strengthen the tourism industry given its existing investment into the hospitality industry. The group currently owns the following hotels in Johor:

Capri by Fraser, Johor Bahru –                      316 rooms

Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre –          335 rooms

Four Points by Sheraton Desaru –                 311 rooms

AmanSari Residence Resort –                       4-star, 150 rooms 
                                                                        and apartments

AmanSari Hotel Desaru –                              3-star, 238 rooms

AmanSari Hotel Nusajaya –                           3-star, 322 rooms

Fives Hotel Johor Bahru City Centre –          243 rooms

SKS Airways will be collaborating with major tourism industry players in developing attractive and affordable holiday packages to fast track the recovery of the tourism industry.

Intending travellers can book their flights at www.sksairways.com as the airline plans to start flying from Subang to Pulau Pangkor and Redang on 26 and 31 January respectively.

A quick check in its website on 7 January, the airfares for the inaugural flight to Pangkor from Subang cost RM159.34 for one-way and RM318.68 inclusive of taxes for the return fare.

For the inaugural flight from Subang to Redang on 31 January, it cost RM275.94 for one-way and the round trip return fare is RM551.88.

NOTE: Pictures and Video Clip with courtesy of SKS Airways websites