SIBU: The federal Transport Ministry has been urged to resolve the matter of high airfares and fewer flights for the Sibu-Kuala Lumpur sector.
"Transport Minister Anthony Loke needs to address ... ticket prices (and) the repeated reduction in outbound flights from Sibu," Dudong SUPP chairman Wong Ching Yong said on Monday (Nov 13).
"(In addition) the decreased (flight) frequencies to Kuala Lumpur or the cessation of flights to Singapore require the minister's intervention."
He added that the people of Sibu faced many issues related to air travel and these needed resolving.
Wong said not only were flight frequencies out of Sibu decreasing, but the price was constantly increasing to exorbitant levels.
He added that this was unfair to the people as air travel was their only practical means of travelling to Peninsular Malaysia.
"This (situation) is bound to impact local tourism and economic development," he said.
He pointed out that ticket prices from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur actually cost more than international flights.
As an example, he said, a Malaysia Airlines flight from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur on Nov 17 started from RM1,234.18 while an AirAsia flight was priced at RM919.
"However, for a Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong flight, which is double the flight duration, Malaysia Airlines offered tickets for as low as RM1,187, and AirAsia even lower, at RM429," he said.
Wong said the Sarawak government had made a timely and correct move by working to have its own airline.
"The Sarawak GPS government, especially our Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, has been diligently working to ease the burden on the people of Sarawak who use air services," he said.
