AirAsia increases Peninsular-Sarawak flights to meet CNY, Hari Raya travel surge

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By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Feb 4: AirAsia will be adding extra flights between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak to accommodate the surge in travel demand during the upcoming Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive periods.

Announcing this, Minister for Transport Sarawak Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said that for the Chinese New Year period, AirAsia will operate 23 additional flights from Feb 13 to 24, followed by 25 additional flights from March 18 to 26 in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

“These festive periods are especially meaningful for families. The additional flights will help ensure that Sarawakians working or studying outside the state have better access to flights and can return home in time to celebrate with their loved ones,” he said.

Lee said this in a statement following a courtesy visit by AirAsia director of Sarawak Affairs Hamdan Mohamad at his office in Bangunan Baitulmakmur here yesterday (Feb 3). During the visit, Hamdan briefed the Minister on AirAsia’s festive flight arrangements and operational preparations.

He added that during the festive periods, AirAsia will also be offering promotional one-way fares starting from RM328 for flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu, helping to ease the financial burden on festive travellers.

Lee said the Ministry of Transport Sarawak continues to work closely with the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) and airline operators to ensure sufficient flight capacity and seat availability to Sarawak during peak festive periods, while also maintaining reasonable airfares.

He noted that other airline operators are also expected to adjust and increase their flight schedules to meet overall passenger demand.

In addition, he said the Sarawak government remains committed to supporting Sarawakian students through the i-GPS Sarawak 2026 (Inisiatif Graduan Pulang Sarawak) initiative, a flight ticket subsidy programme introduced to assist Sarawakian students pursuing their studies at institutions of higher learning (IPT).

The initiative aims to help reduce the cost of flight tickets for students returning to Sarawak during festive seasons or long academic breaks.

Lee expressed his appreciation to AirAsia for its support and timely response in increasing flight capacity for Sarawak during the festive periods, stressing that close cooperation between the government and airline operators plays a crucial role in meeting public travel needs.

“The ministry will continue to engage closely with all stakeholders to ensure smooth, adequate and affordable air connectivity for Sarawakians, especially during major festive seasons,” he affirmed. — DayakDaily

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