AirAsia now flies from KK to Hangzhou
KOTA KINABALU: AirAsia launched its inaugural flight from Kota Kinabalu to Hangzhou city in China’s Zhejiang province, with the aim of catering to the growing demand from the tourism industry in both countries.
AirAsia Bhd chief executive officer Aireen Omar said the additional flight would help Malaysia and the province economically and socially.
“This is because we have many students and tourists here as well as in China, so with this additional destination to choose from, we can learn more about each other’s culture and support each other financially,” she told a press conference here yesterday.
She said the two-way traffic between China and Malaysia was at a capacity of 80% to 90%.
Hangzhou, which is the capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China, is the airline’s 26th route into China and the fifth from Kota Kinabalu to China.
Aireen said this was also a way to make Sabah a major international hub for both business and leisure travellers.
Sabah Tourism, Cultural and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the arrival rate from China to Sabah increased by over 7% in the first five months, compared to the same period last year.
He said his ministry had achieved about one-third of the targeted arrival for this year, with more than 48% of it being tourists from China.
He said it was now up to tour operators to ensure they offer better services and facilities, especially clean toilets, to cater to the visitors.
Source: The Star
