By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 13: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has recommended the establishment of international flight routes from Sarawak to Korea, aligning with the region’s growing investment appeal.
Minister of Transport Sarawak Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin disclosed that this was one of IATA’s key insights regarding efforts to revive both international and domestic air traffic in Sarawak.
“While air traffic in East Malaysia has been recovering at a slower pace compared to Peninsular Malaysia, it is showing strong momentum,” he said in a statement following a courtesy visit by an IATA delegation to his office yesterday (Nov 12).
According to IATA, while countries like Indonesia, Singapore, China, and Thailand consistently contribute to Malaysia’s tourism, Korea has emerged as a particularly robust market for East Malaysia.
This is largely driven by the increasing popularity of Sabah as a destination for South Korean tourists.
The two parties also discussed IATA’s advisory services for airlines and airports, which support strategic growth, operational improvements, and infrastructure development.
IATA representatives highlighted their involvement in projects such as the development of new airports, referencing their role in planning and consulting for major airport initiatives, including Sydney’s new airport.
This project, which involves capacity assessments, terminal planning, and traffic forecasting, showcases IATA’s expertise in guiding large-scale infrastructure development.
IATA’s advisory services for airlines were also discussed, focusing on areas like network and fleet strategy, new route planning, and operational efficiency.
Lee acknowledged IATA’s vital role in supporting the global aviation industry and expressed interest in collaborating with IATA’s consulting team to boost Sarawak’s air connectivity, improve operational efficiency, and explore new growth opportunities.
He expressed optimism about collaborating closely with IATA in areas such as airport development, the operations of new airlines, and sustainability, to strengthen Sarawak’s position within regional and international aviation networks in the years ahead.
Also present were IATA senior principal, head of Asia Lian Zhang and Southeast Asia Area manager, APAC-Field Office Yuli Thompson. — DayakDaily
