KUCHING, Jan 10: The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has approved 291 additional flights to various domestic destinations in an effort to meet travel demand and reduce soaring airfares during the Chinese New Year (CNY) festive period.
According to a press release from Mavcom today, the commission approved all 291 additional flights applied for by airlines to boost overall flight capacity between Jan 18 and Jan 31, 2023.
As of Jan 6, 2023, the breakdown of the 291 additional flights applied for by airlines and approved by the commission comprises AirAsia (134), Malaysia Airlines (53), Batik Air (44), SKS Airways (44), and Firefly (16) to all destinations in Malaysia during the period mentioned.
“Routes with the highest number of extra flights for the season would be routes to Sabah and Sarawak with 205 additional flights.
“The additional flights from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah comprise 50 flights to Kota Kinabalu, followed by 21 to Tawau, and two to Sandakan.
“Meanwhile, 52 additional flights from Peninsular Malaysia to Kuching were approved, followed by 41 to Sibu, 23 to Miri, and 16 to Bintulu,” Mavcom stated in the press release.
The commission noted that the additional flights come on top of 1,253 regular scheduled flights between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, 1,594 between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, as well as 3,261 within Peninsular Malaysia that are operated by all carriers during the period.
“In total, the commission has approved an additional 33.5 per cent extra domestic flights for 2023 compared to the 2022 CNY festive period,” it added. — DayakDaily
