KUCHING, Aug 22: A one-hour interval for all flights arriving at airports in Sarawak is being implemented to address the congestion issue and curb the spread of Covid-19 into the state.
Minister for Transport Sarawak (MOTS) Datuk Lee Kim Shin said that MOTS had received feedback from the public regarding the congestion that is happening at Sarawak airport terminals upon arrival.
He said MOTS was fully aware of the congestion happening at the airport terminals in Sarawak due to the overlapping of flight arrivals into the state.
“In this matter, we had written to the airline companies including AirAsia requesting them to have a one-hour interval between their flight arrivals into the state to allow ample time for the passengers to undergo the necessary documentation clearance by the relevant authorities and the health screening process carried out by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia.
“This is vital to help us in curbing the spread of Covid-19 into Sarawak,” Lee said in a press statement today.
He stated that AirAsia has responded to MOTS request to have the one-hour interval arrival time between flights and they are making the necessary arrangements with the relevant authorities, namely the National Slot Coordination Malaysia (NSCM), Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM), and Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
In addition, Lee said they had also written to MAVCOM and CAAM to seek their cooperation and to assist airlines in making sure that there is enough interval time between the flights coming to Sarawak.
“This will also allow sufficient time for health screening processes, documentation, and customs clearance at the airport terminals.
“With the support from all the stakeholders, namely the airlines, NSCM, MAVCOM, CAAM, MOH, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) and other relevant agencies, we will be able to resolve this congestion, and more importantly, to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Sarawak,” he added.—DayakDaily.
