Sarawak minister blames PH govt for scrapped direct internal flights

 Lee Kim Shin says flights from Kuching to Miri, Sibu and Bintulu were dropped from the rural air service's public services obligation framework in 2019.

Sarawak transport minister Lee Kim Shin said the rural air service operation inherited from MASwings’s operational structure will be reviewed under AirBorneo’s long-term network plan. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The Sarawak government-owned AirBorneo does not fly from Kuching to Miri, Sibu and Bintulu because of an agreement inked by the Pakatan Harapan-led federal government in 2019, says a state minister.

Sarawak transport minister Lee Kim Shin pointed out that these routes were discontinued from the rural air service’s public services obligation (PSO) framework that year.

Lee said the state government has written to the federal transport ministry to request reinstating these routes under the PSO, Dayak Daily reported.

“Current routes are part of the rural air service operation based on the PSO framework inherited from MASwings’s operational structure.

“It will be reviewed under AirBorneo’s long-term network plan,” he said.

Lee was responding in the Sarawak assembly to state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen, who pointed out that a passenger travelling from Kuching to Sibu would need to first fly to Miri before travelling to Sibu.

The Sarawak government’s acquisition of MASwings Sdn Bhd through AirBorneo Holdings Sdn Bhd was completed on Jan 1, following the signing of the sale and purchase agreement with Malaysia Aviation Group in February last year. - FMT