Smaller airports to be built to boost rural-to-rural air services in Sarawak, Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Rural-to rural air travel in Sabah and Sarawak, now at a low of just 2%, will get a boost with plans being drawn up by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and MASwings.

Facilities like smaller airports or STOLports (short takeoff and landing airports) will be built to give the new programme a flying start.

Mavcom CEO Azmir Zain said the rural air services operations between January and October last year showed the number of rural-to-rural passengers comprised only 2%.

Urban-to-urban passengers made up 70%, and urban-to-rural passengers 28%, he told a media briefing here today.

Azmir said Mavcom was working with the federal government to expand the rural routes to four interior areas, one in Sabah and the rest in Sarawak.

The interior areas are Long Pasia in Sabah, 250km away from the state capital, and Bukit Mabong Kapit, Belaga and Long Silat in Sarawak.

He said government subsidies for rural-to-rural air travel would be fully utilised in line with the expansion.

On increased prices for rural air services during peak or festive seasons, which could go up three to five times the normal rates, Azmir said Mavcom would monitor the market.

He expected increasing competition and flight frequencies to bring these prices down.

MASwings and the state government signed a new six-year agreement to operate the rural air services on Jan 4.

Under the agreement, subsidies to cover aircraft leases and losses would be subject to both operating and financial performances.

There will also be a performance-based remuneration system to encourage efficient services, while the rural air service routes operated by MASwings have been cut from 49 to 40.- FMT