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He said the state government had engaged Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd, a regional aircraft charter service operator, to provide charter flights, connecting Sarawak with Singapore and other destinations.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic had badly affected the tourism industry, with many scheduled flights cancelled.
“So, we are looking at offering charter flight services. We can work with industry players to determine the number of passengers coming into the state.
“Once we have enough numbers, we can lease the aircraft to bring in tourists, especially from nearby countries, such as Singapore,” he said.
Abang Johari was speaking at the “Sarawak 2021 Budget: Towards a High Income Society in 2030” webinar, organised by the Sarawak Business Federation today.
“Of course, this proposal can only materialise or be implemented once Covid-19 cases are no longer prevalent. Charter flights can help the tourism and service industries to recover faster.”
He added that Sarawak will need to have its own airline company to improve the state’s air connectivity.
“We want to have our own airline, to be connected with potential destinations, such as Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Australia, and bring more foreign visitors to the state.
“We are still looking at the right mechanism to set up the company as it may not be wholly state-owned. I believe an airline company has to be driven by the private sector,” he said.
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