KOTA KINABALU: Tour operators here have a host of questions on Malaysia Airlines’ plans to stop flying to Lahad Datu and several towns in the interior from Tuesday.
They are worried about uncertainties of flight schedules, fares and transfer of baggage and passengers.
Borneo Nature Tours Sdn Bhd senior sales co-ordinator Ann Otigil said many were unaware of the fares and flight schedules of Fly Asia Xpress (FAX), which was taking over the Lahad Datu route from MAS.
"The only way to go to Danum Valley is through Lahad Datu. We have had problems with bookings because fares and flight schedules keep changing.
"Another worry is that passengers won’t be able to check in direct to Lahad Datu from their point of departure," said Otigil, whose company flies tourists to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley.
She said tour operators were also in the dark about the time requirement for connecting flights.
"Passengers will disembark at Terminal One and they will have to travel to Terminal Two for their next flight. For other destinations, you still have MAS operating along with AirAsia, but not for Lahad Datu."
The company gets the bulk of its tourists from Britain and Europe, followed by Japan, Australia and the US.
Hotelier Suzaini Sabdin said tour agents in Europe had voiced their concerns during a roadshow three weeks ago.
"When they sell a destination, they market all products available, including places of interest in other parts of the State. The agents said they might drop us because they are unclear about the rationalisation exercise.
"If travellers stop coming here, it will have an impact on the hotel industry. While we understand why the Government has to conduct this exercise, there are still things that we are not sure about.
"It will take a lot of time for us to educate tour operators overseas. And this has come at a time when tourism is growing in Sabah," said Suzaini, who is Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort director of sales.
Otigil and Suzaini were among those who attended a briefing with MAS senior general manager for Transition Management, Dr Amin Khan, at the Le Meridien Hotel yesterday. The briefing was to explain the exercise and how it would have an impact on the tourism industry.
Amin said interlining, or direct check-in of baggage and passengers, could not be done as MAS and AirAsia had different business models.
He also said for the time being, MAS pilots would continue to fly the Fokker 50 and Twin Otter aircraft that FAX was taking over, and that the national carrier would also continue to provide engineering services.
Amin said MAS would continue to expand on international destinations that fly into Kota Kinabalu.
Under the rationalisation exercise, MAS will compete with AirAsia on 22 trunk routes, including the Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu and Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan links.
They are worried about uncertainties of flight schedules, fares and transfer of baggage and passengers.
Borneo Nature Tours Sdn Bhd senior sales co-ordinator Ann Otigil said many were unaware of the fares and flight schedules of Fly Asia Xpress (FAX), which was taking over the Lahad Datu route from MAS.
"The only way to go to Danum Valley is through Lahad Datu. We have had problems with bookings because fares and flight schedules keep changing.
"Another worry is that passengers won’t be able to check in direct to Lahad Datu from their point of departure," said Otigil, whose company flies tourists to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley.
She said tour operators were also in the dark about the time requirement for connecting flights.
"Passengers will disembark at Terminal One and they will have to travel to Terminal Two for their next flight. For other destinations, you still have MAS operating along with AirAsia, but not for Lahad Datu."
The company gets the bulk of its tourists from Britain and Europe, followed by Japan, Australia and the US.
Hotelier Suzaini Sabdin said tour agents in Europe had voiced their concerns during a roadshow three weeks ago.
"When they sell a destination, they market all products available, including places of interest in other parts of the State. The agents said they might drop us because they are unclear about the rationalisation exercise.
"If travellers stop coming here, it will have an impact on the hotel industry. While we understand why the Government has to conduct this exercise, there are still things that we are not sure about.
"It will take a lot of time for us to educate tour operators overseas. And this has come at a time when tourism is growing in Sabah," said Suzaini, who is Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort director of sales.
Otigil and Suzaini were among those who attended a briefing with MAS senior general manager for Transition Management, Dr Amin Khan, at the Le Meridien Hotel yesterday. The briefing was to explain the exercise and how it would have an impact on the tourism industry.
Amin said interlining, or direct check-in of baggage and passengers, could not be done as MAS and AirAsia had different business models.
He also said for the time being, MAS pilots would continue to fly the Fokker 50 and Twin Otter aircraft that FAX was taking over, and that the national carrier would also continue to provide engineering services.
Amin said MAS would continue to expand on international destinations that fly into Kota Kinabalu.
Under the rationalisation exercise, MAS will compete with AirAsia on 22 trunk routes, including the Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu and Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan links.
Courtesy of New Straits Times
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