SIBU: Firefly — a low cost carrier has been urged to consider making Sibu the hub for East Malaysia, following its expansion plans into Sarawak market.
This was because the central region was a rapidly growing market for domestic travel, reasoned the managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd, Robert Tan.
While he hailed the airline’s expansion to Sarawak as timely, he opined that Kuching market had become congested with five airlines fighting for the market share and lately, Jetstar had decided to pull out.
“On the contrary, there are more than 10,000 locals working in Singapore and Johor Baharu. And moreover, there are many students studying in public and private institutions of higher learning in the Peninsular,” Tan told The Borneo Post yesterday when asked on the impact of Firefly’s entry to Sarawak on the airlines industry.
He thus argued that this would provide the necessary load to ensure that the airlines remain profitable, reiterating that Sibu was a mouth-watering market.
Backing his claim to urge the low fare airline to give Sibu the priority, he said both the current premium and low cost airlines still serviced the Sibu-Kuala Lumpur route and “hence, this goes without reasonable doubt that Sibu or the central region has the passenger load.”
The nation capital was the gateway to domestic and international destinations and it was imperative that, more airlines serviced this route.
As such, Firefly, he said, should take up the initiative since this would greatly benefit the people in the central region.
He reckoned that unlike in the Peninsular with better road connectivity, people in Sarawak depended heavily on air travel between towns as it was more convenient and time saving.
This was because the central region was a rapidly growing market for domestic travel, reasoned the managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd, Robert Tan.
While he hailed the airline’s expansion to Sarawak as timely, he opined that Kuching market had become congested with five airlines fighting for the market share and lately, Jetstar had decided to pull out.
“On the contrary, there are more than 10,000 locals working in Singapore and Johor Baharu. And moreover, there are many students studying in public and private institutions of higher learning in the Peninsular,” Tan told The Borneo Post yesterday when asked on the impact of Firefly’s entry to Sarawak on the airlines industry.
He thus argued that this would provide the necessary load to ensure that the airlines remain profitable, reiterating that Sibu was a mouth-watering market.
Backing his claim to urge the low fare airline to give Sibu the priority, he said both the current premium and low cost airlines still serviced the Sibu-Kuala Lumpur route and “hence, this goes without reasonable doubt that Sibu or the central region has the passenger load.”
The nation capital was the gateway to domestic and international destinations and it was imperative that, more airlines serviced this route.
As such, Firefly, he said, should take up the initiative since this would greatly benefit the people in the central region.
He reckoned that unlike in the Peninsular with better road connectivity, people in Sarawak depended heavily on air travel between towns as it was more convenient and time saving.
Continue reading at: Firefly urged to make Sibu its hub for East Malaysia
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