Kota Kinabalu: Sabah can expect a 10 per cent increase in Korean tourist arrivals to the State Capital following the launching of Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) thrice-weekly direct flights from Seoul on Tuesday.
MAS Korea Area Manager, Lee Weng Chi said the airlines increased the direct flights from two a week to three, as it has seen an encouraging increase of 26 per cent in the number of Korean customers this year to Sabah.
He said the increase is also in conjunction with the launch of Kota Kinabalu as Malaysia Airlines' Eastern hub. Incidentally, the number of direct KK-Tokyo flights was also increased to three weekly effective Monday.
Lee said the airline would be deploying its new 160-seat B737-800 that will bring in 640 passengers per week during the peak season.
"These additional flights will only fly from Seoul, Korea to Kota Kinabalu and vice versa without going to Kuala Lumpur. Hence, it will bring in more Koreans to visit Sabah as the increase in services will provide greater accessibility.
"In the previous service that operated two times a week, the airline used the 290-seat Airbus 330 accounting for 580 passengers per week and had to fly over to Kuala Lumpur as some of the passengers wanted to go to the country's capital. That is why we forecast more Koreans to visit Sabah in the thrice weekly flights," he said to reporters during a press conference on the Korea Media Familiarisation Trip to Sabah, on Tuesday.
According to him, the airline has received great response to its thrice weekly direct flights with all seats sold out during the peak season.
"We have no more seats to sell to the Koreans especially during the holidays now. But these thrice weekly flights from Seoul to Kota Kinabalu is only running for two months.
"The reason is the airline would be increasing the direct services to four times per week that will boost Korean arrivals to Sabah by 68 per cent by January next year," Lee said.
He added the Koreans would also be able to enjoy the four times a week flights to Kuching via Kota Kinabalu beginning Jan 15.
MAS Korea Area Manager, Lee Weng Chi said the airlines increased the direct flights from two a week to three, as it has seen an encouraging increase of 26 per cent in the number of Korean customers this year to Sabah.
He said the increase is also in conjunction with the launch of Kota Kinabalu as Malaysia Airlines' Eastern hub. Incidentally, the number of direct KK-Tokyo flights was also increased to three weekly effective Monday.
Lee said the airline would be deploying its new 160-seat B737-800 that will bring in 640 passengers per week during the peak season.
"These additional flights will only fly from Seoul, Korea to Kota Kinabalu and vice versa without going to Kuala Lumpur. Hence, it will bring in more Koreans to visit Sabah as the increase in services will provide greater accessibility.
"In the previous service that operated two times a week, the airline used the 290-seat Airbus 330 accounting for 580 passengers per week and had to fly over to Kuala Lumpur as some of the passengers wanted to go to the country's capital. That is why we forecast more Koreans to visit Sabah in the thrice weekly flights," he said to reporters during a press conference on the Korea Media Familiarisation Trip to Sabah, on Tuesday.
According to him, the airline has received great response to its thrice weekly direct flights with all seats sold out during the peak season.
"We have no more seats to sell to the Koreans especially during the holidays now. But these thrice weekly flights from Seoul to Kota Kinabalu is only running for two months.
"The reason is the airline would be increasing the direct services to four times per week that will boost Korean arrivals to Sabah by 68 per cent by January next year," Lee said.
He added the Koreans would also be able to enjoy the four times a week flights to Kuching via Kota Kinabalu beginning Jan 15.
Continue reading at: Six Kota Kinabalu flights weekly to Seoul and Tokyo
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