Friday, August 11, 2006

Commuters express disappointment over rural air services offered by FAX

By George Francis

MIRI - Fly Asian Xpress (FAX), a new airline tasked to undertake the Rural Air Services in Sarawak, which is only 10 days in operation, has received a flood of criticisms and disappointment from rural commuters, civil servants and tourism industry players.

A dialogue between the airline headed by its general manager Mohd Shari Mohd Noor and three communal associations including Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Sarawak Tourism Board, various tour operators, jointly chaired by Assistant Minister Lee Kim Shin and the Resident of Miri Division, Ose Murang, was a mite "rowdier" when everyone expressed opinions openly about shortcomings of FAX under the so-called Turbo Prop Services, the term substituted for renowned Rural Air Service (RAS).

Mohd Shari promised to rectify all issues and said FAX would stick to previously Malaysian Airline's operational services offered to domestic routes and its rural service in Sarawak.

Lee Kim Shin said the general impression of the people is that they expect similar services as offered before by MAS if not better, including the airfare which should not be higher than MAS, more efficient and cost effective as FAX is being subsidised by the government.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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