PBS supports Sabah airline proposal
PBS information chief Datuk Johnny Mositun said here yesterday that the airline would ensure service for air travelers in Sabah and Sarawak and at the same time to sustain the growth of the tourism industry.
“PBS welcomes the statement by Yusoff that Sabah Air is already working in that direction. We wish Sabah Air well and hope that it will succeed with its plan to grow into a full-fledged airline soon,” Mositun said.
He was commenting on Yusoff’s statement in the local press in which he revealed that Sabah Air was in the process of applying for the necessary approval from the authorities to form a full-fledged airline to serve East Malaysia and the BIMP-EAGA.
Mositun said the idea of an East Malaysia-based domestic airline had been floated many years ago but the urgency for one had never been really felt until now.
“Sabah’s air travel sector has grown by leaps and bounds over the last two decades for a number of reasons, including accelerated economic development and the booming tourism industry. Sabah today has evolved into a modern and increasingly mobile society and air travel is an integral component of this process,” the Papar PBS divisional chairman said.
Mositun said just a decade ago Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak were overjoyed when AirAsia introduced low fares and increased flights within their reach.
But recent developments had changed the overall scenario.
“The recent MAS-AirAsia tie-up has given Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak every reason to be apprehensive about things to come. What we fear most is the loss of low fares, flight frequencies and routes serviced. Already the complaints are becoming louder by the day and even the newly established Competition Commission of Malaysia has conceded that the matter merits looking into, taking into account the fears of East Malaysians ” Mositun noted.
He said Sabah Air’s objectives sounded feasible and could be realised with the support and help from the state government.
“The state government and larger government-linked companies could back up Air Sabah by taking up equity shares to create a full-fledged airline. If necessary, the Sarawak government could be brought in. Financing such a venture shouldn’t be a big problem. It’s all a matter of having the will to carry out the proposal once approval is obtained,” Mositun said.
He expressed hope for a speedy solution to the immediate problem of passengers who had already made flight bookings and were now facing the possibility of having to cancel them as the airlines concerned were pulling out of certain sectors.
“I fervently hope that Sabah Air will succeed in its efforts to lease aircrafts and ease the problem, at least in the interim,” he said.
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