Sabah Air still fine-tuning local airline plan
KOTA KINABALU 24 April 2012: A state-owned company is keeping its plans to start an airline under wraps as the details are being fined tuned.
Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd (Sabah Air) yesterday said negotiations and viability studies on their proposal to run a domestic and regional airline were still on.
Its chairman, Datuk Yusoff Mohd Kassim, was, however, non-committal on the outcome as it was still too premature to say if they would go through with the plan.
Speaking at the 1st Malaysian Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Conference here, he said: "Of course there's room to improve services and we like to be that service provider.
"While there is the possibility, it also depends on viability ... it is still too premature to say," he said.
The helicopter and fixed wing charter and leasing company, which has been operating for more than 30 years, in January announced the plan to spread their wings beyond charter services.
"Its current fleet consists of 11 helicopters and two airplanes.
Yusoff had said Sabah Air's move was necessary in the wake of some airlines ceasing flights to Kota Kinabalu, like Malaysia Airlines, which suspended flights from here to Perth, Haneda, Osaka and Seoul earlier this year.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun had expressed his support for Sabah Air's request to take over the routes, even suggesting they start with chartered flights or engage strategic partners for the plan.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman in January said the state government was studying the proposal by Sabah Air.
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Although I understand that setting up a flight service is not easy nor cheap, but I hope the Sabah government will do their best to provide support to Sabah Air in order for them to be established successfully.
BalasPadamYa betul. Usahakanlah yang terbaik supaya semuanya dapat dilakukan dengan jaya.
PadamMenubuhkan Perkhidmatan penerbangan memerlukan banyak usaha, diharapkan ia akan dilancarkan dengan sempurna pada masa depan yang terdekat.
PadamJust believe.nothing impossible.
PadamSabah Air to become a full fledged flight service is necessary for Sabah's tourism industry, having our own flight company will ensure that we can provide service for our own people without having to depend on other airline companies.
BalasPadamJika Sabah Air sudah ditubuhkan, sektor pelancongan Sabah akan terjamin walaupun syarikat penerbangan lain menarik balik perkhidmatan mereka.
PadamThat's right. Hope we can have our own flight company.
PadamSabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd is eyeing to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) as its next step of progression, said its chairman Datuk Yusoff Kasim.
BalasPadamBaguslah. klinik kawasan pedalaman yang mengalami kes kecemasan boleh menggunakan perkhidmatan ini nanti.
Padam“Essentially it involves expanding the horizon beyond the Sabah shores and going into the Pan Malaysian Scenario,” he said.
BalasPadamSabah Air knows the operating environment in different parts of the country better than any other civilian rotary aircraft operators, today, coupled with the FDS experience and our shareholder’s blessing, Sabah Air is the ‘best turnkey solution provider’ in a ‘ready to go’ state, at the moment, said Yusoff.
BalasPadam“We strongly believe Sabah Air has the potential to contribute to the nation in this particular niche area, besides other areas too due to its unparallel years of experience in this sector,” he added.
BalasPadamHe said this at the opening of the 1st Malaysian Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Conference at a resort here yesterday. The two-day conference was opened by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai representing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.
BalasPadam“This conference marks the start of a process that we hope will eventually bring the HEMS service to the nation. Integrated knowledge-driven services such as the HEMS are heavily reliant on effective interoperability of multi-disciplinary skill sets,” said Yusoff.
BalasPadamHe said the knowledge gained from the conference will eventually provide the foundation for the Malaysian HEMS service.
BalasPadam“The tourism sector has contributed substantially to the income of the country and Sabah had 2.24 million visitors in 2009, 2.5 million in 2010 and 2.84 million in 2011, which represented an average yearly growth of 12.6 per cent.
BalasPadamSabah sememangnya bergantung pada Sektor Pelancongan sebagai salah satu punca ekonomi dalam negeri.
PadamMaybe could reach 3 million this year:)
Padam“We need to move up the value chain to ensure the effective provisioning of various services contributing to the total well-being of our guests,” Yusoff said.
BalasPadam“HEMS is one such essential service that Malaysia needs to put in place at the earliest. The gap we have now is glaring and we need to address this as soon as possible,” he said.
BalasPadamHe called on the respective stakeholders to use the conference as an accelerator or agent of change to realise the HEMS, possibly even before the end of this year.
BalasPadamRancang dan laksanakan perancangan sebaik mungkin. Mudah-mudahan Sabah Air akan maju setapak ke hadapan.
BalasPadamSetuju pemerhati. Jadi sama-samalah kita harapkan yang terbaik dalam hal ini.
PadamWow satu sasaran yang hebat. Harap ia dapat direalisasikan.
BalasPadamDengan adanya sokongan kementerian pelancongan saya yakin semuanya akan berjalan lancar.
BalasPadamDatuk Masidi sentiasa buat yang terbaik task2 under kementeriannya.
PadamAll the best Sabah Air:)
BalasPadamSabah adalah alternatif lain untuk menganti penerbangan yang lain. Lebih baik ditingkatkan kualiti.
BalasPadambgs jika menjadi ia syarikat penerbangan di Sabah.
BalasPadamSemoga ini mendatangkan faedah kepada Sabah.
BalasPadamHarap ini dapat menguntungkan lagi Sabah.
BalasPadamPenerbangan Sabah Air ini akan dapat membantu menyelesaikan masalah mengenai pemberhentian penerbangan oleh AIRAASI dan MAS.
BalasPadamSabah memang patut memiliki syarikat penerbangan sendiri bagi mengurangkan kebergantungan terhadap syarikat penerbangan luar.. bila lagi Sabah memiliki syarikat penerbangan sendiri sedangkan negeri ini sering menjadi tumpuan pelancong dalam dan luar negara..
BalasPadam