MAS increases weekly flights to Guangzhou

By JACK WONG

KUCHING: Malaysia Airlines will fly three times weekly from here to Guangzhou, China, via Kota Kinabalu from May 2. 

The national carrier will use the B737 aircraft for the service. 

“The service will tap China’s huge tourism market and encourage more Chinese to come here,” said state Tourism Minister Datuk Abang Johari Tun Openg. 

MAS, he said, had also agreed to the state government’s proposal to increase to four flights a week the service between Hong Kong and Kuching via Kota Kinabalu from April 2. 

Johari said the national carrier had started a daily Kuala Lumpur-Kuching-Kuala Lumpur service using Airbus 330. 

Also, MAS would operate three flights a day on the Kuching-Bintulu sector from March 31 from the new Bintulu Airport. 

MAS is considering a proposal to operate direct service on the Kuala Lumpur-Bintulu sector. 

Johari said MAS planned to operate direct flights from here to Balik Papan, east Kalimantan, to attract travellers, especially the many expatriates there to spend their weekends in the state capital. 

He said MAS had launched five “Discover Sarawak” packages from Kuala Lumpur to destinations here, in Sibu and Miri to attract more people from the peninsula. 

The packages, priced between RM438 and RM1,300, are inclusive of return airfares, two-night hotel accommodation with complimentary breakfast and return airport transport and tours as specified in the itinerary. 

The KL-Kuching package is sold from RM438, the KL-Damai Beach package from RM475 and KL-Borneo Highlands Resort (for golf excursion) from RM1,300. All these are three-day tours. 

Johari said these packages were introduced after the recent launch of “Shiok Sarawak” package for Singaporeans, which received very good response.