KOTA KINABALU: Uzbekistan tour operator Osmon Aero has shown an interest in introducing charter flights connecting Tashkent and Kota Kinabalu.
Its representatives said they hope to see this come to fruition next year, following a meeting with Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai yesterday.
Osmon Aero was represented by co-founder Dilshod Mukhomediev and director-general Anastasiya Arushanova during the discussion in which the delegates learned about Sabah’s tourism potential during a recent trip to Langkawi.
Osmon Aero and Malaysia Airlines have signed an agreement that will see MAS operating the Kuala Lumpur-Tashkent route starting July.
“We flew here and were impressed with the infrastructure as well as the number of hotels available.
“Sabah would be an interesting destination for Central Asians due to its beautiful beaches and nature,” said Dilshod in a statement.
Bangkuai, who also chairs Sabah Tourism Board, welcomed the proposal, adding that it would be a long-term strategic plan to make the state tourism industry sustainable.
