For a resilient aviation industry

WE refer to the letter “Losing out in aviation industry” (The Star, Dec 3; online at tinyurl.com/star-aviation) and would like to correct the factual inaccuracies in it beginning with the Cabinet approval for the allocation of the Kota Kinabalu-Sibu and Kota Kinabalu-Bintulu routes.

There were 49 routes under the Rural Air Services (RAS), a Federal Government programme that ensures air transport is provided for the rural population in Sabah and Sarawak that would otherwise not be served commercially. Since October 2007, all routes under the current RAS programme have been operated by MASwings, which is paid a subsidy by the Federal Govern­ment to operate those routes due to their non-commercial viability.