Welcoming passengers from inaugural direct flight from Penang to Kuching

It was a great occasion when we welcomed the arrival of passengers from the inaugural Malaysia Airlines (MAS) direct flight from Penang to Kuching this morning. Flight MH2721 arrived at our Kuching International Airport (KIA) at about 10:30 am. I was there at the airport's arrival hall to greet the passengers and presented them with garlands made of Sarawak beads. 

During the press conference, I had informed our media friends that it is so good to see that Sarawak and Penang are now connected via Malaysia Airlines. Both the connectivity and accessibility will therefore generate greater mobility that will drive the economic growth of both states and I am very sure that people of both islands can now visit both UNESCO sites more easily. The Penang-Kuching flight will operate with a frequency of two flights weekly, on Thursdays and Saturdays on Malaysia Airlines Boeing 738 planes.

As the Covid-19 pandemic has made all countries focus inwards, Abdul Karim asserts that Sarawak is no exception. Recently, Kuching has just been recognised as UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of gastronomy and with a direct link to the UNESCO World Heritage City of Georgetown, visitors from both states can now also enjoy the best offerings of both cities blessed with the abundance of culture, adventure, nature food and festivals from East to West

Air connectivity has always been a challenge for Penangites to visit Sarawak, hence getting direct flights for both island states is very much welcome. Fully vaccinated domestic travellers from all states are not required to undergo quarantine upon arrival to Sarawak and no PCR or RTK Covid-19 tests are needed prior to departure. The only requirement needed is for them to apply for entry via the EnterSarawak app for non Sarawakians. They also need to submit the completed e-Health declaration form. 

On another note, the homegrown brand ‘Sia Sitok Sarawak’ holiday promotions undertaken by Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) received overwhelming response from all over in which it had helped the local tourism industry during recent challenging times. The positive response had also shown us that there is certainly a lot of potential for domestic tourism. The easing of travelling into Sarawak had done us a big favour and certainly we look forward to seeing more new direct routes and increasing the frequency of direct flights from hubs such as Penang, KL, Johore and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. Similarly, the health and safety of our visitors had always been the main priority in which stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs) were consistently enforced so that travellers will have peace of mind while travelling to Sarawak.