Jetstar Asia to consider SIN-SBW direct flight

[Tamizi Hj Tamby 1]

extracted from Borneo Post Online-Utusan Borneo section:

 

Jetstar Asia sedia timbang penerbangan terus Singapura-Sibu

 

 

 

KUCHING: Syarikat penerbangan tambang murah Jetstar Asia sedia mempertimbangkan cadangan laluan penerbangan terus Singapura-Sibu dalam masa terdekat ini.

Menteri Pembangunan Bandar dan Pelancongan, Datuk Micheal Manyin berkata, beliau telah mengemukakan cadangan itu kepada Ketua Unit Komersil Jetstar Asia, Leslie Ng bagi merealisasikan penerbangan terus di antara dua destinasi berkenaan.

 

Menurut Manyin, Sibu merupakan salah satu bandar yang pesat membangun dari segi ekonominya dan ramai pengunjung memilih bandar berkenaan sebagai destinasi pelancongan.

 

“Ketika saya dalam lawatan kerja di Sibu minggu lepas, ramai permintaan daripada penduduk tempatan mencadangkan laluan terus melibatkan destinasi ini.

 

“Oleh itu, saya akan berusaha mencadangkan kepada salah satu daripada syarikat penerbangan murah (dari Singapura) mengadakan penerbangan ke sana (Sibu),” katanya pada sidang media selepas tiba dengan pesawat pertama Jetstar Asia di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuching (LTAK), semalam.

 

Manyin berkata, beliau juga mahu Jetstar Asia mengembangkan sayapnya dengan penerbangan terus ke Bandar Raya Miri atas permintaan yang memberangsangkan.

 

Jetstar Asia yang merupakan syarikat penerbangan tambang murah berpangkalan di Singapura, melancarkan penerbangan empat kali seminggu ke Kuching mulai semalam.

 

Laluan Singapura-Kuching adalah yang ketiga diperkenalkan Jetstar Asia bagi pasaran di Malaysia selepas laluan Singapura-Kuala Lumpur dan Singapura-Kota Kinabalu pada tahun lepas.

 

Sementara itu, Leslie berkata pihaknya belum lagi memikirkan cadangan mengadakan penerbangan Singapura-Sibu, namun sedia menimbangkannya pada masa hadapan.

 

“Cadangan laluan Singapura-Sibu baik… Tetapi sekiranya saya mendapati terdapat peluang untuk memulakannya, kami tidak akan teragak-agak untuk berbuat demikian,” ujarnya lagi.

 

Mengenai jumlah kedatangan pelancong Singapura ke Sarawak, Manyin berkata beliau berpuas hati kerana tempahan setiap penerbangan dilaporkan mencecah 85 peratus sejak laluan itu diperkenalkan pada bulan November lepas.

 

“Setiap minggu sebanyak 7,000 tempat duduk ditawarkan kepada pelancong dari Singapura.

 

“Sekarang kita tidak mempunyai masalah berhubung pengangkutan udara antara dua destinasi kerana kita memiliki MAS, Air Asia, Silk Air, Tiger Airways dan terbaru, Jetstar Asia.

 

“Silk Air dan Tiger Airways juga memaklumkan setiap penerbangan ke Kuching berjaya mencapai kapasiti antara 75 hingga 85 peratus penuh.

 

“Ini merupakan petanda positif kepada industri pelancongan Sarawak,” katanya lagi.

 

Hadir sama ialah Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pembangunan Bandar dan Pelancongan, Akit Shebli; Pengurus Besar Malaysia Airport Berhad (MAB), Abdul Rahman Karim; Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Lembaga Pelancongan Sarawak (STB), Gracie Geikie; dan Presiden Persekutuan Pelancongan Sarawak (STF), Wee Hong Seng.

 

Sorry guys,couldn't found the English version of this news on Borneo Post Online

Anyhow,if this became a reality,It will be a happy news for me

 

[Radzi 2]

If there is enough traffic, why not?

[reyneo 0]

When was this dated?

 

I seriously doubt they will. First and foremost, 3K is severely short of planes! Just to increase its SIN-CGK to 4x daily and to launch SIN-KCH, 3K has had to cut frequencies to SGN and HKG and also had to cancel the BKK charter is did for 8M.

 

For every new route that 3K launches, another must be cut. And Jetstar has been known to go for tried and tested routes to more business destinations, with a good portion of its pax being under biz contracts. So unless there is a real demand (either by agencies or corporate contracts buying x% of the seats) or by the Sibu Authorities waving fees or offering incentives, it probably wouldn't make sense to cancel any of its perfectly fine profitable routes in favor of a SIN-SBW experiment.

(unless of course, 3K is after connection traffic. FYI, 3K n JQ does offer through fares with baggage transfer allowing pax to remain in transit instead of clearing immigration twice, eg of someone who booked TPE-SIN-PER, that person could have their bags checked to PER and remain airside while in SIN.)

 

Sorry, but I don't understand Bahasa M'sia, could someone do a rough translation? Thx.

[Tamizi Hj Tamby 1]

reyneo,

 

I think i've read the english version of the news in today's The Borneo Post this afternoon,i'm guessing this is a new news.Too bad it's not available in The Borneo Post online yet

 

Let's see:

 

During the press conference,Minister of Urban Development and Tourism Datuk Micheal Manyin had requesting Jetstar to considering about possibility of SIN-SBW route,and also SIN-MYY.3K however will consider the request,and if there any possibility that it can be done,they will not hesitate to launch the new route.

 

(Hope somebody could come up with the full news in English)

[prosibu1 0]

if this route is being approved...

then how many international airport in sarawak....

 

But of coz, y not SIN-SBW?

soon n soon all cities in malaysia connected with singapore changi

[Peter Smith 1]

(unless of course, 3K is after connection traffic. FYI, 3K n JQ does offer through fares with baggage transfer allowing pax to remain in transit instead of clearing immigration twice, eg of someone who booked TPE-SIN-PER, that person could have their bags checked to PER and remain airside while in SIN.)

Not quite the case. Upon checking in (will use your example), in TPE you will recieve 2 boarding passes (TPE-SIN//SIN-PER) however your bags will only be tagged as far as Singapore. In Singapore you must clear immigration, collect your bag and drop it off again at the counters. It may seem like a hassle, but through lack of transhipping it saves costs and those cost savings are passed on to customers, thus reducing fares. And it also kills time, especially if you have a lengthy layover. Edited March 2, 2009 by Liam Gibb