Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is expanding its accessibility in China with the introduction of the Spring Airlines' second direct flight to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Tourism Board announced on Wednesday. Spring Airlines will serve the route thrice weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The first batch of passengers who arrived here on Tuesday night received a cultural welcome.
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"Spring Airlines first flew to Sabah last year from Shanghai. Our steady arrivals convinced the airline to initiate a second flight from the city of Shenzen. "The Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry via Sabah Tourism Board will continue to get more direct flights to Kota Kinabalu from second tier cities in China," said Assistant Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming, here.
Up to June, the total international arrivals stood at 548,187, with China and Hong Kong as the top contributors at 176,130, followed by South Korea with 90,855 and Brunei 43,152. Spring Airlines has more than 75 international routes while Kota Kinabalu is connected to eight Chinese cities, namely, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Kunming and Tianjin with close to 70 flights a week.