Move to make Labuan flight transit hub
Published on: Thursday, December 12, 2019
By: Sohan Das
LABUAN: Labuan Corporation is in discussion with several airlines to use Labuan as a flight transit hub to Singapore and other destinations.
This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LC, Dr Fary Akmal Osman when the Labuan Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry delegation led by Chairman Datuk Dahlif Singh paid a courtesy call on her last week.
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She also agreed to a suggestion by the chamber that a joint discussion be held with the chambers of commerce and members of the Advisory Council of Labuan Corporation on the proposed increased assessment rates effective next year.
Dahlif said: “We are confident Labuan could become a transit hub for airlines if they were offered incentives.”
He said the Labuan International Airport could handle such flights as it had both the capacity and facilities with its extended runway for A320 aircraft and 747 cargo flights and there was no air traffic congestion. “More flights would certainly help boost the local economy and it is a welcome move by the LC.”
At present the airport is only served by flights to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Miri while several years ago there were flights to Brunei and Davao City in the Philippines.
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Dahlif also said that after World War Two, Cathay Pacific Airlines served the Labuan-Hong Kong route direct and passengers from Sabah and Brunei transited from here. Qantas Airways also operated direct from here to Australia due to the large presence of Aussie soldiers on the island.
On another matter the Chamber also appealed to the CEO to bar mobile stall operators from the mainland to hold carnival and festive sales.
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Dahlif said: “The local economy was already in a depressed state and these nomadic stalls in dozens were siphoning away the local business with the sale of cheap and imitation products. They don’t spend their profits here and pay a cheap operating fees to LC, this is not helping the local traders.”
He also suggested that the new road between Batu Arang and Patan 2 be repaired and fixed with street lights as the road was widely used and helps case congestion at the main road - Jalan Tun Mustapha.
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