Kota Kinabalu: AirAsia’s inaugural flight from Ningbo to Kota Kinabalu on Friday saw passengers filling up the aircraft to almost full capacity.
The new route would operate three times a week, further enhancing connectivity between Sabah and China.
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State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said the route not only strengthens Sabah’s tourism industry but also fosters greater cultural and economic ties.
“We are grateful to AirAsia for their continuous support and commitment to expanding Sabah’s reach. We have seen significant growth from China, with 167,371 arrivals recorded up to May.”
With this additional route, Sabah now receives 83 weekly flights from nine cities in China.
Of these, 62 flights are operated by AirAsia, connecting Sabah to Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Wuhan, Beijing, Fuzhou and now Ningbo.
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“We celebrate our stance as the largest foreign carrier in China. With the recent announcement of our new route to Kunming from this second largest hub in Malaysia, AirAsia will operate a total of 10 routes with 69 weekly flights to China starting on 25 September 2024, said Airasia MD Dato Capt. Fareh Mazputra.
“We are pleased to see our services to China grow with strong demand.
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“Additionally, with our recent 5-year strategic partnership with the Sabah Tourism Board, we are committed to playing our role within the airline industry to enhance and facilitate tourism in Sabah, especially in expanding into the Chinese market,” he said.
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