KUCHING: AirAsia Berhad is making the necessary arrangements with relevant authorities to implement a sufficient interval between flight arrivals in the state.
Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said that these authorities were namely the National Slot Coordination Malaysia (NSCM), Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom), and Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
He explained that due to the congestion occurring at airport terminals in Sarawak caused by overlapping arrivals, the Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MOTS) had written to airline companies including AirAsia to request a one-hour interval between flight arrivals into the state.
He said this was to allow sufficient time for passengers to undergo the necessary documentation and customs clearance by relevant authorities, as well as health screening processes carried out by the Ministry of Health (MOH), which are vital in curbing the spread of Covid-19 in Sarawak.
“MOTS received feedback from the public regarding the congestions happening at Sarawak airport terminals upon arrival,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
“We are fully aware of the congestionMavcom happening at the airport terminals in Sarawak due to the overlapping of flight arrivals into the state. It is always our priority to provide a hassle-free service to the passengers returning or coming to the state,” he said.
According to Lee, MOTS had also written to Mavcom and CAAM to seek their cooperation and to assist the airlines in ensuring that there was sufficient interval time between flights into Sarawak.
“With the support from all the stakeholders — namely the airlines, NSCM, Mavcom, CAAM, MOH, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM), and other relevant agencies — we will be able to resolve this congestion and more importantly curb the spread of Covid-19 in Sarawak,” he said.
