KUCHING: Flight restrictions and upgrading of the Bario airport runway are among issues to be discussed with a delegation from the Ministry of Transport Malaysia (MOT) during their visit to Bario on Monday (Feb 28).
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala said, increasing the number of passenger seats to Bario, Long Seridan and Long Banga was crucial to enhance connectivity between these rural areas with the main towns and cities.
“Although Maswings planes have 19 seats, yet they are only allowed to carry eight or nine passengers at a time.
“This is an ongoing issue that needs to be discussed between the federal and state governments,” he said.
He said this at the Mulu election machinery appreciation dinner and New Year’s Thanksgiving Night 2022 at Pullman Hotel, here on Friday (Feb 25).
Gerawat added that he had recently discussed with Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong on the issue.
The MOT delegation together with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) and the Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority (CAAM) will go to Bario on Monday to see the state of the runway and decide if Maswings can carry more passengers per flight.
