SHORTAGE OF LABUAN-KL-LABUAN FLIGHTS IMPACTING BUSINESS AND TOURISM

By Jailani Hasan

LABUAN, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Fewer flights for the Labuan-Kuala Lumpur-Labuan route is the major barrier to businesses and tourism on the duty-free-island.

Association of Labuan Trust Companies (ALTC) chairman Datuk Chin Chee Kee said more than 5,000 domestic and international companies are operating in the Labuan International Business and Financial Centre (IBFC) but the business community has a hard time getting flights on that route, Chin said. 

“This is certainly a barrier for business travel. The government must help resolve this long-standing issue or Labuan’s business and financial industry will be affected,” he said, adding that Labuan must be well-linked to major cities in the region with frequent flights.

A check by Bernama with Malaysia Airport Bhd showed that there is a daily Labuan-Kuala Lumpur-Labuan flight by AirAsia while Malaysia Airlines has one to two flights daily subject to cancellation and changes in timing.

Chin said with the COVID-19 pandemic at its tail end, there are business dealings that require face-to-face meetings.

“There are times when business meetings with foreign clients have to be rescheduled due to limited flights,” he said.

Chin also added that there should be more international flights from Kota Kinabalu to international destinations to cater for Labuan’s business community.

“There are twice weekly flights to Taipei and Hong Kong from Kota Kinabalu by AirAsia. We hope more flights can be offered at a reasonable rate due to rising demand,” he said.

Labuan Chamber of Commerce (LCC) chairman Daniel Doughty said more flights will help spur business and tourism.

“The business community has been burning cash for two years during the pandemic. It is high time to have more flights to help businesses moving forward,” he said.

-- BERNAMA