Malindo Air has suspended flights from Kuala Lumpur to Miri, which have yet to resume. According to its chief executive officer Rama Chandran Muthy, as reported in the local newspapers a few months ago, “We are only temporary scheduling and restructuring services. We haven’t suspended the route indefinitely but only (temporarily) from Nov 1 to 15. Hopefully by Nov 15, we can resume our service to Miri.”

Until now the promise of Malindo Air to reconnect flights to Miri is still much awaited by the people.

Malindo Air’s stated reason that the suspension is because of fewer passengers is not very realistic because Miri is a centre or a resort city that receives many tourists from home and abroad. The problem is not fewer passengers but perhaps Malindo Air has fewer promotions to attract passengers and there are no facilities to attract passengers boarding its aircraft.

The Sarawak Tourism Ministry is targeting to increase the number of tourist arrivals by 12 percent in 2014 from 4.1 to 4.2 million this year. To accommodate the growing number of tourists, the tourism ministry will seek to increase the number of aircraft, and the latest news is that on Dec 7 a new AirAsia route will start flying from Miri to Manila.

Malindo Air should use the opportunity of the Visit Sarawak campaign of 2014 as an opportunity to increase its flights throughout Sarawak, especially Miri.

Miri Airport will also be upgraded as mentioned in the 2014 Budget, this is a greater opportunity for airlines to promote and attract tourists from home and abroad to achieve the target of increasing tourists to the state.

We urge the management of Malindo Air able to reconnect its flights to Miri, Sarawak so that it will benefit the passengers to choose the cheap flights, and provide the best service for them. This is also so that Malindo Air employees who were transferred may also go back and give the best service to the passengers who wishing to travel within and outside the country within a reasonable budget.

The more airlines offering low fares, the more options there will be for the passengers to choose the best service for them.

JOFRI JARAIEE is Sarawak PAS deputy commissioner III-cum-Miri PAS chief.