BUKIT Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng Jin Ek has called for urgent intervention to address soaring airfares and shrinking flight connectivity affecting Sibu and Central Sarawak, describing the situation as unfair for Sarawakians who rely heavily on air travel.
He said ticket prices for certain domestic routes had reached unreasonable levels, citing cases where a 35-minute flight from Sibu to Kuching cost as much as RM969, while flying from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur and then connecting to Kuching could sometimes be cheaper.
“Air connectivity is not a luxury for Sarawakians but an essential service relied upon for work, education, medical treatment, business and family matters,” he said in his debate speech on the motion of appreciation to the address by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting today.
Chieng added that many Sarawakians no longer felt that “everyone can fly” when a short domestic flight between Sibu and Kuching could cost close to RM1,000, despite the route taking only around 35 minutes.
He also highlighted the reduction in flight frequencies on major routes involving Sibu, saying services between Sibu and Kuching, as well as Sibu and Kuala Lumpur, had dropped from around five daily flights to only about three.
“A journey that should take slightly over an hour can now become a four- to five-hour trip due to transit arrangements,” he added.
Chieng stressed Air Borneo should play a bigger role in strengthening Sarawak’s domestic and regional connectivity once more aircraft become operational, particularly by prioritising high-demand routes involving Sibu.
