Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director-General (Planning) Manoharan Periasamy (middle) with Pan (on his right), Ginibun (eighth left) as well as STB and TM officials, and Sabah’s cultural dancers at the Tawau Airport.
TAWAU: Tawau is abuzz with the historic inaugural charter flight from Nanjing (NKG), China to Tawau (TWU) today, marking a milestone for the Tawau Airport, said Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Christina Liew.
She said the Sabah Tourism Board (STB) is proud to announce the commencement of chartered flights connecting Nanjing, China, to Tawau, Sabah by Firefly Airlines, and that
Tourism Malaysia (TM) also played a role in the development of this new flight route.
According to Liew, this chartered flight, the first-ever international flight for the Tawau Airport, brought in 157 passengers on its first arrival at 5.55 am today.
The Firefly aircraft arriving at the Tawau Airport.
She said Firefly will operate the charter flights three times a week, scheduled to arrive in Tawau every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with a 540-seat capacity per week until the end of March.
“We warmly welcome our Chinese friends and look forward to showcasing the unique cultural and natural treasures of Sabah.
“The launch of direct flights from Nanjing to Tawau is a testament to the growing appeal of our region as a tourist destination. I am excited that this new route will contribute to the growth and development of Tawau as a prominent international destination.
“Currently, Sabah receives 42 weekly scheduled flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Wuhan to Kota Kinabalu with a 7,520-seat capacity a week,” she said in a statement.
Ginibun garlanding the tourists with native bead necklaces.
Chairman of Sri Pelancongan Sabah Ken Pan represented the Minister at the welcoming ceremony. His role was to supervise the smooth arrival of the flight with the Tawau Airport Management on behalf of the travel agents in China.
Also present was STB Senior Marketing Manager Humphrey Ginibun who represented the Board.
China-based tourists keen on exploring the beauty of Tawau can conveniently book their flights through various online travel agencies (OTAs) which are Ly.com, Ctrip, Qunar, and Fliggy.
