Liew (second right) receiving a China Southern Boeing 787 plane model from Tan as a token of appreciation. Looking on from left are Tay and Lai.
GUANGZHOU: China Southern Airlines has agreed to extend the current double daily flight from Guangzhou to Kota Kinabalu under its existing Summer Schedule to the Winter Schedule (October 30, 2024 until March 2025).
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew said this was the outcome of her business meeting with a delegation from China Southern Airlines led by its Deputy Director General cum Senior Vice President of Network Planning Division, Tan Guang at a leading hotel here yesterday.
“The key objectives of the meeting are to explore the possibility of increasing flight frequency from Guangzhou to Kota Kinabalu, and expanding routes between China and Sabah.
“I am happy with the positive decision made by China Southern Airlines. Apart from the Chinese New Year Festival, the winter season in China is a peak travel season, too, where Sabah becomes a choice destination,” she said.
China Southern Airline is the largest airline in China, serving more than 600 routes throughout the world.
Liew is accompanied by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Josie Lai Mei Sing, and Sabah Tourism Board (STB) Deputy Chief Executive Officer Tay Shu Lan on her business trip to Guangzhou and Shanghai.
On the rationale for the move to increase flights from Guangzhou to Kota Kinabalu, the Minister said Chinese arrivals constitute the top international visitor segment in Sabah, with 262,070 arrivals in the first seven months of 2024, marking an increase of 905.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2023 (26,054).
According to Liew, this particular group contributes to 41pc of total international arrivals in Sabah, highlighting the need for increased air capacity to accommodate growing demand.
Quoting figures from STB’s Research Division, she said the 262,070 China arrivals generated preliminary tourism receipts to the tune of RM1.0039 billion from January to July 2024.
Other members of the China Southern Airlines delegation were Bu Ran (Director of Flight Schedule Office, Network Planning Division), Guo Hao (General Manager based in Kuala Lumpur) and Gary Zheng (Assistant Manager, E-Commerce Department).
Also present were Liew’s Political Secretary Vivien Lee, Cornelia Chin Siew Ling (Consul/Head of Chancery, Consulate General of Malaysia, Guangzhou), Aaron Gan Chai Heng (Tourism Malaysia Guangzhou), and Yvonne Chin (STB Assistant Marketing Manager, North Asia).
