Kuching: The Kuching-Pontianak flights are set to be relaunched next year, according to Sarawak Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin. He made the announcement during a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting in Kuching on Monday (Nov 27). He stated that Indonesia has agreed in principle for the flight operations during the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) meeting held last month.
Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin also mentioned that AirAsia has expressed interest in servicing the route, but the flight frequency is yet to be discussed. This news comes after the suspension of BIMP-EAGA routes connecting Sarawak and Pontianak, Indonesia since March 2022, as highlighted in the Air Linkages Working Group. Malaysia proposed to the Indonesian government to resume operations of the Supadio International Airport in Pontianak, Indonesia during the meeting.
On a related note, the Transport Minister disclosed that bus services between the border of Singkawang-Kuching would commence on Dec 1, with two buses initially serving the route. He also revealed that the Sarawak state government plans to expand the bus services to the border gradually. The announcement was made during Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin’s winding-up speech earlier.
Source: Bernama
