Kota Kinabalu: Charter flights can be costly, but with subsidies from both the Malaysian and Chinese governments, the costs could be significantly reduced.
Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) Chairman Datuk Seri Winston Liaw suggested that Malaysia could collaborate with Chinese 2nd or 3rd tier cities to subsidise charter flights, thus, boosting tourist arrivals between both destinations.
“As far as I know, the Chinese government subsidises a single flight to a 3rd tier city, costing RMB90,000 (RM60,427) per flight,” said Liaw.
“If the Malaysian government can match the same amount, the cost of mounting a flight could be reduced by 28 per cent, or RM120,000, on a four-hour flying time destination,” Liaw added.