Kuala Lumpur, Feb 6: The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and AirAsia have unveiled plans for a robust strategic partnership aimed at elevating Sabah’s tourism industry to new heights.
The agreement follows discussions between STB’s delegation, led by Chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, and the AirAsia management team, led by CEO Bo Lingam, at AirAsia’s corporate headquarters in Sepang.
Both parties have agreed on a comprehensive 5-year master plan, with a proposed Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) set to be formalized after the Chinese New Year.
The strategic collaboration aims to promote Sabah and attract a higher number of tourists to the region.
A team of senior officials from both sides has been appointed to work on finalizing the MoC, which includes plans for expanding international routes and the potential development of Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 2 to meet growing demand.
This meeting follows recent discussions between Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and AirAsia co-founders Datuk Kamaruddin Meranun and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.
Attendees at the meeting included STB Board of Directors member Datuk Tan Kok Liang, STB’s newly-appointed CEO Julinus Jeffrey Jimit, STB Deputy CEO Tay Shu Lan, and Marketing Manager Zarinah Amiludin. AirAsia was represented by Deputy Group CEO Datuk Chester Boo Chee Soon, Group Chief Commercial Officer Karen Chan, and Chief Revenue Management and Network Planning Officer Paul Carroll, among others.
During the meeting, both Joniston and Bo stressed the importance of ensuring that any agreements reached are mutually beneficial and achievable.
AirAsia also shared plans to launch eight new routes to Sabah in the coming year, including destinations such as Jakarta, Denpasar, Manado, Shanghai, Osaka, and Incheon.
In 2023 alone, AirAsia transported over two million passengers to Sabah.
AirAsia expressed its enthusiasm for a close collaboration with Sabah and its commitment to supporting initiatives that align with the region’s interests and priorities.
Currently, AirAsia operates 12 domestic and nine international routes, including Singapore, Manila, Taipei, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Beijing, and Hangzhou.
In December 2023, the low-cost airline operated an impressive schedule of 51 weekly international flights and over 280 weekly domestic flights.
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