AirAsia's Ipoh-Johor Baru flights set to take off on Oct 1

IPOH: AirAsia's much awaited Ipoh-Johor Baru flights are expected to begin on Oct 1 this year.

Perak Tourism, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Tan Kar Hing said there would be four flights weekly and hoped that more tourists from the south can visit Perak.

"We also hope that tourists from Singapore can come to Ipoh via the airline," he told reporters when met at Weil Hotel here on Wednesday (July 18).

He said this after launching a Singapore-based "Cao Parties: Eat, Stay, Play" tourism promotional programme on Ipoh.

AirAsia Group Bhd CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes had also on June 18 tweeted: "We opening Ipoh soon, and also looking to restart Kuantan. Would mean we would fly to all local destinations."

The Ipoh-Johor Baru route was not new, having been launched in early 2006 before it was suspended later in September.

One of the reasons Fernandes had cited then was that the runway at the airport in Ipoh had not been extended.

The airport has since been refurbished between April 2011 and November 2012, including the extension of its 1,789m-long runway by another 200m to accommodate larger aircrafts.

Tan also said he hoped to get more airline companies to fly to Ipoh.

"I will hold talks with two companies next month and I hope to get positive feedbacks.

"I will meet with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to look into the facilities at the airport, including the current setting there, the information centre and its basic infrastructure," he said.

-thestar online.