Sandakan route latest from Firefly

SANDAKAN: Firefly is aiming for 100,000 passengers a year on its new flight from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Sabah's “gateway to wildlife” Sandakan. On its maiden flight yesterday, the airline had a rousing start with 90% of seats filled.

Its managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said Malaysia Airlines, which owns Firefly, would stop flights to Sandakan following the start of Firefly's new flight. “The main reason for this is to have a low-fare product, which makes it easier to spur more arrivals into Sandakan,” he said. Leong added that the new flight would be able to carry more passengers as it uses a larger aircraft, seating 189, compared with 144 passengers previously.

“This is part of the MAS group's re-organisation process to serve customers better,” he said, adding that Firefly's route to Sandakan would contribute between 10% to 15% of the company's profit. Leong said the airline hoped to introduce flights from KLIA to Tawau, Miri and Bintulu next year, when it acquired more aircraft.

Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin said the board was aiming for 2.63 million tourist arrivals to the state this year, which would generate a revenue of about RM4.7bil. “Sandakan is the state's gateway to wildlife and has the first and largest orang utan sanctuary in Sepilok. “It is also famous for the Turtle Island Park, where you can see turtles laying eggs all year round,” he said.

He added that Sandakan was also famous for its seafood and the Kinabatangan river, which is home to the richest wildlife in the world. Firefly is currently offering travellers a promotional all-in fare from RM29 one-way to Sandakan for the booking period until tomorrow. The promotion is for the travelling period between Aug 10 and Oct 20, this year. For more information, visit http://www.fireflyz.com.my/.
-thestar online.