Close to 2,000 China tourists are affected as their charter flights bound for Kota Kinabalu during the Chinese New Year festive season have been cancelled at the last minute.

Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Satta) president Datuk Seri Winston Liaw said the cancellation involved up to a total of 14 charter flights scheduled to depart from two destinations in China between the end of January to mid February.

Given that each aircraft can carry 160 passengers, the cancelled charter flights have affected close to 2,000 Chinese tourists who planned to spend the festive season in Sabah.

“The charter flight operators only informed us of the flight cancellations three days before the departure date.

Liaw said local tour operators contracted to receive the tourists were equally affected as they had paid for hotel accommodation, restaurants and buses, all of which were non-refundable, especially during the peak Chinese New Year season.

At the moment, Liaw said his travel agency Airworld Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd was working with SilkAir and Singapore Airlines to arrange alternative flights to bring the affected Chinese tourists to Kota Kinabalu.

So far, a total of 120 Chinese tourists have been flown in to Singapore via Singapore Airlines and subsequently to Kota Kinabalu via SilkAir.

“With the help of SilkAir, we flew in 60 Chinese tourists last week, and another 60 on January 25,” Liaw said in a press conference here yesterday.

Adding on, SilkAir Sabah manager Esther Ho said SilkAir and Singapore Airlines were arranging seats for the affected passengers.

“We will upgrade to bigger aircraft to bring the Chinese tourists here because we understand how important they are to the inbound tourism industry in Sabah.”

The airlines will continue to fit the Chinese passengers into their aircraft.

On the reason of the charter flights cancellation, Liaw said it could be due to the flight charterers’ inexperience as they were not in the tourism or travel business.

As such, Liaw advised airlines involved in the charter flight business to check the background and credibility of charterers or companies seeking to lease the aircraft in the future.

On another note, Liaw said a number of airlines had begun to offer scheduled direct flights from China to Kota Kinabalu, such as Spring Airline and China Southern yet these airline companies did not have an office here.

“For instance, China Southern flies more than 10 times weekly to Kota Kinabalu but the airline has yet to set up an office here.

“If any unforeseen circumstances arise such as flight delay or cancellation, who is going to handle the passengers? Where can the passengers go for assistance?”

Additionally, Liaw said the airlines providing scheduled flights should have erected signs informing passengers where to check in.

He said passengers who had booked the new scheduled direct flights to China often have to ask around where to check in as there was no sign or staff displaying the airlines they represented.

“We would not have demanded so much if they were charter flights.

“But with so many regular scheduled flights now, the relevant ministry should ask the airlines to open an office here or appoint a general sales agent.”

Also present at the press conference were Sabah Hotel Association president Christopher Chan  and SilkAir sales and reservation officer Philip Tze.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Borneo Post

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