KUCHING: Sarawak is making arrangements to acquire new ATR 72-600 aircraft for its rural air services (RAS) operations, said State Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin.
He said that the current aircraft will be replaced once their lease period expires in two years.
“This will be done after the lease period ends, as the existing ones are still under lease. However, arrange-ments have already been made to acquire new ATR 72-600 models.
“As for the Twin Otter aircraft, they are still relatively new, so we have not made any decision to replace that model yet,” he told a press conference yesterday.
He also stressed that Sarawak’s airline AirBorneo will maintain the RAS which was previously operated by MASwings Sdn Bhd.
Lee added that more aircraft will be acquired as the state-owned airline expands its services in the region.
Meanwhile, he said that his ministry is taking proactive measures to ensure sufficient flight availability between Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak, for those returning home for the Aidilfitri celebrations.
“We want to ensure there are enough flights so that everyone can return home to celebrate Hari Raya. We will coordinate with airlines to provide additional flights,” he said. – Bernama
