Perak Govt and AirAsia to Explore New Air Links Following Singapore Route Cutoff, State Rep Says
KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — The Perak government and AirAsia will form a joint committee to assess the feasibility of new flight routes for Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS) in Ipoh, Utusan Malaysia reported today.
This action comes after AirAsia revealed two weeks back that they would be ending their route between Ipoh and Singapore.
The chairman of the State Tourism, Industry, Investment, and Corridor Development Committee, Loh Sze Yee, stated that the committee will involve pertinent agencies and parties from the aviation industry.
"He supposedly mentioned during his visit to LTSAS today that they would look into exploring possible new routes, which include destinations within East Malaysia as well as not limiting themselves to purely international choices," he was quoted as saying.
Loh also mentioned that the state government was unprepared for AirAsia’s choice, which might impact the funds allocated to increase the airport’s capacity.
A renovation worth RM58 million is anticipated to boost LTSAS’s capacity to handle 700,000 passengers per year, an increase from its current level of almost 500,000.
Loh mentioned that efforts are being made to boost passenger numbers, noting that he had recently talked about this issue with both AirAsia and the Singapore-based carrier Scoot.
"A non-stop two-point route could pose challenges, hence we are also exploring the option of using Ipoh as a transit hub for a three-point route," he mentioned additionally.
