KUCHING: The inaugural AirAsia flight from Jakarta landed at Kuching International Airport with 147 passengers at 9.40 am today.
The plane was given a water cannon salute when it touched down.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin was present to witness the momentous event and welcome the passengers.
For 65-year old Qartina, it was her first trip to Kuching.
“I’ll be staying here for three days and two nights and I’m here for a health check-up.
“I’m so happy that there’s a direct flight from Jakarta to Kuching now as previously, we had to transit in Kuala Lumpur,” she told reporters here.
Another passenger, Osmond, 45, described his flight experience from Jakarta to Kuching as very comfortable.
“It helps us to save time travelling back and forth from Jakarta to Sarawak. Since we no longer have to transit in Kuala Lumpur, it saves us a lot of time ,” he said.
Osmond is looking forward to enjoy Sarawak’s local delicacies.
“Besides the health check-up, I’m also here for the culinary experience. We’ve heard about the delicious food here and want to try it out.
“I’m also looking forward to eat durians,” he said enthusiastically, expressing the hope that AirAsia could increase the number of flights to Kuching.
The Jakarta-Kuching route serves three flights weekly, namely every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and the flights depart at 11.10 am from Kuching.
