MIRI: Mayor Adam Yii Siew Sang has expressed his delight at the recent announcement by Scoot Airlines to include Miri as one of their flight destinations.
“This move is expected to boost tourism and economic activities in the region…The addition of Miri to Scoot’s flight network will provide travellers with more options for exploring the beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, and vibrant culture of the city,” he told the media here on Wednesday (March 6) after conducting a site visit to SK Anchi.
He also highlighted the potential for increased connectivity and opportunities for business growth as a result of this development.
“Even now, we have three flights a week from Singapore to Miri presently using Airbus A320 with the capacity of 180 passengers.
“In fact, with these three flights, we are looking at 400 passengers…now, come May, when they change the plane to Embraer with the capability of 112 passengers…but they increased the flight frequency to four.
“I think that is very good because 112 passengers are adequate…frequency at the moment is now and confident that in the near future Scoot will find it necessary to increase more flights to Miri.”
Overall, the news has been met with excitement and anticipation by the local community, he said.
On Tuesday, Scoot, Singapore Air’s budget unit, announced it will operate flights from Singapore to six Southeast Asian destinations with its new fleet of Embraer E190-E2 planes.
On another note, Yii is hoping for more international direct air routes to Miri.
“Miri is in dire need of more international flights to cater to the growing demand of tourists and business travelers.
“Just like Tawau, which recently established new international flight routes from Nanjing, China, Miri too can benefit from increased connectivity to other countries.”
He believed that by establishing this air route, the city can aim to further strengthen the ties between China and Miri, creating more opportunities for cultural exchange and business collaborations.
“We believe that a direct flight will not only benefit the tourism industry in Miri but also contribute to the overall development of the city.”
Yii stressed that Miri has the potential to become a key hub for international travel in the region.
