IPOH: A special committee will be formed between the Perak government and AirAsia to discuss the potential for several new flight routes from Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS) here.
State Tourism, Industry, Investment and Corridor Development Committee chairman Loh Sze Yee said the decision was reached following a meeting between both parties regarding the suspension of the Ipoh-Singapore route on March 27 in Kuala Lumpur.
“We will explore several potential routes, possibly from Ipoh to the South or the East Coast. The focus is more on domestic flights, and it does not necessarily involve international routes.
“The importance of this committee lies in the fact that AirAsia possesses passenger data, which will help us assess the viability of suitable flight routes,” he said in a press conference after a site visit to the LTSAS upgrading project here today.
On March 13, State Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin stressed that the state government was open to discussions with AirAsia following the airline’s decision to suspend the Ipoh-Singapore route, effective April 25.
Meanwhile, Loh said the formation of the committee is expected to have a positive impact by increasing tourist arrivals and strengthening LTSAS’s role as an air transport hub in Malaysia.
“With the facility upgrade works that have been carried out here, I believe LTSAS is not only comfortable but also capable of accommodating 500,000 passengers per year as targeted,” he said.
Additionally, he said over 90 per cent of the upgrade works have been completed, involving several existing facilities with an allocation of RM8 million provided by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
“Among the improvements made are enhancements to the waiting area, check-in counters and Immigration Department (JIM) lanes, among others,” he added.
