TAWAU: Tawau’s international air connectivity continues to be strengthened with the introduction of a new direct Tawau–Shanghai flight route, set to be launched soon, following the commencement of AirAsia’s direct Tawau–Guangzhou service last month.
Tawau Chinese Chamber of Commerce (CCCT) Vice-President William Tan said the new route would open another important gateway from Sabah’s east coast to one of China’s major international hubs.
Advertisement
According to information received, he said the inaugural flight is scheduled to depart Tawau Airport at 10.30pm on Dec 22 (Monday) and arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 2.55am on Dec 23.
The return flight will depart Shanghai at 3.55am on Dec 23 and is expected to arrive in Tawau at 8.35am on the same day.
William said a welcoming ceremony for the inaugural flight will be held at Tawau Airport on the morning of Dec 23 (Tuesday), involving representatives from various agencies as well as members of the local community.
In line with this, he said CCCT held a meeting with AirAsia Commercial Marketing Manager Carson Lim in the capital to discuss in detail the arrangements for a simple welcoming event to mark the aircraft’s arrival in Tawau.
Elaborating further, William said the Tawau–Shanghai route will be operated as a charter service, with return flights scheduled until the end of March next year.
Interested passengers can make bookings via the official AirAsia website, the AirAsia MOVE mobile application and AirAsia’s WeChat mini programme.
“If market demand remains encouraging after March, it is not impossible for the charter service to be extended or upgraded,” he said.
Meanwhile, Carson said Tawau has strong locational advantages and promising market potential.
He said the launch of the Shanghai route is a strategic move by AirAsia following a comprehensive assessment of market demand and regional development prospects.
Carson also expressed appreciation to the Tawau Chinese Chamber of Commerce Sabah for its active role in coordination and communication, and praised the professional cooperation of airport management and relevant agencies in ensuring smooth preparations for the flight.
