KOTA KINABALU: AirAsia has resumed its direct flights into Kota Kinabalu from Hangzhou in China after three years.

       Passengers on flight AK1575 were given a warm welcome on arrival in Kota Kinabalu International Airport, as Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Noredah Othman, senior tourism and airline officials surprised the visitors with a traditional Sabah welcome on Sunday (Sept 3).

       AirAsia will be operating on a thrice-weekly frequency throughout September 2023 and is gearing towards increasing the frequency to four times weekly from October 2023 to March 2024.

       The increase in the frequency is aimed at ensuring ease and convenience for travellers between the two cities during this peak travel period.

       AirAsia Malaysia chief executive officer Riad Asmat said that resumption of flights from Hangzhou is a reflection of their commitment to contribute towards Sabah's tourism industry.

       "We’ve always strived to uphold our commitment to contribute to Sabah’s booming tourism industry through our expanding network of flights in Asia and beyond," he said in a statement.

       He said that both Sabah and China are key markets and added that AirAsia is confident that the vast connectivity will allow the airline to provide affordable travel.

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       Coinciding with the resumption of the Hangzhou route, AirAsia said that it is offering a 20% discount on all seats to Chengdu, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Guilin, Shantou, Nanning, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Macao and Hong Kong for those booking between Sept 4-10, 2023 for travel between Oct 11, 2023 to March 31, 2024.