Pangkor flights resume

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AIR services to the airport on Pangkor Island will resume after an 18-month hiatus, marking the reopening of the island’s airport to commercial flights.

Berjaya Air Sdn Bhd will resume its flights to the Pangkor Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) Port on the resort island from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (SAAS) Airport starting Friday.

Berjaya Air will fly three times a week — on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday — to the destination.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said resuming the flights would not only facilitate economic growth on the island, but also the movement of people between the island and Kuala Lumpur.

Greetings: Kong being welcomed upon arrival at the Pangkor Island airport.

He said the flights to Pangkor would spur positive growth for the island and also Lumut on the mainland.

Berjaya Air had been plying the Pangkor Island route since 2000 before halting its flights last May due to economic factors, particularly the rising cost of fuel.

“The resumption of flight services to Pangkor is timely as Perak will be celebrating Visit Perak Year in 2012.

“I hope Berjaya Air will consider our proposal to initiate flights from Singapore to Pangkor,” he said at the airport last Thursday.

Kong, who is also Lumut MP, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and the state government fully supported the idea of bringing in high-value tourists to the island.

He also expressed hope that the island’s residents were ready to welcome the influx of tourists with the reactivation of flight services.

“It was not an easy task persuading Berjaya Air to resume its services to Pangkor.

“I hope the residents will always maintain the cleanliness and security of the island in order to attract more tourists,” he said.

Scenic: The Pangkor Island airport looks inviting with a heritage-influenced building and lush landscape.

Kong said the Government was prepared to consider a suggestion to make Pangkor a duty-free destination should there be flights connecting the island with other international destinations.

“If there are air links with other destinations in the world, then only can we start to think about making Pangkor a duty-free island,” he said.

Berjaya Air director Datuk Azlan Meah Ahmad Meah said the company was confident of generating positive returns while increasing employment opportunities and economic activity for the local community.

“We also intend to work with hotels and resorts on the island to provide value-for-money tour packages,” he said.

Berjaya Air currently operates with three 48-seater Dash 7 and two 72-seater ATR 72-500 aircraft designed to land on short runways like the one in Pangkor, he said.