SEPANG: Batik Air Malaysia Sdn Bhd is targeting to receive a minimum of 10 aircraft this year as the airline expands its route network.
The airline's group strategy director Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy said the aircraft comprise one Boeing B737 MAX 8 and nine B737-NG.
"We're planning to receive all the aircraft this year. The first one, which is the B737 MAX 8, is coming in March this year," he told Business Times prior to the launch of the special send off of for Batik Air's Sibu route today.
Batik Air flight OD1904 from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 to Sibu International Airport took off at 6.45pm.
The event was attended by Transport Minister of Anthony Loke.
The minister said Sibu has a very high demand especially during the festive periods and he thanked Batik Air for reinstating the Kuala Lumpur-Sibu flights for the ease of travel for passengers.
"We welcome airline companies to take the initiative to increase flights especially during festive seasons. This is in line with the government's effort to stabilise the price of airfares and increasing (flight) capacity due to the demand," he told the media.
Chandran said Batik Air is reinstating two daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Sibu starting Feb 6.
"Our objective is to position KLIA as the central transit hub in the region and the route will enable our passengers from Sibu to connect to our ever-growing flight network to 57 destinations across 20 countries through KLIA," he added.