Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd is seeing all the direct flights to Semporna which will be implemented by its company as one of the new attractions for overseas travellers to come to the area.The direct flight is expected to begin operations at the earliest by January next year and once the deal is completed with Malaysia Airport Sdn Bhd (MASB).

Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd operations manager Captain Azahari Ahmad said the presence of foreign tourists to Semporna was encouraging and this made potential flights much bigger.

Azahari Ahmad said "We expect the demand for this flight to be very high from tourists as it is strategic in terms of shorter travel time compared to the main road which is Tawau to Semporna which is only 20 minutes while Kota Kinabalu to Semporna is only 1 hour and 30 minutes.
He added, "Our target is also for long-term tourists in Sabah who want to take a short trip to dive around the islands in Semporna or to enjoy the seafood as we can make the return flight in one day,".

He said this yesterday when he successfully launched a Tawau test flight to Semporna using the Nomad Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd aircraft.

Azahari also said that in terms of marketing, Sabah Air would be partnering with domestic and foreign tourism companies as part of its marketing initiatives.
He added, "With that cooperation, we will be delivering attractive packages and of course Sabah Air is always striving to meet the demands of our customers,".

Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd chief captain Soony Ho Soon San said, the landing at Semporna Airport was very challenging because of its short runway and its first time landing here.

He added."The runway, which is only 600 meters, is very challenging for any pilot as it is usually a long-haul aircraft landing. This challenge is also very exciting and is a new experience in the world of aviation and we hope to have more flights,".

Soony said that all tourists do not have to worry about getting on the Sabah Air to Semporna because there is no problem landing at this airport.
"We have tried to land on this track using the Nomad 9M-AUA type aircraft and I see that it is not a problem as it is also capable of landing larger vessels such as the Twin Otter DHC-6, 19 passengers," 

Alice Chin, a local tourist, expressed her joy at being allowed to board this nomadic aircraft around the islands of Semporna.

She stated "I am very excited to see the beauty of the island from the view up there and I hope this flight can be realized quickly as it is a beautiful experience that cannot be described but experienced.

"I am also confident that these direct flights will be welcomed, especially if there are packages such as exploring the islands around Semporna by air," she added.