Extended operations at Senai airport for festive season30 May 2019, by Star Online
Senai Airport is the only privately managed civilian airport in Malaysia.
SENAI: Senai International Airport has extended its operating hours to cater to passengers during three major festivals in May and June this year.
Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd (SATSSB) chief executive officer Md Derick Basir said operation hours at the airport was now from 5.30am until 2am, compared to 6am to midnight before.
“Through experience, the wave of passenger movements will begin two weeks before and two weeks after a major festival or celebration,” he said.
The Kaamatan (Harvest festival) in Sabah is on May 29 and 30, Gawai Dayak in Sarawak on June 1 and 2, followed by Hari Raya Aidilfitri which is expected to fall on June 5.
Md Derick advised passengers to arrive earlier at the airport as it would be congested at security checkpoints and check-in counters.
“We are also expecting an increase in the number of holiday-makers flying to domestic and regional destinations from the airport during this period,” he said.
He said Johoreans living and working in other states would also be flying home to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri with their families.
He said all facilities were maintained, monitored and inspected to ensure everything was in good order for passenger comfort.“Operations staff will be at full strength to ensure efficiency, with 160 staff working during Hari Raya,” Md Derick added.
He said AirAsia added extra flights to eight destinations from the airport, with a total of 80 additional flights from May 31 to June 16.
The destinations are Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Alor Setar, Ipoh and Penang.Apart from the above-mentioned domestic destinations, Senai Airport is also connected to Kuala Lumpur, Subang, Ipoh and Langkawi.
The international destinations are Bangkok, Guangzhou, Haikou, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Seoul and Surabaya.
Senai Airport is the only privately managed civilian airport in Malaysia.
Prior to the acquisition in 2003, the airport was handling only over 800,000 passengers.
In 2013, some 1.3 million passengers were recorded and that figure went up to 2.3 million in 2014, 2.5 million (2015). 2.8 million (2016), 3.1 million (2017) and 3.5 million in 2018.