MASwings ceases Tawau-Tarakan route

KOTA KINABALU: MASwings has decided to cease operating flights between Tawau and Tarakan, Indonesia from Oct 30.

This followed the suspension of the three weekly flights into Tarakan since March 22, 2020 that was put in place when international borders were closed as part of measures to curb the spread Covid-19.

MASwings chief operating officer Capt Nasaruddin Bakar said that it was a difficult decision to make.

“After a thorough business review, we have taken the difficult decision to discontinue our operations into Tarakan.

“Despite efforts put in place to sustain operations as borders opened, operating conditions were extremely challenging and no longer commercially viable for MASwings to resume.

“Since we started the operations into Tarakan in February 2012, MASwings has recorded a moderate passenger load factor, allowing us to continue sustaining this route,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 20).

However, he said that the Covid-19 crisis impacted MASwings, just like other airlines worldwide.

“The slump in travel demand due to travel restrictions and uncertainties even after the travel market is slowly recovering has weighed heavily on MASwings’ ability to continue operations into Tarakan,” he added.

He said that MASwings was thankful to their customers and stakeholders who have supported the carrier and its Tarakan operations since 2012.