KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 17): The transport ministry today confirmed that MASwings will cease operating six routes in Sabah and Sarawak by next year to make way for commercial airlines.

The routes are Kota Kinabalu – Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu – Tawau, Kota Kinabalu – Miri, Kuching – Miri, Kuching – Bintulu and Kuching – Sibu.

On Nov 8, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai announced the decision in Parliament after the Malaysian Aviation Commission conducted a study on the rural air services (RAS) in the two states.

The study showed that the six routes, which were also operated by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, had a high load factor of up to 86%.

Accordingly, the government has agreed that these routes will no longer be regarded as RAS routes, the ministry said in a statement.

It added that it will not provide subsidies to MASwings to provide services for these routes from 2019. The other RAS routes will not be affected by the decision.

MASwings currently provides RAS services on 49 routes in Sabah and Sarawak, where the costs are subsidised by the government.

RAS is a non-economical aviation service conducted for travels within the interior of Sabah and Sarawak where air transport has become the main mode of connection for the rural communities to the outside world.