AirAsia wins Miri City Mayor Award for its economic and social contributions to Miri

(From left) Miri City Secretary Morshidi Fredrick, AirAsia Miri Station team Chandran Naniapen, Miri City Deputy Mayor Julaihi Mohamad, Miri City Mayor Adam Yii, AirAsia Group Non-Independent Non-Executive Director Datuk Abdul Aziz Bakar, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Sarawak) Datuk Sebastian Ting, MP Subuti YB Tuan Lukanisman bin Awang Sauni, AirAsia Miri Station Head Alvin Sim, AirAsia Miri Station team Farrah Dimple, AirAsia Miri Station team Caroline Agong and Miri City Councillor Abdullah Jaini.

AirAsia has won the coveted Mayor’s Special Award at the Miri City Mayor Award 2019 for its significant contribution to the economic and social aspects of Miri and its people.

AirAsia was recognised particularly for its commitment in enhancing both domestic and international connectivity for Miri as well as enabling more people to fly.

AirAsia connects Miri to Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru as well as Singapore with 101 flights to and from Miri weekly.

As a result of the increased connectivity provided by AirAsia, passenger traffic at Miri Airport has tripled in the last 20 years from 0.79 mil in 1998 to 2.35 mil in 2018. In 2018, over 61% of the passenger traffic at Miri Airport travelled on AirAsia.

The award was presented to AirAsia’s Non-Independent Non-Executive Director Dato’ Abdul Aziz Bin Abu Bakar by Miri Mayor Adam Yii.

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said, “As a passionate proponent of shared prosperity, we strive to provide opportunities for Malaysians to fly by offering low fares and advocating for fair airport charges. We are humbled to be recognised for our contributions in elevating Miri’s economic and social landscape. AirAsia is the only airline offering a direct international flight to Miri because we believe in Miri’s potential for tourism and trade. We hope to fly more visitors to Miri in the coming years which will not only create more job opportunities for its people but further boost the state’s economy as well.”

In 2018, AirAsia carried about 1.3 million Malaysians to/from Miri and about 250,000 visitors from other countries. The number of Bruneians crossing into Miri has also increased, as they take advantage of AirAsia’s vast connectivity and frequent flights from Miri.

Held for the second year, the award is aimed at recognising individuals and organisations which have made significant contribution to Miri city’s development.