KUALA LUMPUR: Dubai-based Emirates Airline is looking forward to the reopening of Malaysia's borders starting April 1 with expectations of growing inbound travel into the country.
The airline's country manager in Malaysia, Mohammad Al Attar said that Emirates had started seeing more travellers flying between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai since Malaysia's travel standard operating procedure (SOP) was put in place.
"We've definitely seen passengers starting flying since the SOP such as pre-PCR test before departure, vaccination and scanning of MySejahtera was introduced. Our flights are full and we look forward to an exponential growth on this (Kuala Lumpur-Dubai) route," he told the New Straits Times today.
Currently, Emirates operating 11 flights weekly from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai on its Boeing 777 jet.
Mohammad said the borders reopening was a great sign for the tourism industry in Malaysia as well as the recovery for the country.
"I believe it's great news. We've been for a long time now slowly coming towards the endemic phase since the last two years. So, I think the fact that we are finally opening here in Malaysia is a great sign for tourism and recovery as well," he added.
On March 8, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysia would enter its transition period to the endemic phase of the Covid-19 pandemic on April 1 and that the country's borders would be reopened from that date.
Following the announcement, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said on March 16 that her ministry was targeting two million tourist arrivals in Malaysia this year, leading to revenue of more than RM6.8 billion (US$1.6 billion).