Foreigners Left In The Dark Over Airline Status
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - Many overseas workers from the Philippines in the Sultanate have been left in the dark over the status of South Phoenix Airways that connects Zamboanga, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Some workers said they could no longer get air tickets of South Phoenix Airways that connect the two destinations.

"We were told by the airline office that the service had been interrupted many times due to cancellations and delays, and they asked us to come back a few days later.

"When we returned a few days later, we were told the same thing," they said, adding that they were forced to board ferries to Sandakan and Zamboanga, which ensued a journey of between 18 and 24 hours.

They said unconfirmed reports told them that the service was suspended three weeks ago but travellers had been kept in the dark about it.

"If only we were told the truth, we need not wait for so many days in Kota Kinabalu just to find out whether there will be a flight out of KK to Zamboanga.

"We could travel directly to Sandakan and book ferry tickets to Zamboanga," they said, adding that the flights have been very convenient, especially for workers who originated from the southern part of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, sources told the Bulletin that South Phoenix Airways flights have been suspended due to licence problems.

The Zamboanga-Sandakan flight takes 1 hour 35 minutes while the Zanboanga-Kota Kinabalu flight, 2 hours 20 minutes.

The airline used a F60 Fokker - with a capacity of 50 passengers - for the operations.

When the route was launched late last year, it was seen as an effort to improve air links within the BIMP-EAGA region. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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