Muhammad Bakhtiar (in batik shirt), Liow (in blue blouse) and Md Derick (left) celebrating the four millionth milestone with Lim (third from left) and her children. – THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: Senai International Airport aims to receive about 4.6 million passengers during Visit Johor 2020 (VJ2020).
Its chief executive officer Md Derick Basir said that the number would be an increase of about 8% from the forecast for this year.
“The passenger volume for 2019 is expected to hit 4.2 million, which is an increase of 20% as compared with 3.5 million passengers handled in 2018.
“For next year, we expect to handle about 4.6 million passengers with the current flights and routes that we have, ” he said, adding that most of the passengers would be from domestic flights.
Md Derick said this during a celebration of the airport’s milestone in receiving its four millionth passenger here.
He said the last time the airport celebrated a similar achievement was in 2017, when it hit 3 million passengers in a year.
He added that the airport currently handles an average of 110 flights involving 11,500 passengers daily to 12 domestic and seven international destinations.
Meanwhile, Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chick said Johor had set a target of receiving some 8.4 million overstaying tourists (those who stay at least one night) and 18.4 million visitors in total (including day-trippers) next year.
“With a budget of RM15mil, the highest ever given to the tourism sector in the state, we hope to be able to achieve stellar returns in the coming year.
“In conjunction of Visit Malaysia 2020 and Visit Johor 2020, we hope to see an economic spillover of RM29.4bil, ” he said.
Meanwhile, Lim Seoh Boey, 37, received a grand welcome upon checking in as the four millionth passenger at Senai International Airport.
Lim, who was with her three children, said that she was surprised and excited when told that she was the lucky passenger.
“I was returning from Kuala Lumpur where I had gone to visit my mother for the holiday season.
“I was shocked when I found out I am the four millionth passenger when I checked in earlier, ” she said, adding that it was a pleasant surprise.
Also present was Johor tourism, women, families and community development committee chairman Liow Cai Tung.
~The Star~
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