KUCHING, MALAYSIA: Low-cost carrier AirAsia is offering 5,000 free seats on its new Kuching-Singapore route that starts next month.

Tickets for the route went on sale on the airline's website on midnight Wednesday with the free seats available for booking between now and Oct 19.

AirAsia chief executive Datuk Tony Fernandes said the Kuching-Singapore route would be a huge boost to tourism in Sarawak.

"We're currently doing a very aggressive marketing campaign in Singapore and our first flight will be on Nov 1.

"We will start with one flight a day and from March onwards we will increase the frequency," he said at a media briefing here yesterday.

On the Kuching-Macau flight, which will be suspended on Oct 26 due to low passenger load, Fernandes said AirAsia would look into reinstating it in three months' time.

"We will work closely with the Sarawak Tourism Board to promote the state to Macau and south China and we hope to reinstate this route within the next two to three months," he said.

He also announced that AirAsia will increase the frequency of its Kuala Lumpur-Bintulu route from seven to 11 flights a week and Kuching-Bintulu from seven to 14 flights weekly beginning Oct 26.

Meanwhile, state Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Manyin welcomed the new route to Singapore, saying it would boost connectivity and help bring in more tourists to the state.

To further develop the tourism industry, he said Sarawak's tourism authorities would work with their Sabah counterparts to jointly promote the two states.

"For example, we will promote Mulu and Mount Kinabalu together as both have been listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites.

"We will also promote our indigenous festivals together, with plans for tourists to go to Sabah, first for Kaamatan, before continuing on to Sarawak for Gawai Dayak," he said.