PETALING JAYA: It is important to listen and absorb the opinions of aviation industry players, experts and enthusiasts to improve the industry, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The Transport Minister, who was attending the Future Aviation Forum in Saudi Arabia, said he also met aviation blogger Sam Chui.

“I managed to meet and chat with Sam, who is one of the speakers at the forum here.

“To him, it is encouraging to see the growth of low-cost airlines in Malaysia,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (May 11).

He added that Sam had 2.98 million subscribers with a total of 704 million views since beginning his YouTube channel in November 2007.

Dr Wee also thanked Sam for sharing his input and views on the future of aviation, adding he had been invited to Malaysia many times to cover the aviation scene.

Dr Wee added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also arranged an exclusive tour outside of Riyadh with fellow transport ministers and speakers.

“We were brought on a tour of the newly-upgraded Alula Airport which was planned and completed in just nine months,” he said, adding that Alula was an ancient city with a 2,000-year history.