Friday November 30, 2007
More Malaysia-Singapore flights
By LOONG MENG YEE
PETALING JAYA: More airlines, including AirAsia, may be allowed to fly between other Malaysian cities and the island republic as part of the early liberalisation of air routes.
At present, only Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines are allowed to operate from limited Malaysian cities other than Kuala Lumpur to Changi airport.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy revealed that officials from both countries are to meet early next year when further liberalisation of air routes may be discussed.
“The next round of talks between the transport officials from both countries are scheduled for early next year.
“I do not exclude the possibility of airlines from Singapore and Malaysia flying to secondary cities being brought up for discussion,” Chan told reporters after launching the new logo for the Port Klang Free Zone yesterday.
However, he did not elaborate and declined to answer which cities had been picked for consideration.
This move comes just weeks after the two governments agreed to allow AirAsia and Tiger Airways to start low-cost operations between KLIA and Changi from Feb 1.
Chan said there would be four flights daily, two by AirAsia and two by Singapore’s low-cost carrier Tiger Airways.
The two countries only needed to allow other airlines to operate the capital-to-capital route under the Asean Open Skies agreement in 2009.
MAS now flies to Singapore daily from Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu while SIA has a daily flight to Penang but its subsidary Silk Air operate flights to Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu from the republic.
It was reported that AirAsia was also keen to fly on these routes to Singapore.
The two countries are not obligated to open such routes under the agreement until 2011 when all airlines from both countries will be able to operate unlimited number of flights between the two destinations.
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