Malaysia Tourism News Tourism Malaysia

MAS, AirAsia flights unaffected by Iceland ash cloud

2011-05-24T16:27:00.002+08:00

Published: Tuesday May 24, 2011 MYT 3:47:00 PM

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia flights are unaffected by the ash cloud from the eruption of the Grimsvotn Volcano in Iceland.

In a statement Tuesday on its website, AirAsia said the ash was not affecting the Britain or French airspace

“As such, please be informed that our flights to or from Stansted, London and Orly, Paris are operating on schedule.

“We will continue monitoring the situation closely. We request that our guests check our website for further updates,” AirAsia said.

It also urged passengers to update their contact details on its website so that it could forward any notification to them should there be a need.

A check with MAS also showed that its flights were unaffected.

Meanwhile, AP is quoting the European air traffic agency as saying that the spread of dense ash from the erupting Iceland volcano could force the cancellation of up to 500 commercial flights in Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of Scandinavia.

Between 200 and 250 flights had already been cancelled, said Brian Flynn, head of network operations at Eurocontrol. There are just over 30,000 flights within Europe on average every day at this time of the year.

Ash from the Grimsvotn volcano already forced President Barack Obama to shorten a visit to Ireland, and has raised fears of a repeat of huge travel disruptions in Europe last year when ash from the Eyjafjalljokull volcano stranded millions of passengers.

Flynn said he did not expect Obama's European tour to be further affected and authorities have said they don't expect the kind of massive grounding of flights that followed last year's eruption. They say procedures have been improved since then and the cloud is currently not expected to move over continental Europe.

Nonetheless, the British Civil Aviation Authority said strong winds over Scotland was making it hard to predict the direction in which the ash would move.

British Airways suspended all its flights for Tuesday morning between London and Scotland, while Dutch carrier KLM and Easyjet cancelled flights to and from Scotland and northern England at the same time. Three domestic airlines also announced flight disruptions.

The Irish Aviation Authority has ordered all flights from Ireland to Scotland to be suspended.

Budget airline Ryanair said it did not believe there was a need to cancel all flights between Ireland and Scotland, and said it would meet with regulators Tuesday morning to discuss the issue.

Norwegian airport operator Avinor said the ash disrupted traffic to and from Stavanger and Karmoey airports and is expected to spread to southern Norway later. Danish authorities say they have closed the airspace under 6 kilometers (4 miles) in northwestern Denmark. There is no airport in that area, but the ash is causing delays and some cancellations at Copenhagen airport.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/24/nation/20110524155756&sec=nation

3,000 hotel rooms going for free today

2010-05-26T16:49:00.001+08:00

Wednesday May 26, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 3,000 hotel rooms are up for grabs at the newly re-launched one-stop online travel portal AirAsiaGo.com.

The offer is valid for today and are for bookings made for the travel period between June 1 and March 31 next year. Besides free rooms, the travel portal is also offering free transfers and tours.

Formerly known as GoHoliday, AirAsiaGo.com has undergone a branding makeover and was re-launched yesterday by AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes.

In his speech, he said AirAsia was not only about having the necessary “hardware” but ultimately depended on the people in the organisation.

AirAsia group regional commercial head Kathleen Tan said AirAsiaGo.com was the online travel portal for any traveller. “AirAsiaGo is different because we sell activities, experiences and lifestyles,” she said at a press conference after the re-launch.

The travel portal boasts a selection of over 70,000 hotels worldwide and more than 5,000 tour packages.

Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/26/nation/6338584&sec=nation

AirAsia launches Kuala Lumpur - Bangalore Flights

2010-05-20T13:49:00.001+08:00

AirAsia today launched flights between Bangalore in India and the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

Bangalore is the seventh destination for AirAsia in India after Trivandrum, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi Tiruchirappali and Mumbai.

To celebrate, AirAsia is offering all in fares from as low as RM 25 to guests traveling from Bangalore as part of its offer of one million free seats. Bangalore, as part of AirAsia’s global network will be part of the free seats campaign, which are available for potential travelers to the city.

AirAsia will be operating its brand new Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.

Speaking about the launch, Ms. Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial, AirAsia said, “We are excited to launch our services between Kuala Lumpur and Bangalore. The daily service is expected to cater to significant traffic including business and leisure travelers as well as students to and from the tech-hub in Southern India. In addition to this, the service is also expected to cater to and promote medical tourism in the city of Bangalore. AirAsia foresees a huge demand from the health sector with patients seeking medical assistance from institutions based in Bangalore.”

On its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia carried 15 children with Congenital Heart Disease requiring open heart surgery. The children will be operated upon at Narayana Hrudayalaya Heart Institute, Bangalore, one of the largest heart hospitals for children in the world.

Source: http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news10/205-AirAsia.shtml

AirAsia launches 1 Million Free Seats Promotion

2010-05-18T10:31:00.001+08:00

AirAsia is offering up to 1 million FREE SEATS on flights across its extensive network of over 130 routes across 20 countries.

The booking period for the Free Seat promotion is from 18 – 23 May 2010 for travel between 3 January and 8 May 2011. Promotional seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Free Seats promotion offers all-in fares from as low as RM6. Travellers just have to pay the airport tax from Kuala Lumpur to destinations such as Johor Bahru, Alor Setar, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi, Penang and others.

The international routes are expected to be snapped up quickly as the Free Seats promo offers all-in fares from as low as RM25.

Those planning to visit the various destinations in Indonesia including Bandung, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Padang and Banda Aceh; are all well known for its beautiful sceneries, shopping venues and delectable local cuisines will be able to enjoy all-in fare from as low as RM25.

Other hot international destinations which are also offered all-in fare from as low as RM25 include Phuket, Krabi, Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). AirAsia’s newly launched routes in India such as Bangalore and Hyderabad are also offered all-in fare from RM25.

In addition to Free Seats on these selected routes, AirAsia is also offering super low all-in fare from RM49 to destinations such as Bali, Hanoi, Haikou, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and many more.

Highly in demand “Kangaroo Routes” in Australia such as Gold Coast and Perth are available from RM149, Melbourne from RM199 while those planning for a European getaway can opt to fly to London from as low as RM699.

Those who are into exotic attractions can opt to go to New Delhi or Mumbai, India from as low as RM199.

Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial, AirAsia said, “We have received many enquiries on AirAsia’s social platforms on our Free Seats promo. We are delighted to announce that this promo is the best opportunity for guests to maximize on our extensive route network to travel to more places with our amazing low fares. From a beach getaway in Phuket to shopping paradise in Bandung or even an adventurous getaway in Phnom Penh, there is always something for everyone to discover. Guests can now start to plan and book their flights for their next year’s travel plans and take advantage of Kuala Lumpur’s status as a gateway to Asia, Australia and Europe to connect globally.”

Guests may also complement their travel plans with online hotel deals and tour packages via AirAsiaGo. Deals such as free one night stays (pay 3 nights, pay for 2 nights, stay 2 nights, pay for one night) from selected hotels of various destinations in Bali, Phuket, Hong Kong, Yogyakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Krabi and many more. Apart from that, AirAsiaGo is also offering free Tours and Transfers to destinations like Bali, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore, Guangzhou and Yogyakarta.

Terms and Condition apply.

Source: http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news10/175-AirAsiaPromotion.shtml

AirAsia offers a million free tickets

2010-05-18T10:26:00.001+08:00

Tuesday May 18, 2010

PETALING JAYA: Low-cost carrier AirAsia is giving travellers a reason to cheer - the airline is giving away a million free seats starting today.

The booking period for the “Free Seats” promotion begins today until Sunday, for travel between Jan 3 and May 8 next year.

Customers can choose from 130 destinations to 20 countries including India, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and China.

The promotion offers various “all-in fares” which are applicable for one-way travel inclusive of airport tax, with certain terms and conditions.

AirAsia's regional commercial head Kathleen Tan said many enquiries had been made on the airline's social platform about the promotion.

“This is the best chance for our guests to plan and book their flights for their travel plans next year and take advantage of Kuala Lumpur's status as a gateway to Asia, Australia and Europe to connect globally,” she said in a statement yesterday.

To complement the free flights, Tan added that AirAsia's one-stop travel portal was also offering online hotel deals from 70,000 hotels worldwide, tour packages and free tours and transfers to selected destinations via AirAsiaGo at www.airasiago.com.

For more information on free seats and other promotions, visit www.airasia.com or mobile.airasia.com.

Tycoon to build 400-room hotel in the heart of Miri

2010-04-22T10:44:00.000+08:00

Thursday April 22, 2010

By STEPHEN THEN
stephenthen@thestar.com.my

MIRI will soon have a five-star hotel in the heart of the city, boosting its image as the commercial and tourism gateway of northern Sarawak.

Construction of the RM400mil Four Points by Sheraton Miri will start before the end of this year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2011, said Sarawak tycoon Tan Sri Ting Pek Khiing, who is the project developer.

The 400-room hotel, to be equipped with a huge convention hall, will be located next to the slope of Canada Hill, a stone's throw away from the old city centre.

Construction of the hotel, the biggest in northern Sarawak, was supposed to take place last June, but was delayed due to technical reasons.

Ting assured the people of Miri that the hotel would be a reality soon and boost the image of the city and state.

Speaking to newsmen after briefing Miri mayor Lawrence Lai about the project, Ting said he had spoken with friends and business counterparts abroad, including in Singapore, about tourism developments in Miri and northern Sarawak.

“We can do a lot more to promote Miri and northern Sarawak. We need to provide more tourism facilities and attractions in the city centre to woo more people to stay.

“I hope to bring in more Singaporeans,'' he added.

Ting, who has developed hotels and resorts in Langkawi and Sabah, expressed optimism that a high-class hotel and convention centre would boost tourism in Miri and the northern region.

He hoped the city would get more direct international flights from neighbouring countries such as Singapore.

Ting called on Air Asia to reactivate its daily Miri-Singapore-Miri flight as soon as possible, adding that tourism development would not pick unless there was a direct flow of international tourists from overseas destinations.

Air Asia cancelled its daily Miri-Singapore-Miri direct flight last month citing low passenger load.

In an immediate response, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan, who is also Tourism and Heritage Minister, appealed to Air Asia to reinstate the route, saying the flight had an average 70% load daily.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/22/sarawak/6103544&sec=sarawak

AirAsia prefers a low-cost terminal in Labu

2008-12-24T09:54:00.001+08:00

Wednesday December 24, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Budget airline AirAsia Bhd and Sime Darby Bhd have confirmed their interest to jointly develop and operate an RM1.6bil private low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) in Labu, Negri Sembilan.

Approval for the terminal in Labu, to be known as KLIA-East@Labu, was expected “shortly, possibly in a few days,” officials of AirAsia and the developer, Sime Darby, told reporters at a briefing yesterday.

In separate announcements to the stock exchange yesterday, AirAsia and Sime Darby said the two companies have “jointly expressed an interest to the Government of Malaysia to develop and operate a private low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT Project) on the Sime Darby group’s land in Negri Sembilan.”

Both announcements said “the LCCT Project was in the initial planning phase and the companies were engaged in preliminary discussions with state and federal authorities.”

Officials of both companies said that while details had to be ironed out, the project, estimated to cost about RM1.6bil, would be privately funded.

The RM1.6bil was an estimate of the cost of structures and the runway but did not include the 3,000-acre land where it would be built.

“We are very much at the planning stage and the land valuation certainly has not been done yet,” a Sime Darby spokesman said.

Sime Darby, in its filing, said the collaboration was an intergral part of the company’s plan for its Negri Sembilan Vision City (NSVC).

The NSVC is part of Sime Darby’s Central Vision Valley property development project spanning Selangor and Negri Sembilan, a concept which includes seaside resorts, a medical city and a safari park, among others.

It was reported that Sime Darby is expected to take up a majority stake in the joint venture.

“After the construction, we will turn over the whole project including the land to AirAsia who is the client. We are not operating the airport,” the Sime Darby spokesman said.

AirAsia said the Labu LCCT project would address its overcapacity problem when completed in 2011 and that it was preferable to another LCCT project proposed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).

The LCCT proposed by MAHB is expected to completed by 2014.

“The completion date for the new permanent LCCT proposed by MAHB is too late to keep up with our passenger growth,” AirAsia said.

The Star

Tourism Malaysia Office In Singapore To Get New Director

2008-12-23T09:50:00.000+08:00

December 23, 2008 23:46 PM

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, Dec 23 (Bernama) Tourism Malaysia's office in Singapore will be helmed by a new director comes new year.

Its Kuala Lumpur-based deputy director for West Asia, Zalizam Zakaria, will replace Rafidah Idris, the current director whose stint here has been more than four years.

The Singapore office this evening held a farewell and welcoming reception for Rafidah dan Zalizam respectively at a hotel here attended by representatives of the tour and travel industry.

In her farewell remarks, Rafidah said the number of Singapore visitors to Malaysia had been on the rise since the last four years and she expects the target of 10.6 million set by the office for this year to be achieved by year-end.

She said that up to last month, tourist arrivals into Malaysia from Singapore had already reached the 9.9 million mark.

Zalizam, 47, who hails from Kelantan, said he would have to work harder than his predecessor as Tourism Malaysia had set a new target for the office to bring in 11 million Singapore tourists to Malaysia for next year.

-- BERNAMA

KK-Singapore Flights Set To Boost Sabah MICE Sector

2008-12-02T15:13:00.000+08:00

December 02, 2008 21:45 PM

KOTA KINABALU, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- Direct Sabah-Singapore flights, besides boosting tourism, would also give the state an opportunity to promote its MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) facilities.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun, said Singapore was well-known as a premier hub in the Asian region that acted as a gateway to other international cities around the world.

"I trust the flights will attract more inbound international tourists and professionals and we see this as a partnership to enhance business," he said after welcoming 161 passengers of the Jetstar Asia's inaugural flight from Singapore here Tuesday.

He said Jetstar Asia, a subsidiary of Australia's Qantas Airways based in Singapore, could open more doors for other international airlines to operate flights to Kota Kinabalu.

Jetstar Asia's chief executive officer, Chong Phit Lian, said the airline hoped to bring international tourists to Sabah from or via Singapore to make up for the decreasing number of tourists affected by airline companies that ceased to operate flights to Sabah.

"Jetstar Asia will be flying daily between Kota Kinabalu and Singapore beginning Dec 20 to encourage visitations in both destinations whether for business or pleasure.

"Currently, Jetstar Asia operates four flights a week," she said.

Source: BERNAMA

Idris Jala Named Orient Aviation Person 2008

2008-12-01T17:06:00.000+08:00

December 01, 2008 14:42 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Idris Jala, managing director and chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), has been named Orient Aviation Person 2008 for being the driving force behind the national carrier's amazing comeback.

While many wrote off the airline when it made its biggest losses ever of RM1.3 billion in 9 months in 2005, Idris joined the airline and turned MAS' record losses into record profits and rebuilt confidence and morale among its 20,000 employees, all within two years.

"MAS recorded RM851 million in the financial year 2007, its highest profit in 60 years of operations, and is only one of the six airlines in the world recognised as a "5-star airline" by Skytrax, United Kingdom, an accolade it has won for three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008," said MAS in a statement.

Idris said he was pleased and honoured to accept the award as he and his team worked hard to turnaround MAS. Now, they are embarking on a business transformation journey in pursuit of their vision to become the World's FIve Star Value carrier.

Idris said he is blessed with a great team of people who are passionate about the airline.

Orient Aviation chief executive Barry Grindrod said Idris acted speedily and decisively. In the last three years, he has slashed US$500 million costs at MAS.

Idris is on target for additional cuts of US$280 million in operational costs this year. Significantly, he has also restored morale in the carrier which was rock bottom when he joined the airline, Grindrod said.

He has quickly become one of the most highly respected chief executive officers in the industry worldwide, he said.

Previous winners of the award, which was established in 1999, include Chew Choong Seng from Singapore Airlines; Geoff Dixon, Qantas Airways; Jaime Bautista, Philippine Airlines; Kanok Abhiradee, Thai Airways International and David Turnbull, Cathay Pacific Airways.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia Aims To Secure 10 New Routes In India

2008-12-01T17:04:00.000+08:00

December 01, 2008 19:37 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Budget airline, AirAsia Bhd, is confident of getting 10 new routes in India in the next 18 months, says its group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes.

He said the carrier had already launched its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tiruchirappalli in south India.

"AirAsia received overwhelming response for the route. Barely a month after opening the ticket sales for the route, we recorded 100 percent load factor from Dec 1 to 18," he told reporters at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang while waiting for the arrival of AirAsia's inaugural flight from Tiruchirappalli in south India.

"We are extremely proud of the soaring load factor for this new route. We have created new demands for the market and are very proud to service an under-served sector," he said.

AirAsia currently serves the route with direct daily flights using the 180-seater Airbus 320. Tiruchirappalli, located on the banks of Cauvery River, is the fourth largest city in Tamil Nadu.

The city, a thriving commercial centre in Tamil Nadu, is famous for artificial diamonds, cigars, handloom cloth, glass bangles, wooden and clay toys.

On flying to embattled Thailand, Fernandes said AirAsia had moved its flights from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport to other airports in Thailand.

He said the carrier flew a rescue flight from Kuala Lumpur to U-Tapao Naval Base in Bangkok for passengers stranded in Bangkok for the past few days.

Source: BERNAMA

MAS Adopts SITA Reservations System As Turnaround Enters New Phase

2008-12-01T17:03:00.000+08:00

December 01, 2008 23:20 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has replaced its in-house reservations system as part of its US$130 million (US$1=RM3.59) information technology (IT)-driven turnaround programme.

In a statement here Monday, managing director/chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, said it has adopted the system from SITA, the aviation IT specialist.

"SITAs Horizon portfolio has been crucial to our business turnaround and that is why we are now retiring our in-house reservations system and implementing SITA Reservations and Inventory," he said.

SITA chief executive officer, Francesco Violante, said MAS has said that they are counting on the company to help meet the challenges.

"Our Horizon offering has already made a considerable impact and we are looking forward to a successful implementation of the next phase," he said.

Under the 10-year contract, SITA has so far implemented e-Ticketing and an upgraded Departure Control System which allowed MAS to offer new self-service options to passengers including kiosk and web check-in.

MAS' fares strategy has also been re-engineered to include fares workflow, competitive monitoring and effective distribution, together with the provision of an easy-to-use Internet booking engine for the convenience of its 14 million passengers.

SITA has also helped to eliminate revenue leakage through an integrity and protection programme.

Source: BERNAMA

Sabah May Host Monsoon Cup Next Year - Azalina

2008-11-30T15:17:00.000+08:00

November 30, 2008 17:27 PM

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Sabah may host the Monsoon Cup Sailing Championship next year, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

She said the final decision rest with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The Tourism Ministry has proposed the event not to be held at the same place every year but instead rotated among certain states, Azalina told reporters after holding a dialogue with non-government organisations and Sabah tour and travel agencies at Sutera Harbour Resort here, Sunday.

"Datuk Masidi Manjun (Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister) and me will discuss the proposal with the prime minister at the closing of the Monsoon Cup in Terengganu early next month," said Azalina.

She cited Sutera Harbour Resort as a suitable venue for the event should Sabah host the championship as the hotel could accommodate the participants and visitors.

-- BERNAMA

New MAS Services Proposed To Promote Health-Tourism

2008-11-30T15:15:00.000+08:00

November 30, 2008 21:21 PM

PENANG, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has proposed that Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) introduce direct flights from Penang to Thailand and Singapore aimed at boosting health-tourism in the state.

"I will write to Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat asking that MAS introduce new services to Thailand and Singapore," Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai told reporters here.

He said the new services would popularise Malaysia as a country that offers good health services in Asia.

On the Kuala Terengganu by-election, Liow who is MCA vice-president said the party would work hard to ensure that the 11 percent Chinese voters vote for Barisan Nasional (BN).

The parliamentary seat fell vacant with the death of Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail on Friday.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia X Weighing Options For Europe

2008-11-27T22:27:00.000+08:00

November 27, 2008 23:50 PM

From Muin Abdul Majid

LONDON, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X is weighing its options for Europe following the London Stansted-Kuala Lumpur (KL) service which is set to take off on March 11, 2009.

"The big question is whether we put all our efforts into London and this becomes the hub for Europe, and from there (London) people can go off to France, Germany or other destinations, or whether we eventually have one place in central Europe, one place in eastern Europe, for example," said AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes.

"That's to be debated. (AirAsia X chief executive officer) Azran (Osman-Rani) and his team will look at it," he said at the London-KL route launch, with fares starting from 99 pounds each way.

Fernandes said he personally had mixed feelings about the matter.

"I think sometimes it's good to have a lot of frequency in one place and then farm it out. But it would be nice to say we're going to fly to Rome, Prague and so on. What makes financial sense will drive us," he said.

The airline chief said the next step would be to have daily flights between KL and London, and possibly introducing two flights a day for the sector.

AirAsia X is scheduled to fly five times weekly between the two cities using the Airbus A340 from Air Canada.

Meanwhile, Azran said he would definitely introduce daily flights to London if he could get a second A340 plane.

To a question, he expressed hope that the load factor for the London sector would hover in the 83 to 84 percent range.

"It works for us if it's in the mid-70s in terms of breaking even. Eighty percent is really good, but 84 and beyond is what I'm hoping for," he said.

Azran said Germany was a potential destination for AirAsia X.

Source: BERNAMA

Azalina: Some tourism offices abroad to close

2008-11-27T10:43:00.001+08:00

2008/11/27

KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism Malaysia offices abroad risk closure if they do not bring in the projected number of tourists.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the move was necessary because maintaining the offices were expensive and if they failed to meet their target, they would have to be closed down.

"We won't hesitate to do this, if the market is slow and the numbers projected do not come through.

"For example, if the offices in New York and Los Angeles are not doing well because of the decline in tourists, we will ask them to close shop immediately," she said, adding that it would be better to focus on the more aggressive markets such as those in the Middle East.

There are 44 Tourism Malaysia offices abroad, among them in Guangzhou, China; Perth, Australia; and Seoul, Korea, besides those operating in New York and Los Angeles.
Azalina said a review of the offices abroad would begin from January next year, and if the targets were not met by March, they would be closed.

The minister was speaking at a press conference following an annual meeting with Tourism Malaysia overseas directors, to review next year's tourism marketing strategy and plans in light of the global economic slowdown.

"We are already changing our approach of promoting the country in our advertisements overseas by showing more visuals of unknown places such as Danau Labaung in Sabah.

She added that the ministry would also be announcing a new target number for next year's tourist arrivals during the cabinet meeting on Dec 3.

"The tourism consultative council will meet before that to deliberate on the issue.

"Earlier, the target was 22.9 million tourist arrivals. We will review this target, as we have a lot of factors to consider such as the economic crisis, which would affect the number of tourists."

On strategies to woo more tourists next year, Azalina said the ministry would focus more on collaborations with neighbouring countries and online marketing to promote Malaysia.

"We are also looking at suggestions by neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore on reducing technicalities and adopting a more open policy for all our citizens."

Azalina also said that the ministry was planning to set up a Tourism Malaysia office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Source: NST

Thai unrest: AirAsia, MAS stop flights to Bangkok

2008-11-27T10:41:00.000+08:00

2008/11/27

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia temporarily stopped its operations into Bangkok beginning yesterday following the closure of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport after it was taken over by anti-government protesters.

Both airlines could not say when their flight operations would resume.

Low-cost carrier AirAsia called off 30 flights.

The routes include destinations connecting Bangkok to other cities in Thailand, as well as flights to and from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, Macau, Jakarta, Ha-noi and Yangon.

AirAsia, in a statement posted on its website, said all affected passengers would receive a refund to be credited into their accounts.

Passengers were told that they could use their credit shell to redeem a seat on the next available flight to/from Bangkok within 3 days from their original date of travel. This is subject to the reopening of the airport and availability of seats.

Its corporate communications head, Hamdan Mohamad, said the company hoped its service would resume soon.

Malaysia Airlines said all its flights to Bangkok were cancelled but those to Phuket were operating.

Operations director Datuk Tajuden Abu Bakar said: "As the closure is indefinite, we are unable to advise when our flight operations will resume."

A Wisma Putra official in Kuala Lumpur said: "We advise those who want to go to Bangkok to reconsider doing so unless they have pressing reasons to go there."

Deputy chief of mission Syed Bakri Syed Abdul Rahman said all Malaysians in Bangkok were safe.

"There are about 370 Ma-laysians registered with the embassy.

"Some of them are students, but the majority are working here."

Syed Bakri said most areas in Bangkok were safe. "One would have to avoid the areas where people are demonstrating, but the greater part of Bangkok is fine.

"The demonstrators are not hostile to foreigners. Their anger is directed at the government and they are friendly to outsiders."

Source: NST

Malaysians stuck in Thailand

2008-11-27T10:29:00.001+08:00

Thursday November 27, 2008

BANGKOK: At around 10am yesterday, as she was getting ready to return home to Malaysia, Dr Mary Makanjang received an SMS from AirAsia.

The SMS read: “Urgent. AK681 flight to Johor Baru has been cancelled because Suvarnabhumi Airport has been closed due to riot.”

“I was shocked as the situation in Bangkok was ‘cool’, nothing (untoward) was happening,” said the gynaecologist who is based in Kota Kinabalu.

Not knowing whether to believe the SMS, she called AirAsia and the Malaysian Embassy but could not get through.

She then called her Thai tour guide who confirmed that the People’s Alliance for Democracy protesters had seized the airport on Tuesday night.

“I panicked as I didn’t know when we could go back to Malaysia,” said the 38-year-old Malaysian, who was in Bangkok on holiday with her husband and two children aged eight and 11.

Dr Makanjang was also worried about the extra cost that she and her husband would incur.

“I don’t know what will happen next. I’m so afraid that something will happen that I dare not wander out of the Pratunam area where my family and I are staying.”

When she finally managed to speak to an AirAsia official she was told that the airline had rescheduled her flight to Friday.

“But AirAsia cannot guarantee that we will be able to board that flight as they don’t know when the airport will reopen,” she added.

The Star’s marketing services manager Fong Ten Chee and his family were more fortunate as they managed to get on a flight back home in the nick of time.

Had his taxi been 10 minutes late he would have been trapped at the airport that was shut down by demonstrators, some of whom were carrying weapons.

“I was a little concerned,” said Fong, 58, who was travelling with his wife and child.
Fong was on the way to the airport when his taxi driver told him protesters were converging on the old Don Muang International Airport.

“A friend then called him to say the protesters were making their way to the new airport,” he said.

Fong, who had been on holiday from Friday, said when his taxi got near the airport, there was tension and chaos.

“Traffic was at a standstill for at least 5km from the airport. The four-lane highway was reduced to a single lane as the rest was taken up by protesters.

Despite the chaos, the Fongs got through immigration and on the flight home.

Source: The Star

MAS and AirAsia cancel flights to and from Bangkok

2008-11-27T10:27:00.000+08:00

Thursday November 27, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia have cancelled flights into and out of Bangkok after Thai authorities closed Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

MAS operations director Datuk Tajuden Abu Bakar said that as the closure was indefinite, the airline was unable to say when flights would resume.

Tajuden advised customers in Malaysia to call 1-300-88-3000 for further updates. Passengers in Bangkok could call +662-2630572 or +662-1343184.

AirAsia, on its website, said all affected customers would automatically receive a refund via a credit shell.

The statement said the credit shell could be used to redeem a seat on the next available flight to or from Bangkok within three days from the passenger’s original date of travel, subject to the reopening of the airport in Bangkok and availability of seats.

It added that arrangements for the next flight to or from Bangkok must be done at the AirAsia sales counter at the respective airport of departure.

In George Town, Penang Thai Airways International general manager Niruth Sripawatakul said yesterday about 250 passengers who were supposed to board an 8.10am flight were turned back.

Source: The Star

It’s RM499 to fly to London on AirAsia X (updated)

2008-11-25T22:22:00.001+08:00

Published: Tuesday November 25, 2008 MYT 7:04:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday November 25, 2008 MYT 9:54:48 PM

By CHOI TUCK WO

LONDON: It’s £99 or RM499 one-way – that’s the much-awaited opening fare of AirAsia X’s latest London Stansted-Kuala Lumpur route.

Malaysians flying to London will also pay RM499 for the return flight while travellers from London going to KLIA will pay £99 (RM541) for the return ticket.

Online bookings opened at 8pm Tuesday (Malaysian time) for the five-times-a-week direct flights which will begin in March.

Also on offer are premium seats at £549 or RM1,999. The initial bookings are for the travel period from March 11 till Oct 24 next year.

The AirAsia X flights will use Airbus A340 planes which will have 286 economy and 30 premium seats.

AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani made the announcement during the route launch at London’s County Hall featuring a special performance by five-member British girl band, The Saturdays.

“The London-Kuala Lumpur route is the realisation of a long-held ambition to open up affordable access between Malaysia and Europe for both the Asean and European communities,” AirAsia Group CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said.

Fernandes said with the airline’s comprehensive route network, the opportunity for Londoners and Europeans to explore Asean has never been greater.

“This new route will benefit all of Asean as it will encourage more economic and tourism activities, bringing in more revenue and creating job opportunities,” he said.

Azran described the London route as a significant achievement, allowing those who had always wanted to travel between Europe and Asean to achieve their dream at an affordable price.

Stansted Airport’s commercial and development director Nick Barton, who finalised discussions with AirAsia X, hailed the launch as a major milestone for low-cost, long-haul air travel around the world.

“This is set to be a hugely popular link for business and leisure travellers seeking affordable long-haul travel options,” he added.

The latest route is the first step for AirAsia to realise its European aspirations and boost Kuala Lumpur as the regional aviation hub and gateway into Asean, China and Australia.

With the launch, Europeans can now see more of Asia for less by tapping into the airline’s network to popular destinations such as Phuket, Borneo, Bali, Angkor Wat and Ho Chi Minh city.

To date, AirAsia X – the long-haul affiliate of AirAsia – flies to the Gold Coast, Perth and Melbourne in Australia, Hangzhou in China and now London, bringing the Asean brand to a global stage.

Stansted is Britain’s third busiest airport, with 22.8 million passengers passing through and many leading low-cost airlines making it their base.

Source: The Star

Airasia X's London Stansted-KL Service Takes Off On Mar 11, 2009

2008-11-25T09:32:00.000+08:00

November 25, 2008 23:59 PM

By Muin Abdul Majid

LONDON, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's long-haul budget carrier, AirAsia X, today announced that its London Stansted-Kuala Lumpur service will take off on March 11, 2009, with fares starting from as low as 99 pounds(RM499) each way.

AirAsia Group chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, said AirAsia X's London-KL route was the realisation of a long-held ambition to open up affordable access between Malaysia and Europe for both Asean and European communities.

For the sector AirAsia X will use Airbus A340 for the five times weekly direct flights.

Fernandes said bookings would start at midday London time today until Nov 30 for the travel period of March 11, 2009 to Oct 24, 2009.

London would be AirAsia-X's fifth international destination after Gold Coast, Perth and Melbourne in Australia as well as Hangzhou in China, Fernandes told a news conference in conjunction with the sales launch of the new service at the London County here.

Also present at the event were AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani and chairman Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan, as well as Malaysian High Commissioner to UK Datuk Abd Aziz Mohammed and representative from Stansted Airport.

Besides the 99 pounds fare for the economy seats, Fernandes said passengers also had the option to pay 549 pounds (RM1,999) for the XL seats respectively.

When asked on the timing of the launch now with the world facing an economic recession, he said the country needed some positive action and that entrepreneurs and corporations should do their bit in dealing with the situation.

"I am not going to sit there and cut everything and just say we are going to die. We are going to fight and find our way out of this recession," he said, adding that this was the time to "give back to the country."

"I could cut and make a bit more money but this has to be about being stronger after the recession."

Asked on what was next for the airline, Fernandes said he was aiming for daily service to London and possibly two flights a day.

Source: BERNAMA

No route cuts for MAS

2008-11-24T09:49:00.001+08:00

Monday November 24, 2008

By B.K. SIDHU

Airline wants to make profit from every flight despite challenges

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) will make seasonal adjustments to its capacity but not scrap routes in the current economic slowdown.

It aims to make profit from every flight even though there are challenges such as a global lack of demand for passenger air travel, the threat of overcapacity and more competition that puts yields under pressure.

“We want to innovate and make the most of what we have. We look to survive but not cut routes and frequencies. We will make adjustments to meet our cost,’’ he told StarBiz.

Earlier this year, MAS announced a 6.4% reduction in capacity. MAS will make ad hoc adjustments to ensure that it retains a balance in network and fleet utilisation for supply and demand in air travel. The airline’s load factor is “still holding’’ at about 70%.

Newly-appointed senior general manager of sales Datuk Bernard Francis wants to beef up sales to grow market share.

To do that, he is reviewing the existing strategies as he feels there are opportunities even in a slowdown. Francis was assigned to his present post on Nov 1. He was previously senior general manager of network revenue management.

To grow its share of the market, he is segmentising the market, customising product offerings to the different market segments, broadening the distribution channels and revving up corporate sales.

“We want to create a lot of products and the biggest would be branding Malaysia as a centre for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE).’’

Francis believes Malaysia has good infrastructure, facilities and services to support the MICE business. He wants to work with Tourism Malaysia to bring in quality customers.

MAS operates in nine regions inculding Malaysia. The others are Asean, Australia, North Asia, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Britain, Europe and the Americas. Francis says in each region, the aim is to be the first or second player. “We want to anchor strongly in Malaysia even though we are already a dominant player here,’’ he said.

To be the lead player in a particular region means MAS must carry the most number of passengers from KL International Airport (KLIA) to the region.

Other than its lead position in the domestic market, Francis said MAS also carried the most number of passengers from KLIA to China, Europe and Asean countries but he did not provide the passenger numbers.

Francis said MAS would also review its products in greater detail in every single market.

“What is important is that we understand consumer needs and come up with products that cater to that market. Products (in future) will be differentiated. We want to customise them for the different market segments,’’ he said.

Products that MAS will continue to have are “everyday low fares and all inclusive fares.’’

Francis said these were popular products and MAS would consistently innovate and create offerings for the market.

“We will be offering more competitive fares so that we are able to give customers more choices,’’ he added.

To him, marketing should be taken to a new level at MAS. Online booking is becoming a popular option and MAS’ lowest fares are found online. But travel agents are still the biggest contributors to sales for the airlines, making up 80% of sales. Online sales bring in 7%. The rest is from MAS sales offices and centres.

“Travel agents are our important stakeholders and we want to further enhance the incentive programme that is in place.

“We will refine the programme to include all the 670 travel agents. The more they sell, the higher their incentives. MAS will track the agents’ performance from within,’’ Francis said.

Corporate sales is another big area that can grow further. MAS has 1,000 corporate customers and a team that will be pushing for corporate sales to hit 10% of total sales by end-2009 from 5% currently.

MAS’ sales division was previously regionalised but it has now been aligned to the headquarters for the airline to respond quickly to market dynamics. Francis believes he has an excellent team that can help the airline withstand the many challenges in the aviation sector.

“It is a rough patch but we will strive to survive with good leadership,’’ he said.

Source: The Star

AirAsia X gears up for London launch

2008-11-20T12:26:00.001+08:00

20 November, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia X is due to announce the launch of flights from London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur next week.

The airline has called a press conference in London County Hall on November 25, claiming it will be announcing “massive news for London”.

It is believed the services from Stansted will launch early next year, with fares from around £350 return.

Air Asia X, part-owned by Sir Richard Branson, is a subsidiary of Air Asia, the region’s biggest low-cost airline.

CEO Tony Fernandes is flying to London for the launch.

By Bev Fearis

Travel Mole

A million visitors from China

2008-11-20T10:03:00.000+08:00

2008/11/20

SHANGHAI: Malaysia's aggressive promotion in China is pushing tourist arrivals from the country closer to the one million target.

The number of Chinese nationals visiting Malaysia between January and last month had already surpassed that for last year, Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib said yesterday.

"As of last month, we have received more than 800,000 visitors. An average of 70,000 come in every month." -- Bernama

Malaysia tops leisure travel list

2008-11-20T10:01:00.000+08:00

2008/11/20

SHANGHAI: Malaysia garnered another industry accolade when it was voted the best leisure short-haul destination by the Travel Weekly publication.

The award was received by Tourism Malaysia's international marketing director for Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia Chong Yoke Har at a dinner ceremony here on Tuesday before China's biggest industry show, the China International Travel Mart, opens here today.

Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong were the three shortlisted for the leisure short-haul market accolade, one of 47 awards presented by the magazine. A total of 600,000 votes were received for the awards. -- Bernama

Tony Says "No" To AirAsia Being A Full-fledged Cargo Operator

2008-11-20T09:50:00.000+08:00

November 19, 2008 22:54 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- AirAsia Bhd is not considering being a full-fledged cargo operator, though the carrier has an extensive network, said its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes.

"I leave that to MASkargo and Transmile. We have a lot of cargo space and certainly we will utilise it more," said Tony to reporters after a briefing on Tune Money Sdn Bhd today.

"We have a lot of initiatives that we are working on. We are looking at express cargo and online shopping to ship goods to people," he added.

Tony said AirAsia had an "amazing network" such as eight flights daily to Bangkok, whereby the company could utilise this to tap a hand carried courier business.

"We have helped a lot of cargo operators because if they want to send goods to Bandung, we will do it. We will be a good forward shipper to big cargo lines.

"But as a full-fledged cargo operator, no," he stated.

In the meantime, AirAsia, which has carried 60 million people to date, has plans to fly to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the near future.

"We are working on it and will make an announcement in due course," said Tony.

-- BERNAMA

AirAsia May Fly To Uzbekistan, Says Abdullah

2008-11-19T12:19:00.000+08:00

November 18, 2008 12:03 PM

From Jamaluddin Muhammad

TASHKENT (Uzbekistan), Nov 18 (Bernama) -- Low-cost carrier, AirAsia may fly to Uzbekistan in a move to establish air links between the two countries.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he had informed the AirAsia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes on the matter and the latter had agreed to study it as soon as possible.

"Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov wanted us to establish air linkages and I think AirAsia could play that role as it is a low-cost carrier," Abdullah who is on a third-day of the four days official visit to this country told Malaysian journalist, here.

At the moment, Uzbekistan Airways flies twice a week to Malaysia and vice-versa while Malaysian Airlines cooperated with the airline through code-sharing basis.

On the lack of implementation of Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) signed in the past, Abdullah believed the business climate in this country would improve as the country further liberalise its economy.

The MOUs include cooperations in the fields of air services, security and counter-terrorism, trade, tourism, mineral resources, information and communication technology.

Uzbekistan, the landlocked country located in Central Asia, gained independence in 1991 after breaking up from the Soviet Union.

Admitting it was quite difficult to deal import-export with landlocked country, Abdullah said both countries managed to increase their bilateral trade to US$40 million last year compared to US$12 million in 2006.

Malaysia's main export are vegetable oil, palm oil, electrical and electronic equipment, furniture, rubber products, printed material and leather produts while Uzbekistan's main export include cotton and air services.

Abdullah said although the trade figure increase significantly, the figure was still considered as small due to vast potentials of business opportunities both countries could offer.

For example, he said, Uzbekistan President was willing to offer more oil and gas concessions to Malaysian national oil company, Petronas, as it had shown tremendous capability in carry out its activities in the country.

Petronas has invested US$90 million thus far for exploration and oil and gas projects in four regions - Baisun, Aral Sea, Surkhanski and Urga.

Petronas investment in Uzbekisan in the next three years is estimated to be around US$150 million to US$200 million.

Abdullah said Petronas has also carried out its social responsibility project in this country by offering several scholarships to Uzbeks to study in oil and gas industry at the Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Malaysia.

Tourism he said was another potential areas for joint cooperation between the two countries as Uzbekistan could offer Islamic tourism package especially to visit Samarkand, city where Islamic civilisation began.

Source: BERNAMA

Firefly stopover service a big hit

2008-11-15T10:32:00.000+08:00

Friday November 14, 2008

By CHOI TUCK WO

LONDON: Firefly is tapping the international stopover market by offering its much-touted “low-fare and incredible value” offer for long-haul travellers.

More than 20 international travel firms have registered with the airline to act as agents to provide stopovers in Malaysia.

Marketing and communications head Angelina Fernandez said the stopovers could allow the passengers to take the airline’s direct connecting flights to other domestic destinations or to Thailand and Indonesia.

She said they were overwhelmed by the response from travel agents from countries such as Britain, the United States, Sweden, Germany, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and India.

“One agent from the Maldives even pledged to bring the first batch of travellers for stopovers in Subang and Penang next week,” she said at the four-day World Travel Market at Excel London which ends today.

Angelina said they had provided a new venue for travel agents who faced connecting problems domestically such as high costs, long travelling time and distance.

She also said agents were surprised with Firefly’s 20kg baggage allowance for domestic flights, compared with the usual 10kg or 15kg.

The airline also provided assigned seating and complimentary in-flight refreshments and snacks which were a welcome change for an airline offering low fares.

“We’re not a low-budget airline but we offer low fares at extremely incredible value.” Angelina said most agents requested for popular diving destinations such Redang, Perhentian, Penang, Bandar Aceh, Koh Samui, Phuket and Johor Baru.

She said they also offered competitive pricing where long-haul travellers could fly to any destination within Malaysia for as low as £10 (RM60).

From there, they could take connecting flights to Langkawi or Koh Samui for a few days, before flying to Terengganu or Medan

Source: The Star

Airasia X Sees Profitable Year Ahead

2008-11-14T14:38:00.000+08:00

November 13, 2008 14:22 PM

From Salbiah Said

TOULOUSE (France), Nov 13 (Bernama) -- Long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X Sdn Bhd, which has well over RM300 million cash in hand, is set to turn in profits next year, says its chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani.

"Probably within three to four months from operating our new planes, we will be profitable. With new planes, more passengers will fly," Azran said.

"Most important is cash flow and this is how we convince our financiers. We have been cash positive since April 2008," he said on board AirAsia Xs brand new Airbus A330 aircraft on its ferry (first) flight from Toulouse to Kuala Lumpur recently.

On Oct 31, AirAsia X took delivery of its first new A330-300 costing US$200 million (RM704 million), which is for its long-haul operation, linking Kuala Lumpur with destinations in Australia, North Asia, the Middle East and Europe, complementing the existing AirAsia network.

Launched in January 2007, the affiliate of low-cost AirAsia Bhd earlier this year placed an order for 25 Airbus A330 aircraft.

Powered by Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines, the carriers new A330 offers accommodation for 383 passengers in a two-class layout, with 355 seats in economy and 28 in the airlines new XL premium class. It is also equipped with the latest in-flight entertainment systems by Thales of UK.

Azran said the airline was also looking at local and foreign funds to finance the purchase of its 25 A330 planes, estimated at US$5 billion (RM17.6 billion). So far, financing for the first few planes had been secured.

In addition to its positive cash flow, he said AirAsia's branding helped the long-haul airline to seek funds in markets which were already badly hit by the credit crunch.

"When we presented to financial institutions in August, we were very fortunate because financiers in Europe had confidence in our brand. We had AirAsia," he said.

"End of August I was still in London. I was trying to convince the financiers. So much details you have to work through. Normally with aircraft financing you have to settle everything at least six weeks before delivery. We settled everything three and a half hours before take-off," he said.

"October 2008 will always be remembered when the (stock) market crashed. The timing couldn't have been worse. Nobody was supposed to lend. Nature of banks is that they only make money when they lend at higher rates. If you (banks) dont lend, you don't make money."

Despite reports of a global decline in passenger traffic, he said the carrier was still experiencing a strong forward bookings from November to March.

Azran said the second A330 will be delivered in mid-December, followed by three each in 2009 and 2010. The remaining planes are slotted for delivery up to 2013.

"With three planes next year, we can add five new destinations. We hope to fly to Japan, Korea, China, India and at least one more somewhere else," he said.

Azran said the carrier was on track to start its new flights to London in March. For its London flights, AirAsia X is in talks with three airports -- Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands.

"We have made all applications and everything looks positive. Hope to announce our sales launch in a months time.

"UK will be exciting as so many people are waiting for it... students, families, friends. To me, whats exciting is not just UK, I am interested in getting new markets," he said.

On its marketing efforts, Azran said unlike traditional airlines which had to wait for passengers to plan their holiday destinations, the low-cost long-haul carrier had to go the extra mile to woo people to travel to places where they never dreamt of going.

"It involves a lot of pull marketing. You've got to pull passengers in. For instance we have to collaborate more with tourism bodies, concert or sports organisers. We have to do a lot more marketing. Have to scratch our heads to find reasons for people to travel. We cannot wait for people to come to us. Thats why we use the media, celebrities to promote our airline.

"We have to keep finding new ways. I am particularly excited about our in-flight entertainment, a collaboration with Virgin Group of UK," he said.

"This is completely new for AirAsia. Nobody in AirAsia has experience in in-flight entertainment and this is the benefit for our collaboration with Virgin Group. Virgin Group installed this interactive in-flight system in its newly launched airline, Virgin America."

AirAsia X is 48 percent-owned by Aero Ventures (a venture of Tony Fernandes and several of his business associates), followed by 16 percent Virgin Group and 16 percent owned by AirAsia.

Bahrain-based Manara Consortium and Japan-based Orix Corp have taken a total 20 percent stake in the long-haul low-cost carrier.

"Instead of trying to figure out for ourselves and taking an existing model, we decided to invest in the latest state-of-the-art system," Azran said.

"Yet we did a few changes as we didnt want to have the CPU (central processing unit), but instead had the touch screen system which is easier to maintain. You can chat with anyone on board or charge your BlackBerry or your iPod by plugging to the USB (universal serial board) port. In future, you can even download content with some different applications," he said.

"We let people be engaged. The system also helps cost management. Even the simple act of service -- you just key in your order, say nasi lemak, and that order gets sent up to the cabin. The cabin crew gets a printout of the amount and comes back to you faster."

The new aircraft helps reduce costs from 4.0 cents per available seat kilometre (ASK) to 3.5 cents per ASK, which, he said, is significantly lower than the cost of 7.5 to 8.0 cents per ASK on traditional carriers.

"An all-new aircraft fleet gives us a strong differentiation against airlines that operate aged aircraft. The new aircraft will lower our fuel consumption and maintenance costs and enable us to raise our efficiency level by up to 30 percent. The new aircraft is the main factor in changing the global aviation industry," he said.

According to Azran, AirAsia X does not need the complexity of traditional airlines.

"There are many ways to save costs. Every single thing to goes into an airline operation, that is how much other airlines spend, all these things add. People, crew overnight in hotels, weight. Thats why you dont see us with big trolleys of newspapers, which carry a lot of weight," he said.

"People are not going to say I am not going to fly AirAsia X as there are no newspapers. But interesting thing is you can get them through the in-flight system. Just key in your order."

AirAsia X has said earlier that its cost savings that it passed on to passengers through low fares, are derived from maintaining a simple aircraft fleet and a route network based on low-cost airports, without complex code-sharing and other legacy overheads that weigh down traditional airlines.

A key principle of the AirAsia X business model is high frequency, point-to-point medium to long-haul services.

Covering destinations between four and eight hours in flight duration from Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia X complements AirAsia's current extensive route network.

Applying the point-to-point network, it says, also kept its operations simple and costs low.

"Code sharing with another airline involves massive amount of capex (capital expenditure), costs are high. Traditional legacy airlines invest hundreds of millions on computer systems, baggage clearing systems and payment systems. But you still lose your bags," Azran said.

"That system (code sharing) is not perfect. In today's age, people are more price-sensitive and Internet-savvy. They can build their own itinerary. They can buy three different tickets for example, Sydney-Gold Coast, they can fly Virgin; Gold Coast to KL they can fly AirAsia X and KL to Macau they can take AirAsia," he said.

"They can check in and out. Most people think Internet penetration in Asia is still low. But the reality is when you offer a good fare, people will find their own connection. If you don't have Internet connection, you can still book online. If they don't have credit cards, they can call their relatives to help. Because they buy their own, check in and out themselves, our operating costs are significantly lower. That's a huge advantage."

Meanwhile, the first A330 was used in AirAsia X's inaugural flight between Kuala Lumpur and Perth on Nov 2.

Since launching its commercial services in November last year, AirAsia X has operated its long-haul services to Hangzhou, China and Gold Coast, Australia with one leased A330.

The airline has since experienced surging passenger demand, recording sales of over 345,000 seats after almost a year in operation.

AirAsia X, which has flown over 200,000 people across Asia and Australia, now serves the Kuala Lumpur-Perth route with six direct return flights per week.

It plans to upgrade this schedule to a daily service by mid-December.

The long-haul budget carrier will also commence services between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne on Nov 12 this year.

Source: BERNAMA

Nortel Solution To Support MAS Five-star Value Carrier Vision

2008-11-13T14:51:00.001+08:00

November 12, 2008 21:37 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has invested in a new communications solution from Nortel to support its vision of becoming a five-star value carrier by 2012.

A significant component of this transformation is the upgrading of the legacy information technology (IT) network infrastructure at MAS to enable and support strategic and critical airline business activity, Nortel said in a statement here Wednesday.

Nortel is a recognised leader in delivering communications capabilities that make business simple to its customers.

The company said its technologies are designed to help eliminate today's barrier to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people.

"Nortel's converged enterprise network solutions stood out from the crowd, providing a secure, future-proof and agile infrastructure that will support our ongoing business transformation through 2012 and beyond," said MAS chief information officer Faridah Abdul Rahman.

Nortel Malaysia general manager for channels and enterprise business, Bernard Chiang, said the Nortel solution will help MAS in achieving its five-star value carrier objectives.

The airline's new enterprise communications infrastructure is built around Nortel Ethernet Routing Switch 8600, a resilient terabit-class enterprise switch that scales to 384 Gigabit Ethernet ports.

SOurce: BERNAMA

MAS All Inclusive Low Fares Goes Global Sale Begins Thursday

2008-11-13T14:50:00.001+08:00

November 12, 2008 20:56 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) first All Inclusive Low Fares Goes Global sale begins Thursday for 66 domestic and international destinations.

One-way fares start from RM63 nett for domestic travel, RM158 nett for Asean and RM472 nett for international, MAS said in a statement here.

"Our sales for the recent All Inclusive Low Fares promotion showed a 400 percent increase, clearly demonstrating that customers loved our low fares, transparent pricing and recognised the value of flying five star," said MAS senior general manager, sales, Datuk Bernard Francis.

He also said MAS was also looking at offering all inclusive low fares for other destinations soon.

"We are dynamically pricing our fares to ensure that customers benefit from low fares and to stimulate travel," Bernard said.

Three million seats are on offer, covering destinations in Malaysia, Asean, the Asia Pacific, South Asia, Australia, the Americas and Europe.Customers can choose to travel from Kuala Lumpur and/or Kota Kinabalu.

The booking period starts from November 13-30 and the travel period is from November 20-September 30, 2009.

Source: BERNAMA

Tourism Malaysia Melbourne Concludes Roadshows In Victoria, Tasmania

2008-11-13T14:48:00.000+08:00

November 12, 2008 11:22 AM

By Neville D'Cruz

MELBOURNE, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Tourism Malaysia Melbourne has just concluded an outstanding roadshow to several provincial and regional centres in the states of Victoria and Tasmania.

The aim of the two-month campaign, backed by Malaysia Airlines (MAS), is to stimulate interest in travel to Malaysia and to highlight and showcase the destinations to the travel industry in the thriving and prosperous regional centres - away from the big cities.

The annual event, which began after Tourism Malaysia opened an office here in October 2005, has since grown in importance and has been well-received by regional travel agents and tour operators.

The Tourism Malaysia Melbourne office coordinated with several key wholesalers in the market to travel with the roadshows so that regional agents had access to their Malaysia product.

The wholesalers that took part were Creative Holidays, Malaysia Holidays, Discovering Borneo, Golden Holidays, Travel Indochina, Adventure Destinations, Explore Holidays, Freestyle Holidays, Adventure World and Viva Holidays.

The roadshows were held at Frankston, Geelong, Warrnambool, Traralgon, Shepparton, Bendigo and Ballarat, all in the state of Victoria, and Launceston and Hobart in Tasmania.

Agents from nearby towns attended the shows. A final event was held here on Oct 30. Comments from attendees were positive and encouraging.

"Another fabulous show from Tourism Malaysia," said Meryl Edwards of Travelscene in the petroleum-rich city of Sale, near Traralgon.

"Tuesday night was well organised and very informative for me. Malaysia is a place I would love to visit," said Chelsea Ambrose, from Travel Plus Travel Services of Warragul.

Brigette Richards, from Coopers Travel Centre in Bairnsdale, also near Traralgon, said: "I was the one at the end of the night begging and pleading for you to send me your presentation and any additional information to know more about Malaysia."

"It was great to catch up with some suppliers," said Jeff Dimand of FBI Travel in Melbourne.

Several travel agents said Tourism Malaysia having an office in Melbourne was very convenient for them and much appreciated.

At the roadshows, Tourism Malaysia and MAS gave presentations on airline products and destination information to enhance Malaysia products promoted by wholesalers.

The evenings were a tremendous success with many agents travelling over an hour to attend the shows.

Prizes in the way of accommodation prizes around Malaysia from such establishments as Shangri-la Hotels & Resorts, Parkroyal Hotels, Starwood Hotels, The Berjaya Group, GHM Group, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Holiday Inn Hotels, Sunway Hotels & Resort, Bayview Beach Resort Penang, Equatorial Hotel Group were offered as lucky prizes at the shows.

In addition, MAS sponsored return economy class tickets to Malaysia which were complimented by land touring prizes sponsored by Adventure World and Wildlife Expeditions, GAP Adventures, Adventure Destinations and Travel Indochina.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia Abolishes Fuel Surcharge

2008-11-12T15:07:00.000+08:00

November 11, 2008 15:31 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Low cost carrier AirAsia has abolished the fuel surcharge for all its domestic and international flights, starting Tuesday.

Passengers need now only pay fares, airport taxes and administration fees, said group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes.

He also said that the airline would be focusing on aggressive marketing and low fares.

Fernandes however said that AirAsia could not guarantee that the surcharge would not be re-imposed if the oil price surged again.

The airline under its regional campaign is also giving away 500,000 free seats to all destinations from tomorrow until Nov 16 and for travel between June 22 and Oct 24, 2009.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said the decision by AirAsia would have a positive impact on the ongoing price reduction campaign.

"Anything that reduces cost to consumers and keeps money in their pocket, gets my support," he added.

-- BERNAMA

AirAsia scraps fuel surcharge

2008-11-12T15:03:00.000+08:00

MALAYSIAN budget carrier AirAsia has scrapped fuel surcharges on all its flights, including on long-haul carrier AirAsia X, in response to the decline in global oil prices.

AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes said the regional carrier’s fares will remain unchanged.

“We want to get rid of all surcharges and we have been able to ... be the first airline in the world that is completely getting rid of fuel surcharges,” he told reporters.

AirAsia stands to lose at least RM940 million in fuel surcharge revenues in 2009, as Fernandes predicts more than 20 million passengers will fly the airline next year.

AirAsia passengers pay an average fuel surcharge of RM47 (US$13) on each sector.

The carrier said passengers will still have to pay other taxes — a RM22.50 administration and insurance charge and airport tax of RM6.00 for domestic flights and RM25.00 on international routes.

It is also offering 500,000 free seats, with no fare or fuel surcharge, in a five-day campaign beginning midnight Wednesday for flights in the third quarter of 2009.

Fernandes said, however, that the fuel surcharge could return if oil prices surged again.

He said that although many airlines are cutting capacity as a result of an expected global recession, AirAsia is planning on increasing routes and capacity because of its low prices, high load factors and aggressive marketing.

“What we are doing is to produce more routes and lower prices to fight out of the (global) economic recession,” he said.

Fernandes said while scrapping the fuel surcharge is unlikely to affect the airline’s profitability, the carrier will initiate other programmes to make up for the loss of revenue. - AFP

No fuel surcharge and 500,000 free seats: AirAsia

2008-11-12T15:01:00.000+08:00

Published: Tuesday November 11, 2008 MYT 4:37:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday November 11, 2008 MYT 8:46:18 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: All AirAsia and AirAsia X passengers will now no longer have to pay for the fuel surcharge for all local and international flights.

AirAsia Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said the move - effective Tuesday - would mean that passengers would now only have to pay for the fare, airport tax and administration fee when flying with them.

Fernandes explained that “getting rid of the fuel surcharge” would not affect the base rate of the air fare, but he could not guarantee that the airline would never re-impose the surcharge should world fuel prices skyrocket again.

“We're not increasing the base rate. It is what it is.

“But if fuel prices shoot up ... I’ll be crazy to say I’ll never add the fuel surcharge again. But we will resist for as long as we can,” he told reporters Tuesday after making the announcement here.

The check-in baggage handling fee, however, would be maintained as it was imposed not only because of rising fuel prices earlier this year.

“We did it (in April) for three reasons - fuel prices, to limit the number of luggage, and to be more environmentally-friendly.

“The lighter the plane is, the less emissions it will have,” he said.

Fernandes also announced that beginning Wednesday, the airline would be offering some 500,000 free seats to all AirAsia destinations.

The booking period is until Sunday, and the travel period for the free seats is from June 22 to Oct 24 next year.

“There are two ways to deal with a slow economy. You’ve got to give more value, and you’ve got to stimulate people to travel.

“That’s what we’re doing now,” he said.

On the fuel surcharge, he said that it had previously cost passengers an average of RM47 per person.

Asked how the he planned to deal with the impact by removing the fuel surcharge, he replied:

“Higher load factor and newer initiatives to increase our revenue will help cover it. We’re keeping our 76% load factor, while adding 20% more seats.

“We’ll look at other ways of increasing our revenue. The easiest drug is fuel surcharge but it also destroys the business.”

Also present at the announcement was Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad, who applauded AirAsia’s move.

SOurce: The Star

No Fuel Surcharge, Thai AirAsia Hopes To Carry More Passengers

2008-11-12T14:52:00.000+08:00

November 11, 2008 17:20 PM

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- With the prolonged Thai political crisis and worldwide economic slowdown hampering its business, Thai AirAsia hopes that the abolishment of fuel surcharge would enable it to achieve its target of 4.7 million passengers this year and expand its routes to Bali, Guangzhou and two Indian cities in 2009.

Its chief executive officer, Tassapon Bijleveld, said the number of passengers would rise as the cost of flying would be cheaper without the fuel surcharge, which was introduced when the jet fuel went above US$80 (US$1=RM3.54) per barrel and reached almost US$150 few months ago.

"Since the oil price has come down to between US$65 and US$70, we are doing away with the fuel surcharge. With this, we hope the cabin load factor will rise to between 80 and 90 percent within two months," he told a press conference here Tuesday.

Tassapon said he was confident that Thai AirAsia, 49 percent owned by AirAsia Bhd, would be able to carry 5.2 million passengers in 2009 despite the projected recession worldwide and the domestic political crisis which has affected the tourism industry.

He said the airline, which carried 10 million passengers since it started operations four years ago, was on track to expand its route to Bali in Indonesia and China's Guangzhou in January, as well as adding two cities in India in the second half of 2009.

Starting today, AirAsia, its subsidaries in Thailand and Indonesia, and AirAsia X would abolish the fuel surcharge for all its international and domestic flights. In Thailand, the fuel surcharge is 550 baht (100 baht=RM9.39) for domestic sector and 700 baht for international routes.

AirAsia is also giving away 500,000 free seats, including 65,000 in Thailand, with travelling period between June 22 and Oct 24, 2009.

Asked if the no-fuel surcharge would be a permanent feature, Tassapon said it would depend on the world oil price.

He ruled out introducing net price in their advertisement as passengers would get the chance to get a lower fare if they book early, as well as adding other extras like express boarding, insurance and check-in baggage.

"Passengers need only pay the administration fees, airport tax and the fare. The rest are optional," said Tassapon, adding that without the fuel surcharge, the company's revenue would not be affected as more passengers were expected to fly, as well as income from onboard services such as food and drink.

Thai AirAsia currently flies domestic routes from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Krabi, Narathiwat, Nakhorn Si Thammarat, Phuket, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani while overseas destinations includes Phnom Penh, Macau, Xiamen, Shenzen, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baharu, Yangon, Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong.

-- BERNAMA

Insufficient KL-London Flights By MAS Will Be Raised In Cabinet, Says Azalina

2008-11-12T14:46:00.000+08:00

November 11, 2008 23:19 PM

From Haslinda Zainal

LONDON, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- The Tourism Ministry will bring up the matter of insufficient Kuala Lumpur-London flights by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to the Cabinet, said its minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

She said the problem had affected tourist arrivals from Europe and London.

"Now with global fuel prices at a very low level, MAS should use the opportunity to increase its flight frequency on the KL-London route," she told reporters after opening Tourism Malaysia's booth known as Malaysia Pavilion at the World Travel Market fair at the ExCel London exposition park here Tuesday.

It is understood MAS, which used to operate some 14 flights a week on the route, had reduced the frequency to between 10 and 12 a week.

Azalina said this and other shortcomings like expensive airfares had caused Malaysians and Europeans to opt for other airlines.

She said apart from this, the London-Langkawi and London-Penang routes that had been scrapped, would also raised in the Cabinet.

Azalina also said that despite the economic crunch the world was facing, tourist arrivals in Malaysia showed an increase of 4.8 per cent as of October.

She said tourist arrivals from Britain as of October was 303,569, an increase of 36.1 per cent compared to arrivals for the whole of last year from that country.

"The daily average spending of tourists from the United Kingdom amounted to RM3,500 and their average length of stay was 9.6 days. This augurs well for Malaysia," she added.

Source: BERNAMA

MAS To Further Reduce Fuel Surcharge

2008-11-12T14:45:00.000+08:00

November 11, 2008 19:38 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is looking to reduce its surcharge further to give customers the best value for their money, its senior general manager, sales, Datuk Bernard Francis, said Tuesday.

In response to enquiries on the national carrier's fuel surcharge, he said MAS has already reduced it by 50-73 percent for its all-inclusive low fares promotion, covering domestic travel, Asean, Australia and many other countries.

Customers loved the cheapest deals in town, and the airline's sales surged 400 percent, he said in a statement here Tuesday.

"We hear our customers loud and clear, and we are looking at reducing the surcharge further to continue to give customers what they want -- low fares plus five-star products and services, giving customers the best value for their money," he said.

Low-cost airline AirAsia Bhd has also abolished the fuel surcharge for all its domestic and international flights, effective Tuesday.

AirAsia, under its regional campaign, is also giving away 500,000 free seats to all destinations from tomorrow until Nov 16 for travel between June 22 and Oct 24, 2009.

Source: BERNAMA

The Man Who Dares To Dream

2008-11-12T14:36:00.000+08:00

November 11, 2008 20:59 PM

From Salbiah Said

TOULOUSE (France) Nov 11 (Bernama) -- There he stood with his trademark red baseball cap sharing with his audience from Airbus, his "dream of the impossible" that has driven him to the front seat of the regions largest budget airline that is redefining travel in the Asia Pacific.

From zero experience in running an airline, Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, group chief executive officer of AirAsia Bhd, can thank his lucky stars for making a dramatic change of direction to realise his vision of making travel affordable to Malaysians.

At the age of 37, Fernandes, who was vice-president for South-East Asia for Warner Music Group from 1992-2001, left the music industry to buy AirAsia, the then bankrupt carrier for a token sum of RM1.00.

"This dream that's happened today is due to your hard work," said Fernandes, as he thanked AirAsia staff, management and his partners and aircraft manufacturer Airbus for believing in his dream, at the official handing over of the first Airbus A330 for its low-cost long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X Sdn Bhd, in Toulouse, France recently.

The Airbus A330, costing US$200 million (US$1=RM3.54), is expected to significantly reduce the airlines fuel consumption and operating costs.

The ceremony, witnessed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, came just weeks after AirAsia switched the entire Malaysian operations to an all-Airbus A320 fleet.

Fernandes, 44, is often described as Richard Branson of Asian airlines and hailed as Asia's answer to easyJets Stelios. British billionaire Sir Richard Branson is founder of Virgin Group of UK while Sir Stelios Haji-Ionannou is founder of easyJet plc, a budget airliner based at London Luton airport.

AirAsia X, launched in January 2007, is 48 percent-owned by Aero Ventures (a venture of Tony Fernandes and several of his business associates), followed by 16 percent Virgin Group and 16 percent owned by AirAsia. Bahrain-based Manara Consortium and Japan-based Orix Corp have taken a total 20 percent stake in the long-haul low-cost carrier.

"We started with a small dream with AirAsia, two planes, 200,000 passengers a year. Six years later, we had 20 million passengers with more than 80 aircraft. Our eventual dream will be 60 million passengers in 2013 with 175 A320s.

"That dream was only for four hours (short haul). Today, with A330, and hopefully A350, we will be able to bring everyone to our magnificent hub in Kuala Lumpur from Europe, Africa and America. And really, we will make the world a small place," said Fernandes.

Fernandes founded Tune Air Sdn Bhd in 2001, with a vision to make air travel more affordable to Malaysians. With that in mind, Tony and his three partners in the same year bought over AirAsia from its owner DRB-HICOM.

"That same year along with some partners, I formed a partnership to set up Tune Air Sdn Bhd and bought AirAsia for a token sum of RM1.00. Subsequently AirAsia was remodelled into a low-cost carrier and by January 2002, our vision to make air travel more affordable for Malaysians and all Asians took flight," Fernandes says in his blog.

Under his leadership, the fledging airline with a RM40 million debt became a blooming, thriving business and has grown into the regions largest budget carrier operating more than 100 routes covering over 60 destinations.

From a two-aircraft operation of Boeing 737-300, AirAsia currently boasts a fleet of 72, and has to date carried more than 50 million passengers since its first day of operation.

"Today is the start of a dream my partners and I from the music industry had seven years ago, that is to make travel affordable, democratising travel to everyone. Hence, we came out with a tagline: 'Now Everyone Can Fly' (AirAsia). We did for the region. Today, we are in Stage Two 'Now Everyone Can Fly Xtra Long' (AirAsia X)."

AirAsia was established in 1993 by government-linked company DRB-HICOM, and started its operations in 1996, but was not successful. Air Asia was then bought by Fernandes in 2001 and he turned it around financially within a year.

The ceremony in Toulouse marked the first delivery of AirAsia Xs orders. The carrier placed earlier this year an order for 25 Airbus A330 aircraft to be delivered over the next five years. It is expected to receive its second carrier in December which would further lower its operating costs.

AirAsia has since 2005 placed 175 orders for A320s. To-date, 50 have been delivered.

The Airbus A330 is powered by Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines. The cabin has 383 black leather upholstery seats, with optional premium XL seats for extra width and leg room as well as the latest in-flight entertainment system featuring innovative contents and applications provided by Thales of UK.

To Airbus president and chief executive officer Tom Enders who was present at the historic event, Fernandes said: "We made a deal on the phone and sealed it past midnight in Malaysia. I look forward to a long relationship.

"We always say at AirAsia, dream the impossible. Its always good to dream, people will always knock you down, (saying that) I was crazy, can't be done. If you don't dream, some reality wont come true, wont happen. We encourage people to dream. From some dreams, reality will come.

"Today is a phenomenal reality for me. And we say believe the unbelievable. Who would think these guys from the music industry would revolutionise air travel in Asia. Keep on believing. Thanks to Airbus for supporting us in very troubled times," said Fernandes.

Enders, in his speech, described the event as another important milestone in the strong partnership between Airbus and the AirAsia Group.

"It is incredible to believe that it is less than four years since AirAsia placed its first order with Airbus. Since that time, the group has ordered a total of 200 aircraft from Airbus, including 175 A320s for the AirAsia short haul operation and 25 A330s for AirAsia X, making the group one of our largest airline customers," he said.

AirAsia X started its commercial service with its flight from Kuala Lumpur to the Gold Coast, Australia on Nov 2 2007, before adding the Kuala Lumpur-Hangzhou route in February 2008.

Exactly a year later, AirAsia X ushered in a new chapter of low-cost international travel by flying to its second Australian destination, Perth.

The inaugural AirAsia X flight between Kuala Lumpur and Perth touched down on Western Australian soil at 2.40pm on Nov 2 (Sunday), using the airlines brand new wide-bodied Airbus A330. The A330 was freshly delivered from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France on Oct 31 (Friday).

AirAsia X now serves the Kuala Lumpur-Perth route with six direct return flights per week. The airline plans to upgrade this schedule to a daily service by mid-December. It will also commence services between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne on Wedneday.

Source: BERNAMA

Malaysia Targets 300,000 Tourists From UK

2008-11-12T09:18:00.000+08:00

November 11, 2008 00:52 AM

LONDON, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Malaysia targets 300,000 tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom this year, said Tourism Malaysia director (UK and Ireland) Abdul Rauf Hassan.

He said the target could be achieved, as 274,000 tourist arrivals had been recorded from the UK till September.

"Last year, tourist arrivals from UK numbered 272,000. This year we project the number will reach 300,000," he told reporters when met at Tourism Malaysia's booth, known as the Malaysia Pavilion, at the World Travel Market (WTM) exposition at the ExCel Centre here Monday.

Abdul Rauf said the many promotion activities done by Tourism Malaysia especially in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year coupled with the many travel road shows undertaken by it had attracted many UK tourists to come to Malaysia.

He all states in Malaysia should participate in such activities so as to promote them to foreign tourists.

"As a by product they can also attract investors to their respective states," he said.

Abdul Rauf said for the WTM this year, apart from Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia, Sepang International Circuit, hotel operators and tour agencies, only six states - Kedah (Langkawi Geopark), Selangor, Perak, Penang, Terengganu and Sabah - took part.

He added that Tourism Malaysia targeted at least 50,000 people to come and visit the Malaysia Pavilion.

Some 650 exhibitors from 191 countries are promoting their tourism products at the four-day fair which opened on Monday.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said is scheduled to open the Malaysia Pavilion Tuesday.

Source: BERNAMA

Cheap, Quality Goods At Tawau's 'Pasar Rombengan'

2008-11-11T09:24:00.000+08:00

November 10, 2008 14:58 PM

By Nashir Mansor

TAWAU, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Are you looking for good quality hand-me-down apparels? Head for the pasar rombengan and you would not be disappointed with the goods offered here.

Just name any of the worlds leading brand names like Yves Saint Laurent, Polo Club, Lazenger, Giordano, Boss, Edwin, Nautica and many more. All of them are available here.

Men's and ladies wear like shirts, pants, sweaters, belts and shoes as well as roomwear including blankets, bed sheets and pillow cases bearing the famous signature varieties can be easily found at this bazaar.

Never mind the secondhand merchandise. They are in good condition and the bonus is that their price is ridiculously cheap.

Even members from the high levels of the society including those with the Datuk title could be seen patronising this bazaar, looking for items to satisfy their whims and fancies.

THREE MAIN LOCATIONS

This bazaar is well known as the wholesale trading centre in Sabah offering used clothing and household items. Tawau is the only district in the state that provides a special spot for this activity.

Similar activity is in existence at the weekly tamu or bazaars in other districts but the traders usually move around depending on the location of these markets.

Here, the pasar rombengan are spread over three localities -- Sabindo, Jalan Damai and Kampung Titingan that is also known as the Ice Box.

The market, which operates from 6/7am until 6pm daily, is immensely popular with patrons coming from outside Sabah and even as far as from Peninsular Malaysia across the South China Sea.

In Tawau, it is not a surprise if one hears residents joking with each other with words like:

"Cantik baju, beli di mana? (Nice shirt, where did you buy it?)

Di Rom (At Rom).

Betul bah (Is that so?)

"Ya, di Rombengan (Yes, at the Rombengan)

ARTISTES

"Many popular artistes in the country including the singers and actors patronise this market," said 45-year-old Bahri Shahrir, a trader at the market in Sabindo.

According to Bahri, professionals like lawyers could be regularly seen coming to the bazaar looking for the garment brands of their choice.

"Foreign tourists are also regulars here. Usually they come to take pictures or look for items that they want to acquire", he told Bernama at the market here.

Bahri, who has been trading at pasar rombengan for more than 10 years, said his income has been good and the market has the potential to be turned into a great tourist spot for Tawau.

"This market would be more attractive for the tourists if more facilities are provided, he said.

A trader at the Jalan Damai pasar rombengan, Dayang Syahilin, said initially she was only a patron at the market looking for secondhand garments.

However realising that selling used items could earn her a lucrative income, the 30-year-old decided to start a business there two years ago.

TOUGH JOB

In the initial weeks, the going was tough for her business, admitted Dayang, who earns between RM450 and RM600 from selling secondhand apparels at the market.

However Dayang's perseverance as well as encouragement and assistance given by her husband and children has managed to push her through the acid test.

"We obtain the supplies from an agent here. We purchase the clothes in bulk and each of the bundle costs between RM300 and RM800 depending on the type of items", she said.

The goods are sourced from various countries including Singapore, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Australia.

According to Dayang, apart for the quality and relatively low price offered for the goods on sale, the other factor that pulls the people to patronise the market is that they can bargain for the items they are interested to buy.

A patron of the market, 45-year-old Jaudin Ganang said he came to know the markets existence from a family member who is a policeman in Tawau.

"He told me that if I am looking for cheap but good quality goods, then I should visit the pasar rombengan. Therefore I came here and found that goods offered for sale are attractive and cheap," said the Ranau-born Jaudin.

Source: BERNAMA

MAS/Boeing Offering Holiday Packages To Nine Lucky Winners At Global Online Sales

2008-11-11T09:21:00.000+08:00

November 10, 2008 21:03 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Buy one of Malaysia Airlines' tickets at its Global Online Sales which started today and you might be one of the nine lucky winners to walk home with a holiday package for two.

In providing its customers with more value for money, MAS has partnered Boeing to offer holiday packages to Rome, Kunming, Yogyakarta, Saigon and Bangkok.

Malaysia Airlines Senior General Manager Sales, Dato Bernard Francis said, "While we expect very encouraging response to the Global Online Sales offer, we are making it more exciting for our customers who purchase these offers."

"Not only will they get to plan early and buy tickets to the destinations of their choice, but also stand a chance to surprise themselves by winning our reputable Golden Holiday packages at absolutely no additional cost for yet another vacation," he said in a statement here today.

Participation is easy and simple. Customers just have to buy one ticket during the three-day day only sales which ends on Wednesday, November 12.

Tickets can be purchased at www.malaysiaairlines.com.

A total of 26 international destinations go on sale for three days only beginning Sunday until Wednesday, Nov 12 with Malaysia Airlines' Global Online Sales.

They include Xiamen and Kunming, Male and New Delhi, Dubai and Istanbul, Paris and London, as well as Sydney and Auckland with one way fares starting from as low as RM429.00 for Male and New Delhi, RM759.00 to Sydney, RM999.00 to Paris and RM1069.00 to London.

Fares do not include taxes and surcharges. All they need to do next is register their names, provide valid email addresses, answer a question and write a slogan to stand a chance to win the following prizes:

*1 First Prize: 6 days / 3 nights package to Rome.

* 2X Second Prizes: 4 days / 3 nights package to Kunming.

*2X Third Prizes: 4 days / 3 nights package to Yogyakarta.

*2X Fourth Prizes: 3 days / 2 nights package to Saigon.

*2X Fifth Prizes: 3 days / 2 nights package to Bangkok.

All the Golden Holidays holiday packages are for two persons.

The packages, valid till 31 March 2009, are inclusive of return economy class airfares, hotel accommodation with daily breakfast, and return airport transfers.

Another delight for the winners is airport taxes, insurance, fuel surcharges will be borne by Malaysia Airlines.

Contest results will be announced two weeks after the Global Online Sales period.

Source: BERNAMA

UK welcomes Malaysians

2008-11-07T10:26:00.000+08:00

2008/11/06

KUALA LUMPUR: Genuine travellers from Malaysia are as welcome in Britain as they have always been.

This was the message from British High Commissioner Boyd McCleary in response to the media coverage of changes to the United Kingdom's visa arrangements.

He said Malaysia "is not being singled out" in the global changes to its visa application process.

"There is, for now at least, no general visa requirement for Malaysians. Malaysian visitors enjoy a six-month visa. Only those who plan to stay longer than six months to work or study require a visa," he said in a statement yesterday.

He also listed some of the changes in the way the British authorities manage its visa regime.
The UK is introducing a Points Based System for assessing visa applications similar to the system used by Australia. It will be introduced in stages. It is expected to simplify procedures by consolidating the 80 current routes for entry into the UK into just five main tiers, which does not mean that more people will require visas.

"Foreign nationals seeking to study, work or settle in the UK will still need to apply for a visa, as they currently do, but should find that the application process is more straightforward."

He said he UK was addressing the problem of illegal migration to the country.

"This separate process is called the Visa Waiver Test. We are working closely with the Malaysian authorities and are receiving excellent cooperation. A decision will be made on the outcome of this process early next year."

Source: NST

Call home from MAS flights

2008-11-06T10:31:00.000+08:00

Wednesday November 5, 2008

PETALING JAYA: Passengers travelling on certain Malaysia Airlines flight will be able to use their mobile phones and Blackberry devices effective immediately.

MAS has teamed up with AeroMobile, the world’s leading in-flight mobile phone operator, to become the first carrier in Asia to offer inflight mobile phone and data services.

The lightweight system was installed on one MAS Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

That aircraft will operate the route to Tokyo’s Narita Airport as flight MH70 today and passengers on board will be able to use the service.

The service will cover selected European routes, Australia, and across the Asian region including China and Japan.

The facility has been extensively tested on the aircraft over the last few weeks, testing all aspects of the system inflight using stan–dard BlackBerrys and mobile phones.

Passengers can only use their mobile phones or Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) during the “cruise” phase of the flight and would not affect the aircraft systems and ground telecommunication networks.

AeroMobile supports the general packet radio service (GPRS) mobile data to support BlackBerry and other “push e-mail” services including e-mail attachments, as well as voice calls and SMS.

All four Malaysian mobile operators have agreed to allow their customers to roam internationally on board the aircraft and users would be billed on their regular phone bills as with any other international roaming call.

The GPRS data feature exploits AeroMobile’s unique capability to operate BlackBerry and other e-mail services using Inmarsat’s Swift64 satellite system, which has been added to the trial B777 aircraft.

The aircraft was equipped with the system during a routine maintenance check, and has received aviation safety approvals from both the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation and the European Aviation Safety Agency.

MAS managing director/CEO Datuk Seri Idris Jala said the service was part of its promise of a Five Star Value Carrier.

“The trial will be conducted for a period of time and if the evaluation findings are positive, we aim to have this facility fully operational in the remaining wide body aircraft of our fleet by next year,” he added.

SOurce: The Star

Fly direct to Koh Samui from KL

2008-11-06T10:27:00.000+08:00

2008/11/05

KUALA LUMPUR: Now you can fly direct from Subang airport to Koh Samui on Firefly's new route for only RM180.

Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, is flying direct from Subang airport to the Thai island four times a week.

The service was launched recently with an inaugural flight by the airline's new ATR72-500 turboprop aircraft.

Firefly head of communications and marketing Angelina Fernandez said: "We can now expect many first-time leisure travellers to Koh Samui from KL, now that we are connecting the capital of Malaysia directly through this route.

"More people will be able to experience what Koh Samui has to offer. We are also honoured to be able to encourage the people of Thailand to visit KL and Malaysia."

She said this new route would enable expatriates living in Malaysia to do their "visa runs" and at the same time take the opportunity to explore Malaysia via the new route.

"We expect Koh Samui to be one of our top Thailand destinations and we are happy to provide the service, which is why we have holiday packages via Firefly Holidays," she said.

Firefly Holidays packages start from as low as RM180 per person to RM 2800 for a three day, two night stay.

Firefly Holidays also takes group bookings of ten people or more. The airline also customises packages to suit the needs of clients.

Source: NST

AirAsia-X’s new Airbus from Perth hits a glitch

2008-11-05T09:38:00.000+08:00

Tuesday November 4, 2008

By ROYCE CHEAH

SEPANG: The anticipated tour of AirAsia-X’s new Airbus A330 ended up as a computer slide show after the plane failed to touch down on schedule here due to a delay in its departure from Perth.

AirAsia-X chief executive officer, Azran Osman-Rani told the media, guests and AirAsia staff waiting at the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) here yesterday that the plane was delayed in the interests of safety.

The plane was to have touched down at the LCCT at 1pm but it only arrived hours later.

“Warning lights for a certain component lit up as the plane was flying here from Perth. The pilot then decided to return to Perth.

“Back there, the onboard computer system was restarted and everything was rechecked. This took six hours, including getting a new time slot to depart,” Azran said.

In an e-mail sent to The Star, a passenger claimed the plane had encountered hydraulic problems.

Asked if he was disappointed with the performance of the first Airbus A330 that AirAsia-X had acquired, Azran said such delays did not necessarily impact the ability of the plane to fly.

“We must test everything. Even if it is going to take three, six or 24 hours, I would not risk it for the safety of the passengers,” he said.

Azran said affected passengers, both from Kuala Lumpur and Perth, were provided with the necessary assistance such as replacement flights and hotel stays.

AirAsia-X had taken delivery of its first A330 on Friday in Toulouse, France. The delivery of the second A330 is expected in mid-December.

Yesterday was AirAsia-X’s first anniversary of commercial service.

SOurce: The Star

Betting on Singapore visitors

2008-11-05T09:14:00.000+08:00

2008/11/04

MALACCA: It is going to be "an eye for an eye" for Malacca soon.

When the Eye On Malaysia here officially opens for business on Saturday at the Sungai Melaka rivermouth, the people behind this project along with the state government will be keeping a close eye on Singapore.

They rationalise that it is the Singaporeans who are going to take the Eye on Malaysia here to greater heights.

The more Singaporeans make a beeline for the historical city, the more the state and the project's other stakeholders are going to earn in revenue.

Eye On Malaysia chief operating officer Adam Yong Abdullah said their biggest market would comprise Singaporeans and Malaysians, followed by Indonesians and other foreigners visiting the state.

"We understand that Singapore has the tallest Ferris wheel in the world and a ride costs about RM80 per person. It will set a family of five back at least RM400 and for that amount, they can get a better deal here."

Yong added that many Singaporeans loved "hanging out" here during the weekends and school holidays.

Other attractions planned include a Malaysian International Space Adventure exhibit, the Strange World Screen (the world's largest water screen), two world-class restaurants -- the Eye Cafe and The Eye Seafood Restaurant -- and an entertainment park.

For the first year, Yong said 700,000 visitors were expected. "We would be happy with this figure, but the timing of the opening of the Eye is also important, as it is during the end of the year.

"For those in the tourism industry, the year-end school holiday period is the busiest time."

The Ferris wheel will be run by Eye On Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between MST AD Suria and Kumpulan Melaka Bhd, the investment arm of the state government.

The investment here costs some RM50 million, including the RM6 million spent to buy the land on which the entertainment park site will be built.

Source: NST

Free ride on Eye on Malaysia ferris wheel in Malacca

2008-11-05T09:13:00.001+08:00

2008/11/04

MALACCA: Free rides are in store for all with the launch of Eye on Malaysia Malacca on Saturday by Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

Standing 60m tall, the Eye will give riders a view of the World Heritage City of Malacca on one side and the Straits of Malacca on the other.

The Eye, which was moved from Kuala Lumpur's Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, has now found its permanent home at the Sungai Melaka rivermouth.

The free rides will begin after the launching ceremony at 9.45pm. The offer will end at 11.30pm and will be conducted on a first-come first-served basis.

Singer Ning Baizura is slated to perform at the launch.

Source: NST

Airasia X Plans Destinations In Europe And India For Airbus A330

2008-11-04T09:23:00.000+08:00

November 03, 2008 20:31 PM

SEPANG, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- AirAsia X, the long-haul affiliate of low-cost airline AirAsia Bhd, plans to expand its destinations to Europe, including the United Kingdom, by March next year and also fly to 10 cities in India in the next five years.

These routes would be served by the new Airbus A330 aircraft that the carrier had ordered, said chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani.

AirAsia X has received its first 25 new Airbus A330 last Saturday, and more are scheduled to arrive from end of this year until 2013.

"There is an opportunity now to accelerate on the orders because some airlines are deferring their orders for financing reasons. If we can get the aircraft sooner, we can open up more routes faster," he told reporters after celebrating the airline's first anniversary at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal here, Monday.

Azran said the airline aimed to cover destinations which are more than four hours in flight duration from Kuala Lumpur, completing the existing AirAsia network.

The 25 new Airbus A330 aircraft ordered by AirAsia X together with AirAsia Bhd's order of 175 aircraft were estimated at a value of about US$6.6 billion.

According to Azran, AirAsia X is confident that it will be able to source the fund to finance the order given its positive cashflow.

"We have already generate positive cashflow since April this year and this is the reason why we managed to convince the finance institution," he said.

The airline, he added, had clinched the deal to finance the first few planes and would talk with banks, both local and foreign, for the other aircraft.

In conjunction with AirAsia Xs first anniversary, the airline will be giving away free seats to all its destination, including the Gold Goast, Perth and Melbourne in Australia and Hangzhou in China.

Launched in January 2007, the company currently flies four times weekly to the Gold Coast, six times weekly to Perth and five times weekly to Hangzhou.

Source: BERNAMA

1.1 Million Thais Visited Malaysia In First Nine Months Of The Year

2008-11-03T16:11:00.000+08:00

November 03, 2008 15:35 PM

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- There was only a slight dip in the number of Thai tourist arrivals in Malaysia in the first nine months of the year, despite the increase in travel cost, high oil price, economic slowdown and political crisis in the Kingdom.

Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof, Tourism Malaysia's senior deputy director (research and industrial division), said about 1.1 million Thais visited the country between January and September, as compared to 1.14 million during the same period last year.

"It was a slight decrease and was basically due to the high oil price which affected world travelling, and the political situation in Thailand.

"But this is minimal and we hope to target more Thai tourists, with more promotional programmes being undertaken now," he said after leading a delegation to participate in the 14th Discovery Thailand and Discovery World expo here.

He said Malaysia, which received 20.97 million visitors from throughout the world last year, with tourist receipts of RM46.1 billion, saw a 14.1 per cent decrease in Thai arrivals from 1.89 million to 1.62 million last year.

Thailand remained the third biggest market for Malaysia as Singapore again topped the ranking in the first nine months of this year, with 8.1 million visitors, followed by Indonesia's 1.7 million.

Iskandar, who was accompanied by Tourism Malaysia for Thailand director Sani Sham Ahmad, tourism officials from Perak, Selangor, Penang, Melaka and Langkawi, as well as travel agencies, also met representatives from Thai travel associations, tour agencies and the media during his visit.

He said a survey undertaken by Tourism Malaysia showed that Thai tourists preferred sight-seeing, visiting cultural and heritage sites, shopping and soft adventure activities like trekking in places such as Taman Negara.

"During the expo, we highlighted more attractions in Langkawi, Perak, Selangor and Penang, as these are states which have high impact on Thai tourists and can be easily accessed by road and flights.

"We have special packages and products catered for Thais," he added.

Other key segments promoted in Thailand include MICE and special interest promotions like education or possibly exclusive services that cater for the high-end and niche market, said Iskandar.

"Unique experiences like the cable car in Langkawi are popular among Thais. But we realise that the lack of direct flights is hampering our promotion of Langkawi, especially after Thai AirAsia cancelled its flight there...but we are looking at charter flights," he said.

Source: BERNAMA

Airasia X Flying From Kota Kinabalu?

2008-11-02T08:28:00.000+08:00

November 01, 2008 22:27 PM

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- In future, Sabah may see AirAsia X, the long-haul franchise of AirAsia, commencing its service from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), according to an AirAsia top official.

AirAsia Bhd chairman Datuk Aziz Bakar has not denied this possibility but declined to elaborate on those destinations they were eyeing.

While not specifying the time period to achieve this, he said: "I am sure AirAsia X will look into it.

"But right now, the airline probably does not have sufficient aircrafts (to accomodate the flights)," he told reporters at the launch of the Kota Kinabalu-Singapore route at Terminal 2 of KKIA here Saturday.

Aziz was asked if the airline was interested in introducing long-haul services from KKIA, such as Australian destinations. AirAsia X's inaugural flight was on Nov 2, last year to Gold Coast, Australia.

The airline currently operates with just one A330-300, which undertakes four return flights a week between Kuala Lumpur and Gold Coast, as well as China's Guangzhou.

The long-haul budget airline is 48 per cent owned by Aero Ventures (a venture of AirAsia's chief executive Datuk Tony Fernandes and several of his business associates), followed by 16 per cent by Virgin Group and 16 per cent owned by AirAsia.

AirAsia X has also secured rights to land in China, Korea and West Asia and future destinations, include those in India, the Middle East and Europe.

AirAsia X is expected to launch its second Australian destination which is Perth Airport tomorrow, with six flights a week between the two cities, and services to Melbourne expected from Nov 12.

It is also expected to fly to Britain in the first quarter of 2009.

Source: BERNAMA

Malaysia Gets Nod For More Landing Rights To France

2008-11-01T13:42:00.000+08:00

October 31, 2008 22:05 PM

From Siti Hawa Othman

TOULOUSE (FRANCE), Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has received additional landing rights to France by October next year, Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat announced Friday.

Speaking after witnessing the first delivery of AirAsia X's first brand new Airbus A330 here, he said the French government approved the third freedom rights for the seven times weekly KL-Paris sector currently operated by Malaysia Airlines.

He said Malaysia also received the greenlight for the fourth freedom rights from Kuala Lumpur or two other secondary airports in Malaysia except Subang to Lyon, the second largest city in France.

Ong said Malaysia also received the greenlight for the fifth freedom rights involving the stopover at certain cities, that is Kuala Lumpur-Paris-London and from Kuala Lumpur to any destinations east of Paris to Paris.

According to the minister, the frequency will be discussed further and the rights are subject to the number of passengers not less than 80.

He said for the past six months, his ministry had been stepping up efforts in seeking new routes.

Source: BERNAMA

MAS To Offer New Indian Cuisine Inflight Effective Nov 1

2008-10-31T13:41:00.000+08:00

October 30, 2008 19:27 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will roll out its new Indian menu this Saturday as a complimentary in all classes of its international medium- and long-haul flights irrespective of fare paid.

In a statement here Thursday, its general manager (inflight services), Hayati Ali, said MAS aimed to deliver outstanding in-flight food and beverage offerings in efforts to position its brand as a Five-Star Value Carrier.

"The airline will use the most creative and exceptional inflight meal standards as well as quality set along the halal benchmark," she said.

MAS said the new menu, conceptualised with the joint effort of its main caterer LSG Skychefs and chef Satish Arora and Kannan from TajSATS, would see a refreshed array of Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals.

"The meals will be served inflight on all MAS flights between Malaysia and India," it said.

The menu includes Chettinad chicken, Kerala vegetarian curry, Kodaikaanal mutton, Chettinad cauliflower/mushroom curry, Gongra lamb and vegetable rice briyani, depending on the actual meals cycles applicable on each flight.

Source: BERNAMA

Hari Raya open house on Saturday

2008-10-23T17:45:00.001+08:00

Thursday October 23, 2008

KUANTAN: The Hari Raya Aidilfitri national-level open house will be held at Sungai Isap 2, here, from 10am to 4pm on Saturday.

Organised by Tourism Malaysia, it will feature performances by local artistes and dancers, as well as traditional dishes and other delicacies.

The performances will start at 10am, while food will be served from noon to 4pm.

The public is invited to join this kenduri (feast) which is expected to be attended by Tengku Mahkota Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Source: The Star

Asia's top 10 budget airlines

2008-10-23T17:37:00.000+08:00

1. AirAsia Berhad

October 23, 2008

The aviation sector is going through a very turbulent phase in India and abroad.

In India, domestic air traffic has plunged to a five-year low, as traffic crashed by 19 per cent in September 2008.

As airlines face mounting pressures of a recession, fall in traffic and huge operational costs, how are low cost airlines faring?

So here's a look at the best budget airlines in Asia. Smart Travel Asia, an online travel magazine, rates these airlines on the basis of cheap tickets, reliable schedules, decent service and route network and access. While Air Asia tops the list, Air Deccan and Spicejet also make it to the top 10 list.

1. AirAsia Berhad

Topping the list of low cost carriers is AirAsia. Asia's largest low budget airline is based in Kaula Lumpur and flies domestic & international flights. AirAsia was the first to introduce low cost travelling in Asia. The airline started operations on 18 November 1996.

It was founded by the government owned DRB-Hicom. However, the airline ran into rough weather and incurred huge losses. Former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandes took over the company and revived it. "Before a business can grow, it needs to have its costs under control. It must be cost-efficient and profitable, and it must create value," Fernandes believes.

The company under his leadership scaled new heights. AirAsia introduced its low fare, no frills concept in December 2001. AirAsia is also now a public listed company on the Malaysia Stock Exchange. The airline now flies to over 60 destinations. It has a fleet of 69 aircraft.

The AirAsia group, has carried over 35 million passengers. AirAsia also plans to start low-cost flights to India soon. According to Fernandes, the revenue for the quarter ended June 2008 increased by 41 per cent to RM608 million as the airline carried 20 per cent more passengers to 2.8 million with 16 per cent higher fares. 'Now everyone can fly' says AirAsia Berhad's tagline.

Source: Rediff

Airasia Confident Of Robust Growth Despite Global Crisis

2008-10-23T17:32:00.000+08:00

October 23, 2008 17:46 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Despite the challenging global financial crisis, low-cost carrier AirAsia is confident of continuing to experience robust growth, bolstered by a sustainable business model, its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said.

"We think that we are in a strong position. We will continue to invest in our brand and increase demand through quality products while expanding routes," he told reporters after a media briefing on AirAsia's latest 5-Star Enhancement here Thursday.

He however said nothing was guaranteed as it was not known what was around the corner.

According to Tony, AirAsia was ready to face this challenging period as he had earlier predicted the eventuality.

"All I can say is that we will maintain a consistent strategy and change our products. We are a low-cost carrier and will not pretend to be something else.

"But, we are a high-quality low-cost carrier," he said.

Tony said the way out of recession for AirAsia was growth.

He said some airlines would deal with the recession by contracting. "But I am not going to waste five years of hardwork by throwing away the routes and brand development.

"It is going to be a long recession. I have been predicting this for two years and we are ready for it.

"Although it is not going to be easy, we have to maintain demand by having the lowest fares and good products," he stated.

Being the largest low cost carrier in Asia, AirAsia is able to compete with other full service airlines by maintaining its low fares and adding yet another sparkle to its already 5-star service, by enhancing its On-Time Guarantee.

The On-Time performance of flights refers to the departure of flights within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times.

AirAsia is the only airline in the world that provides its customers with an innovative protection like the On-Time Guarantee. It is an innovative protection provided by the airline for customers against flight delays.

Beginning Nov 1, 2008, the AirAsia On-Time Guarantee cut waiting time from three to two hours.Customers affected by flight delays of more than two hours are eligible to receive an e-gift voucher.

Each e-gift voucher is worth RM200 and may be used to buy a seat on another AirAsia flight or redeemed for any AirAsia product or service.

The enhanced On-Time Guarantee is a benefit passed on to AirAsia customers as a result of the airline's improved performance for flight departures across its entire network.

In just a matter of three months since the AirAsia On-Time Guarantee was launched in June this year, the number of AirAsia flights delayed by an hour or more dropped from three percent in July and four in August to just two percent in September.

As a result, AirAsia has seen its On-Time performance for flight departures improving from 89 percent in July and 85 percent in August to 90 percent in September.

Touching on the delivery of the new airbus aircraft, Tony said it would be used for flights to India, China, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries as AirAsia had a problem at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal(LCCT)in Sepang.

"The problem is, I have got no place to park the plane.Every morning when I come in and ask my engineers what all the planes were doing in the hangar,their reply was that there was no other place to park them.

"So, we now have 33 bays and 36 aircraft. Until we get more bays, it is a real problem for us," he said.

Tony said that AirAsia would allow Malaysia Airports Bhd to finish its development first before bringing the airbus to Malaysia.

On whether AirAsia would reduce the fuel surcharge following the decline in global oil prices, he said the company would review the situation but only make a decision when there is some price stability.

"Let's see some consistency in pricing and the volatility out of the market.

Then, we will make a decision," he said.

On Malaysia Airlines, he said: "Our battle with the airline is over. All I wanted was to be treated fairly and to get our routes.We have got that.

"The focus now is on our branding and we want to get better. The competition is now within us and with no one else," he added.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia Among The Top 5 Most Recognised & Admired Airlines

2008-10-22T17:28:00.000+08:00

October 22, 2008 11:55 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- AirAsia Bhd is among the top five most recognised and admired airlines in the Asia-Pacific region in a survey by market insight company, TNS.

In a statement here Tuesday, AirAsia said it was the only low-cost carrier to be listed among the 'Top 10 Asia-Pacific Airlines' category, which saw it coming ahead of other full-service, legacy carriers including Qantas and Malaysia Airlines.

It said the category formed part of the Asia-Pacific Top 1,000 Brands 2008 survey which was produced in cooperation with the Hong Kong-based Media magazine.

A total of 3,600 people were surveyed across 10 countries, covering 12 major product and service categories.

Group chief executive officer, Tony Fernandes, said to be the only low-cost carrier featured in the category was a great achievement for the airline.

He said AirAsia’s low-cost model was an attractive customer proposition which was strong enough to compete with premium airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

"Over the last seven years AirAsia has quickly become a household name, and with flights operating from every Asean country, we are making air travel an affordable reality for everyone across Asia," he said.

Source: BERNAMA

Asia Upbeat Tourism Industry Will Grow Despite Economic Slowdown

2008-10-22T17:26:00.000+08:00

October 22, 2008 16:52 PM

SINGAPORE, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- The tourism industry in Asia may have been affected by the current economic slowdown but the region is expected to rebound and grow in the medium term, said Singapores Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang.

He said the industry's downturn in Asia would be cushioned by the continued increase of intra-regional travel with demand largely driven by travellers from China, India and South Korea.

"Other Asian source markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam would similarly grow and contribute to the rebound of the industry in the region," he said when opening the inaugural ITB Asia Convention at Suntec here today.

ITB Asia is the Asian edition of ITB Berlin, the worlds largest travel trade show in Europe, jointly organised by Messe Berlin and Singapore Tourism Board.

About 850 travel companies from 58 countries including Malaysia, and 5,000 travel representatives are taking part in the three-day show.

Exhibitors from Malaysia include Tourism Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak tourism authorities.

Lim said destinations in Asia such as Macau and Dubai had also boosted their destination appeal to international visitors in recent years and this had resulted in rising interest in Asia as a travel destination.

He said the current turmoil in the global financial markets, combined with higher air travel costs and rising fuel prices had impacted consumer sentiment and discretionary spending in many tourism destinations around the world including Singapore.

He urged the local and international tourism players to work together, forge new partnerships, invest in the development and training of their workers, as well as commit to capability building in Asian markets.

According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, Asia would continue to be a well sought after destination with close to 400 million total visitor arrivals to the East Asia and Pacific region by 2020.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association had forecast that the Asia-Pacific region would see growth of seven to eight percent in international arrivals for 2008 to 2010 with the Asian region attracting 460 million visitors by 2010, up from some 350 million visitors in 2006.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia X Set To Take Delivery Of New Airbus A330

2008-10-21T17:29:00.000+08:00

October 21, 2008 15:28 PM

By Salbiah Said

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 (Bernama) - Friday, Oct 31 marks yet another significant milestone for AirAsia when its low-cost long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X takes delivery of the first brand new Airbus A330, which is expected to reduce the airlines fuel consumption and maintenance costs.

The handing over ceremony comes more than three weeks after AirAsia bade farewell to the final Boeing 737-300 aircraft on its Malaysian operations. The low-cost short-haul airline, has now switched to Airbus A320 fleet, which is expected to help the airline save through fuel efficiency.

A group of Malaysian journalists who are on this assignment, will return to Kuala Lumpur on this ferry flight (inaugural flight) on board the new A330-300 on the same day, after the official hand-over in Toulouse, France.

Toulouse, dubbed Ville Rose ("Pink City") because of its distinctive pink buildings, is the aircraft manufacturers headquarters.

AirAsia X, whose shareholders include the Virgin Group of U.K., is helmed by its 36-year old Chief Executive Officer Azran Osman-Rani, previously Senior Director of Business Development at private satellite TV operator Astro, with key team members, comprising young, driven and dynamic individuals, having a wealth of experience in the aviation industry.

"The new A330 will enable AirAsia X to dramatically reduce operation costs. With the new aircraft, we can reduce costs from 4.0 cents per available seat kilometre (ASK) to 3.5 cents per ASK, which is significantly lower than the cost of 7.5 to 8.0 cents per ASK on traditional carriers," Azran told a media briefing last week.

He said AirAsia X's A330 is tailor-made for its low-cost long-haul service. The aircraft features specifications "never before used on an aircraft of any other airline before. It features a pioneering global design that will lead to a whole new category of aircraft."

Its brand new A330 will feature leather seats onboard, with optional XL seats for extra comfort and luxury; set meals for dining at 30,000 feet in the air; comfort kits; and an advance seat request option, together with an all-new inflight entertainment system.

"An all-new aircraft fleet gives us a strong differentiation against airlines that operate aged aircraft. The new aircraft will lower our fuel consumption and maintenance costs and enable us to raise our efficiency level by up to 30 percent. The new aircraft is the main factor in changing the global aviation industry," said Azran.

AirAsia X, which complements AirAsia's current extensive route network, covers destinations between four and eight hours in flight duration from Kuala Lumpur.

The first Airbus A330 will be the first of a batch of new fleet of 25 aircraft AirAsia X has ordered from Airbus.

Both AirAsia and AirAsia X, are no frills carriers. AirAsia's Airbus A320 has a 180-seat capacity while the Airbus A330 has more than 330 seats. The long haul affiliate provides both economy and XL seats while AirAsia operates a single seater.

During the trip, the media will visit the final assembly line of the A330 aircraft in Toulouse.

France is home to four Airbus manufacturing sites, along with three final assembly lines and the company's headquarters. The manufacturing sites form the Centres of Excellence for aircraft nose sections, centre fuselages and engine pylons and nacelles.

Nearly 11,500 people are employed at sites in Toulouse, where the final assembly of all Airbus aircraft takes place except for the A318, A319 and A321 (which is performed in Germany).

A new final assembly line has been built especially for the A380. One of the largest construction jobs of its kind in the world, it is named after the late Jean-Luc Lagardere, who was co-chairman of Airbus' main shareholder, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS).

Final assembly of Airbus aircraft includes joining the forward, centre and aft fuselage sections, mating the wings to the fuselage, which is followed by the installation of the horizontal tail plane, fin, engine pylons, landing gear and engines.

Integration of the systems in the cockpit, plus system tests, also are carried out, including avionics, electrical, hydraulic, flight control, air conditioning, fuel tank pressurisation and landing gear.

Cabin furnishing for the wide body A330/A340 is carried out in Toulouse prior to final delivery.

At the Saint-Eloi area of Toulouse, engine pylons are manufactured, while at Blagnac, electrical assemblies are built, along with the repair, modification and preparation of spares for in-service aircraft.

As part of the Airbus Centre for Excellence for aircraft cabin and cargo customisation, Toulouse is responsible for the customer definition of cabins, design and painting. A mock-up centre is included in the resources at Toulouse.

Toulouse activities also include flight and ground testing of aircraft, as well as research, design and development.

One of the three major Airbus training centres is also based at Toulouse.

The other three are in Miami, Hamburg and Beijing.

Nearly 4,500 people are employed at Airbus' central entity in Toulouse, situated close to Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport.

Airbus has 16 sites in France, Germany, Spain and the UK, and fully owned subsidiaries in the US, China, Japan and the Middle East. Spare parts centres are located in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Washington, Beijing and Singapore.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia Looking At Possibility Of Fuel Surcharge Cut

2008-10-17T17:32:00.000+08:00

October 17, 2008 17:57 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- AirAsia may cut its fuel surcharge further if there is some stability in the slide of oil price and the ringgit movement, said its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes today.

"I think it (surcharge cut) is possible. We are working on it. We will announce within the next few weeks," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Regional Eisenhower Fellowships Conference here today.

As of yesterday, oil price stood at US$73 per barrel.

To date, the low-cost carrier's fuel surcharge was based on the US$80 per tonne crude oil price.

He pointed out that the airline's business model has always been about reducing fares and having the lowest possible fares.

On the issue of the airline to be taken private, Tony declined to comment.

The airline's chief, who was one of the speakers at the conference today, spoke on how entreprenuers, particularly the small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) could take advantage of the current financial situation.

"There is always a silver lining in every crisis," he said, adding that bigger companies tend to shun away to protect themselves.

"It is not all gloomy. There's a lot of business out there and a lot of opportunities out there especially in Southeast Asia," he said.

Source: BERNAMA

NBB SD

Better Chance For MAS To Meet 2008 Forecast Earning Due To Lower Oil Prices

2008-10-14T11:44:00.000+08:00

October 13, 2008 20:05 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has a better chance of achieving its forecast earning for this year, following the slide in crude oil prices, its managing director/CEO Datuk Seri Idris Jala said.

As part of its business transformaton plan ( BTP2), the airline had indicated it was aspiring to achieve a profit of RM1 billion in 2008, barring any exceptional circumstances.

"We are doing our best to meet the target. Our chances are slightly better with oil prices going down," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Routes Leaders Forum 2008 here.

Crude oil prices stood at US$80.05 as of this afternoon, after coming off the July peak of more than US$147 a barrel.

According to Jala, MAS was also looking at its routes indvidually in reviewing the surcharge to counter high fuel prices.

He added that with the current economic turmoil it was imperative for an airline to first and foremost survive and not go bankrupt, before transforming itself via consolidation measures such as a tightening of the business processes and managing cost efficiently.

"We lost a lot of money in 2005 when the oil price was relatively low.

Now, with prices higher, we are still thinking of how to be profitable. It is still a very fragile situation," he said.

"We have just begun to understand the impact of oil prices.

But the financial meltdown is beginning to have an impact and I think in the next six months or so, everyone will begin to brace for reality," he added.

He said MAS has recorded profits in the first and second quarter this year, but still found it tough due to competition and overcapity, with more than 400 aircraft expected to enter the Asia Pacific this year and another 400 in 2009.

Meanwhile, Jala also said MAS was still looking at opportunities to consolidate, which may come in many forms such as code sharing or by becoming a member of a global airline alliance.

"We always look at options when they become available," he said.

Jala highlighted that orders for 35 new medium-range 737-800 aircraft was also sufficient now for Malaysia Airlines.

"There is no additional capacity to consider That's why the additional 20 orders for aircraft are optional," he said of the new Boeing aircraft, which are expected to arrive at the beginning of September 2010.

He said MAS was delaying the process of scouting for wide bodied aircraft in the hope of clinching a better deal by acquiring excess aircraft on order by other airlines.

"If this is the case, then we don't need to exercise the option and can buy some aircraft relatively cheap," he added.

Source: BERNAMA

Tanzania Airport Hopes To Attract Malaysia Airlines

2008-10-14T11:41:00.000+08:00

October 13, 2008 20:10 PM

By Samantha Tan Chiew Teng

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Tanzania's Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) is hoping for Malaysia Airlines to operate at the airport due to an increasing number of tourists from Asia Pacific to the country.

Its director Faraja Makasi said the airport was meeting with Malaysia Airlines representatives tomorrow and would try to convince the national carrier to fly to Tanzania due to its attractive destination and investment opportunities.

"Even if Malaysia Airlines is not yet interested to fly to Tanzania but at least, they can put us in their planning agenda based on the JNIA traffic growth," she told Bernama at the sidelines of the 14th World Route Development Forum (Routes KL 2008) here Monday.

JNIA, operated by Tanzania Airports Authority, has experienced a growth in traffic from 0.5 million passengers in 2001 to 1.5 million last year due to its marketing strategy of promoting Tanzania as a tourism destination.

Saying that the airport had seen 15 percent growth in traffic annually, Makasi said based on the growth from the Asian region to Tanzania, JNIA hoped to convince Malaysia Airlines to start looking at flying to the country.

Currently, Malaysia Airlines flies to Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Makasi also urged Malaysians to look at investment opportunities at Tanzania as its government was offering several incentives to attract investors.

Among investment opportunities highlighted in Tanzania are tourism, mining, servicing industry and agriculture sector (sisal, cotton, cashew nuts, coffee, tea and vegetables).

JNIA is the principal airport serving Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. Among the airlines currently operating at JNIA are Air India, British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways and KLM-Royal Dutch Air.

According to Makasi, JNIA expects arrivals at the airport to increase to five million in 10 years and more flights by airlines will provide better accessibility to passengers for both tourism and investment purposes.

She said despite the current tough period, JNIA was still experiencing a positive trend with 13 percent growth in traffic so far.

"This year, our forecast is 1.6 million passengers while it's 1.75 million passengers for 2009," she added.

Makasi also said World Cup 2010 to be held in South Africa would also benefit the airport as heavy traffic was expected.

She said JNIA was ready to serve as an alternative airport to support the heavy traffic.

Source: BERNAMA

Speculation Of Crude Oil Prices To Slide With Financial Slowdown

2008-10-14T11:40:00.000+08:00

October 13, 2008 20:14 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Trading speculation of crude oil is expected to slide following difficulties in getting funds from financial institutions due to the financial meltdown, Malaysia Airlines managing director Datuk Seri Idris Jala said.

Jala, who expects the price of crude oil to be between US$80 and US$120 per barrel in the next 12 months, said this at the Routes Forum 2008 in a session on "Living with High Oil Prices".

He said that layers of hedges had taken place in the past 13 months well beyond the realistic price of crude oil, when in fact there was no shortage of oil and gas.

"When it is said that there are no excess inventory, this gives a lot of opportunity for speculators to come in on the back of 'geopolitical fears'.

A lot of geopolitical fears have disrupted supply such as in Nigeria and Iran," Jala said.

"There may be a shortage, so they say you better take up hedges to protect yourselves. Before long it is the herd mentality," he said.

Jala said futures trading for crude oil was at present most heavily traded.

"There is room for trading but when it is derailed from the supply and demand, that is the problem," he said.

He said if crude oil hovers at US$100 per barrel, it was still constituting about 50 percent of the airline's cost.

"That is a lot of money. Therefore, we have to attack the cost," he said, adding that a there was a lack of discipline in airlines to manage cost efficiently.

"The day we make money, we go over the top in having excess capacity," he added.

Jala said airlines have to bring down all other costs and pass on some of it in order to post profits and returns acceptable from the shareholders' point of view.

"We must allow for more consolidations for better returns," he said.

Source: BERNAMA

New AirAsia Low Fares Campaign To Celebrate 100% Airbus Fleet In Malaysia

2008-10-14T11:15:00.000+08:00

October 13, 2008 15:13 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- AirAsia is offering fares from as low as RM1 for international and domestic destinations through its latest campaign, "Absolute".

The low fares campaign is being introduced in conjunction with AirAsia's move to set a new benchmark for efficiency, reliability and quality with an all Airbus A320 fleet in its Malaysian operations, the airline said in a statement here today.

AirAsia said the campaign covered all domestic and international destinations from six of its hubs, primarily in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Johor), Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta and Bali).

AirAsia said some of the hottest international destinations included in the campaign where it flies directly to from Kuala Lumpur are, Singapore, priced as low as RM1, Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and Vientiane for only RM11 as well as the newly launched Guilin, Melbourne and Perth routes with fares ranging from RM101 to RM199.

The hot deals also include new routes and frequencies AirAsia launched recently such as to Hong Kong from Bangkok, from Pekan Baru to Singapore and the additional six times daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.

The booking period for the campaign is from Oct 11-27 for the travel period of Feb 9-July 31, 2009.

For domestic routes from Jakarta to Makassar and Yogyakarta, the booking period is from Oct 11-27 with the travel period from Oct 20-July 31,2009.

The campaign period includes flights from Kuala Lumpur to Makassar as well.

Source: BERNAMA

MAHB Close To Completing Negotiations With Two To Three New Carriers

2008-10-14T11:10:00.000+08:00

October 13, 2008 16:48 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is close to completing negotiations with two to three new carriers to start operations in Malaysia before end of this year, says its managing director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid.

"MAHB is confident that during the Routes conference the airport group is close to completing negotiations with two to three new carriers to start operations in Malaysia before year-end, so watch this space," he said in a statement today.

Since beginning of the year, MAHB has welcomed over 55 new routes from 12 airlines, generating around 200 additional weekly flights, a significant achievement given the current economic climate and the impact of high oil prices on the world's airlines.

At the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), national carrier Malaysia Airlines has started flying to Karachi and Yogyakarta while low-cost carrier AirAsia has launched flights to Guangzhou, Yogyakarta, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Haikou, Guilin, Batam and Pekanbaru.

MAHB said AirAsia's long haul sister company AirAsia X has launched flights to Hangzhou and Gold Coast.

KLIA has also attracted two new low-cost carriers on the deregulated Singapore route, Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways, it said.

The airport operator said the Penang International Airport had received three new routes from Sriwijaya Air and Indonesia AirAsia as well as increased frequencies from Cathay Pacific.

In East Malaysia, the Kota Kinabalu International Airport has gained four new air services comprising Jakarta, Denpasar (both operated by Indonesia AirAsia), Manila (Cebu Pacific) and Labuan (AirAsia).

Indonesia AirAsia has also launched new services from Kuching to Jakarta and Denpasar.

MAHB said the Langkawi International Airport also attracted a number of new carriers operating short charter programmes.

It said the rest of the year continues to look bright with another seven destinations already announced to start before the end of the year.

MAHB said no new carriers are not expected on the fully deregulated Kuala Lumpur-Singapore trunk route from Dec 1, 2008.

However, it said that Tiger and AirAsia have already announced considerable frequency increases with both carriers adding an additional four daily frequencies, with AirAsia up to six daily from two daily and Tiger up to five daily from one daily. MAHB manages and operates 39 airports in Malaysia, including five international, 16 domestic and 18 short take-off and landing airports.

Source: BERNAMA

ERL Sees 5-10 Pct Growth Next Year

2008-10-14T11:07:00.000+08:00

October 13, 2008 21:27 PM

By Siti Radziah Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) - Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) is looking at five to 10 percent growth in its overall business next year.

Its chief executive officer, Dr. Aminuddin Adnan, said the target could be achieved with new strategies that have been outlined by the company and expected to be carried out by end of this year or early next year.

ERL is looking to expand its KLIA Transit business for the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) and to market its services in Europe.

Aminuddin noted that its KLIA Transit service was growing and already recording higher number of passengers than its KLIA Express service.

KLIA Transit captures between 6,500 and 7,000 passengers a day while KLIA Express serves 4,500 passengers a day.

The company is planning to focus on KLIA Transits KL Sentral station to Salak Tinggi station and three connecting buses from Salak Tinggi to the LCCT.

"The competitors are charging RM8-RM9 from KL Sentral to LCCT. (However) we are looking (at a figure) higher than that because the fare from KL Sentral to Salak Tinggi is already RM12.50," Aminuddin explained.

He added that the transit bus fare would be waived for passengers who commute with KLIA Transit from KL Sentral, while passengers from Bandar Tasik Selatan and Putrajaya will be charged for the bus transit.

ERL operates two high-speed rail services, namely KLIA Express and KLIA Transit, which are connected from KL Sentral to the KL International Airport (KLIA).

"At the moment, KLIA Express has not been growing because even the traffic at the main terminal building has dropped to some extent," he told Bernama in an interview on the sidelines of the 14th World Route Development Forum here Sunday.

He said there was a 20 percent decline for the usage of KLIA Express since the opening of the LCCT in March 2006.

"We are affected because we have seen a lot of people switching from normal airlines to low cost carrier," he said, adding that the company is hoping to capture part of the Air Asias market.

He added ERL is looking at the Air Asias market, as they would probably constitute about 35 percent of the traffic at KLIA.

Aminuddin said that ERL is looking to selling its tickets worldwide and have started with Amadeus to market its service throughout the 300,000 Amadeus sales outlets in Europe.

Spain-based Amadeus is the leading Global Distribution System (GDS) and the biggest processor of travel bookings in the world.

"They are very strong in Europe. At the moment, we are almost finalising the legal arrangements with them and our technical people are already solving some technical issues," he said.

"We are looking at two to five percent (contribution from this partnership). This is a new market. So far, we notice more and more foreigners are taking our train. They are quite used to doing this in Europe," he added.

Source: BERNAMA

Press Release: NEW FLIGHTS FROM MALAYSIA

2008-10-14T10:59:00.000+08:00

Monday 13/10/2008

October 13, 2008-- Malaysia Airports Continues To Attract New Routes To Its Five Largest Airports Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching And Langkawi. Since The Beginning Of The Year, Malaysia Airports Has Welcomed Over 55 New Routes From 12 Airlines, Generating Around 200 Additional Weekly Flights, A Significant Achievement Given The Current Economic Climate And The Impact High Oil Prices Is Having On The World's Airlines.

At Kuala Lumpur International Airport, national carrier Malaysia Airlines has started Karachi and Yogyakarta, whilst Asia's fastest growing low cost carrier Air Asia has launched Guangzhou, Yogyakarta, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Haikou, Guilin, Batam and Pekanbaru (Indonesia Air Asia). Air Asia's long haul sister company Air Asia X has launched Hangzhou and Gold Coast. Kuala Lumpur has also attracted two new low cost carriers on the deregulated Singapore route, Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways.

Penang Airport has received three new routes from Sriwijaya Air and Indonesia Air Asia as well as increased frequencies from Cathay Pacific. In East Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu has gained four new air services: Jakarta, Denpasar (both operated by Indonesia Air Asia), Manila (Cebu Pacific) and Labuan (Air Asia). Indonesia Air Asia has also launched new services from Kuching to Jakarta and Denpasar.

Langkawi has attracted a number of new carriers operating short charter programmes, for example, Hong Kong Airlines has operated a short programme this summer to Hong Kong.

The rest of the year continues to look bright with another 7 destinations already announced to start before the end of the year. From Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia X will continue their network expansion to Australia starting services to Melbourne and Perth in November. Air Asia will start Tiruchirapally and Air Niugini, a new carrier to Kuala Lumpur, is planning to start new services to Papua New Guinea. Firefly will also start two new points from Penang to Medan and Banda Aceh.

There is not expected to be any new carriers on the fully deregulated KL - Singapore trunk route from 1st December 2008. However, Tiger and Air Asia have already announced considerable frequency increases with both carriers adding an additional 4 daily frequencies, Air Asia up to 6 daily from 2 daily and Tiger up to 5 daily from daily. This means there are an additional 56 weekly flights on top of the current 129 weekly flights between KL and Singapore, an increase of over 40%.

Dato' Seri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid, Managing Director of MAHB commented that "Malaysia Airports is also confident that during the Routes conference the airport group is close to completing negotiations with two to three new carriers to start operations into Malaysia before the end of the year, so watch this space!"

Notes:-

Malaysia Airports manages and operates 39 airports in Malaysia, including 5 international, 16 domestic and 18 Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) airports. In 2007, Kuala Lumpur International Airports handled a total of 26.453 million passengers of which 16.965 million were international passengers. KLIA is capable of handling 35 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year in its current phase. The Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT-KLIA) is an extension of the existing facilities of the KLIA. It was opened in March 2006 and has a capacity of 10 million passengers annually. KLIA is an award-winning airport, with recent wins including World's Best Airport in the 15-25 million passengers per annum category and Second place in the Best Airport in the Overall Category and Best Airport in the Asia-Pacific category for the Airport Council International (ACI) 2007 Airport Service Quality Awards.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT :
NAME : NORLIZA KAMARUDDIN
GENERAL MANAGER CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
CELLPHONE: +6019-2000887
EMAIL : norliza@malaysiaairports.com.my

NAME : NOOR HAFIZA RUSLAN
MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION SERVICES,CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
CELLPHONE : +6012 - 211 4773
EMAIL : hafiza@malaysiaairports.com.my

NAME : FAISALLY AHMAD RUSDY
SENIOR EXECUTIVE (MEDIA RELATIONS), CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS CELLPHONE : +6012-6846575
EMAIL : faisally@malaysiaairports.com.my

DATE OF RELEASE : 13 OCTOBER 2008
RELEASED BY BERNAMA MEDIA RELATIONS & EVENT MANAGEMENT

AirAsia X Prefers Stansted Airport Due To Connectivity

2008-10-14T10:46:00.000+08:00

October 13, 2008 21:59 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's premier long haul, low cost carrier, AirAsia X is starting its flights to London next March and has stated a preference for using Stansted Airport due to good connectivity.

Its chief executive officer, Azran Osman-Rani said today that the airline was however still finalising operational details for the inaugural flight.

"We hope to announce this year the start of sales for the flight to London," he told reporters on the sidelines of the the 14th World Route Development Forum (Routes KL 2008) here.

Stansted Airport is located 56km north-east of London.

Azran also said that the global economic uncertainity had in no way affected AirAsia X's business operations and in fact, it had registered a higher customer demand.

"Operationally, things are going well," he added, while indicating that the airline did not anticipate any problem in securing financing for its new fleet of aircraft ordered.

He also said that the higher oil prices has not affected AirAsia X as much as others, as the new aircraft were fuel efficient.

He disclosed that AirAsia X would pick up the first of its 25 units of wide-bodied A330 aircraft, by the end of the month and receive another by the year's end. Three more aircraft would be delivered next year.

AirAsia X, which began operations in November 2007, currently flies to Australia's Gold Coast and Perth as well as Hangzhou in China.

The airline has stated it would launch flights to Melbourne next month.

Source: BERNAMA

Malaysian Carriers To Expand Operations Network By Year-end

2008-10-14T02:23:00.000+08:00

October 13, 2008 11:23 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Low budget and community carriers -- AirAsia, AirAsia X and Firefly -- plan to further increase their network expansion by year-end.

From Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia X will continue its network expansion to Australia, starting services to Melbourne and Perth in November, said Malaysia Airports Bhd in a statement Sunday.

AirAsia will start flying to Tiruchilapally, India, while Air Niugini, a new carrier to Kuala Lumpur, is planning to start new services to Papua New Guinea.

Firefly will also start two new points from Penang to Medan and Banda Aceh.

"No new carriers are expected on the fully deregulated Kuala Lumpur-Singapore trunk route from Dec 1, 2008," said Malaysia Airports.

AirAsia and Tiger Airways have already announced considerable frequency increases, with both airlines adding an additional four daily frequencies, Air Asia up to six daily and Tiger Airways five daily from one daily. "This means there are an additional 56 weekly flights on top of the current 129 weekly flights between KL and Singapore, an increase of over 40 percent," it added.

Source: BERNAMA

MAHB Aims To Bring Five Long-haul International Airlines To KLIA, Says Bashir

2008-10-13T11:52:00.000+08:00

October 12, 2008 21:59 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) aims to bring another four to five long-haul international airlines to KL International Airport (KLIA) from the 14th World Route Development Forum (Routes KL 2008).

Managing Director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad said MAHB would like to see more airlines from Europe and Africa such as British Airways, Air France and South African Airways to serve the KLIA.

Currently, 53 airlines are operating at KLIA, of which two are from Europe namely Lufthansa and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, he said.

There were other airlines in Europe that were not flying to Kuala Lumpur and MAHB hoped they would look here as an important destination especially with the strong growing tourism sector in Malaysia, he told a press conference after opening the 14th World Route Development Forum (Routes KL 2008) here Sunday.

On when MAHB is expecting these airlines, Bashir said: "The airlines will decide based on their own financial viability but we will discuss how we can work together to make their services viable. Bashir said two airlines stopped serving KLIA in the past due to the economic crisis.

However, the Lufthansa German Airlines had come back, he said, expressing the hope that British Airways would also return soon.

Bashir said although KLIA was well covered from the regions, there was a gap in terms of long-haul flights.

"Regional airlines from Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, India and Middle East are already operating here and we hope they will increase their frequencies," he said.

Bashir said Routes KL 2008 was the opportunity for MAHB to start discussions with the airlines on these issues, he said, adding that MAHB would try to address each airlines' needs for marketing support and facilities.

Bashir said airports that are in an attractive tourist destination was one of the main driving factors to attract airlines easily.

When pointed out that Kota Kinabalu was an attractive destination for tourists, he said by next year the Kota Kinabalu International Airport would have a new terminal and an extended runway to cater for bigger aircraft to cope with the growing air traffic.

The three-day Routes KL 2008, hosted by MAHB, is attended by 2,500 delegates. It is the annual gathering of the route development industry offering formal and informal networking opportunities.

Source: BERNAMA

Malaysia's Attractions To Be In Spotlight At Routes 2008

2008-10-13T11:47:00.000+08:00

October 12, 2008 20:34 PM

By Umi Hani Sharani

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- The 14th Routes Forum hosted by Malaysia starting Sunday will be a perfect platform to expose the country's major tourism attractions to the hive of airlines expected to converge here for the annual event.

Themed "The World Is Coming To KUL", Routes 2008 will see the "who's who" of the airline industry getting their first taste of the local scene, a move that can eventually persuade them to extend their routes to this part of the region.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd's general manager for marketing, Sallaudin Mohamed Shah, said the firm has arranged various activities that not only promote the cultural aspect of the country but also current activities such as the chance to drive at the Sepang International Circuit.

"These are the decision makers of the airlines and they are here for the first time. So we have taken a great leap (to organise side activities) because Malaysia is renowned as a tourism destination, and we saw the opportunity.

The world (is coming) to us," he told Bernama in an interview.

He said although previous hosts had provided city tours during the events, Malaysia this time has taken the liberty to arrange various social programmes for all delegates to sample various attractions.

Besides city tours to the administrative capital of Putrajaya or the holy site of Batu Caves, those interested can also find their way to the historic city of Malacca.

Malaysia Airports, in working with Tourism Malaysia, has also not forgotten to provide avid golfers with a friendly tournament on the various beautiful greens of the country.

"We are also working with the City Hall to provide delegates free 'hop-on, hop-off' bus passes for them to get to know Kuala Lumpur better," said Sallaudin.

He said the firm was also working with Sepang International Circuit and Sepang International Driving Academy to give free lessons on how to ride on the world-famous Sepang International Circuit which has been hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

"Of course, not forgetting the famous Petronas Twin Towers where we have also given free access for certain time for a certain number of delegates to view the city from the Sky Bridge at level 41," he added.

Sallaudin said these are some of the things aimed at generating greater interest among the delegates to show that Malaysia is an attractive country to visit, rather than them coming here just for meetings.

"There are great tourism opportunities that one can savour. That is one unique thing that no other host has done before," he said. He credited the enthusiasm to make the event a success to the various stakeholders and partners, including Tourism Malaysia, City Hall, Petronas, KLAS (Kuala Lumpur Airport Services) and Malaysia Airlines, as well as various sponsors.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia Wins Best Asian Low-cost Carrier Award

2008-10-11T11:17:00.000+08:00

October 10, 2008 11:40 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 (Bernama) -- Low-cost carrier, AirAsia, has won the Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier Award from Asia Pacifics leading travel news publisher, TTG.

The airline won the award for the second time after industry stakeholders, including travel agents, tour operators and destination management companies, voted for it in a three-month poll conducted by TTG.

It won the same coveted award in 2005.

AirAsia Regional Head of Commercial Kathleen Tan said AirAsia would continue to raise its bars of service level and work closely to support its industry partners to boost travel demand.

"AirAsia has flown over 55 million guests and we are certain our innovation through the internet has made travel booking seamless, fast and convenient to the new generation of travellers, thus accelerating travel demand and changing travel landscapes," she added.

Source: BERNAMA

Drawing Tourists, Strengthening Economic Growth Through Sports Tourism

2008-10-10T11:54:00.000+08:00

October 09, 2008 17:11 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- The government will step up efforts to boost sports tourism events to draw more tourists as well as serve as a catalyst for national economic growth, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.

He said state governments should promote sports tourism events as they had a major positive impact on the inflow of tourists and the national economy.

"It costs a lot for one minute of air time over paid channels such as ESPN and CNN. However, with sports such as the FEI-World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2008 being broadcast for about 30 minutes, the returns are tremendous," he said.

"Terengganu stands to gain from the huge spillover from this sports and we will carry out such efforts which can contribute to national economic growth," he said at the launch of the countdown for WEC 2008 and the state Hari Raya Aidilfitri reception at the state sports complex in Gong Badak near here.

Najib was accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor. Also present at the function were Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Najib said the presence of 150 participants from 34 countries as well as foreign media representatives at the four-day event would have a major positive effect on the people of Terengganu and the rest of Malaysia as well.

"The hosting of this sport will place Terengganu on the calendar of equestrian events. I understand that Terengganu was selected as the host more so due to the keen interest of the nation's No. 1 rider, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who is the Sultan of Terengganu)," he said.

He also said that Terengganu would have a place among the list of hosts of similar events around the world, including in Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina and the United States.

Najib praised the efforts of the Terengganu government in obtaining several endurance race horses and adopting several schools in Kuala Terengganu to provide equestrian facilities to promote the sport among the people.

It is hoped that these efforts would make Terengganu a hub for endurance sports and produce a world champion one day, he added.

The WEC 2008 will be held from Nov 6 to 9 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Lembah Bidong, Setiu.

Source: BERNAMA

Destiny Of Monsoon Cup Hangs In The Balance

2008-10-09T11:57:00.000+08:00

October 08, 2008 18:50 PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- T-Best Events, organisers of the Monsoon Cup have not contacted the Terengganu state government yet, raising speculation on the fate of this year's richest sailing event in the World Match Tour Racing.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said T-Best has yet to inform the state government on the status of the premier sailing event held in December every year.

"I have asked Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Za'abar Mohd Adib to check with T-Best on the status of the event again because we have not heard anything from them.

"According to the agreement, the Monsoon Cup organisers have a commitment to fulfill until 2012 and the cost of hosting the event would be borne by the Federal government," he told reporters after chairing the state Exco meeting at Wisma Darul Iman here Wednesday.

However, he added that though no preparations had taken of with regard to hosting the event, staging the event in a short time would not be a problem as all the facilities were in place.

The Monsoon Cup was first hosted in 2005 when T-Best Events and the World Match Racing Tour signed a deal to host the event until 2012.

Through the deal, the state government would have to allocate RM4 million every year to stage the event while the rest of the expenditure come from the Federal government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Tourism Ministry and Finance Ministry, he said.

The Monsoon Cup, held during the monsoon season, attracts top class yachts and world class sailors to the event held at Pulau Duyong in Terengganu and puts Malaysia on the world map through vast coverage provided by local and foreign media.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia To Launch Kuching-Singapore Direct Flight On Nov 1

2008-10-09T11:23:00.000+08:00

October 08, 2008 18:24 PM

KUCHING, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- AirAsia, which has secured rights to fly from Kuching direct to Singapore, will launch its first flight on the Kuching-Singapore sector on Nov 1 as part of the efforts to enhance air connectivity to Sarawak.

Its group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said on Wednesday the low-cost carrier, which obtained the approval only yesterday, would open for sale 5,000 free seats beginning midnight today until Oct 19 this year, excluding surcharge and airport tax, on the new route.

"We fought for six years (for the further liberalisation of aviation industry, especially between Malaysia and Singapore) and have a very aggressive marketing campaign in Singapore," he told a media briefing here, which was also attended by Sarawak Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Manyin.

Fernandes said AirAsia would initially have one flight daily but would expand the frequencies in future once its proposed low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) here was established.

It was also looking at the direct flight connectivity between Kota Kinabalu and Sibu, following numerous requests from the state's tourism industry and people to service that sector as well as reinstate the daily Kuching-Macau route within three months after the flight was scheduled to be suspended on Oct 26, he said.

Fernandes said when the airlines started its operations in Sarawak, it was committed to developing both the state's tourism and business industry by opening up new air links with other regional destinations but the lack of support from Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd in granting certain concessions had caused it to review and rationalise some of its routes from here recently.

He said the Kuching-Bali direct flight was being stopped because the high charges and bureaucratic management had hampered its efforts to changing market conditions, especially when the airlines industry was experiencing a tough period due to the global fuel hike.

AirAsia, which flies a total of 182 flights weekly into and within Sarawak, has carried more than 3.6 million passengers in the state so far, with its market share of the Kuala Lumpur-Kuching sector growing to 68 percent at present from 33 percent in 2003.

Fernandes said almost one million passengers were recorded in the Sarawak sector so far this year, generating about RM718 million in revenue.

He projected that some five million passengers would have flown AirAsia into and out of the state by 2013.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia Eyes America, Europe And Africa

2008-10-08T11:32:00.000+08:00

October 07, 2008 17:29 PM

SEPANG, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Low cost carrier AirAsia is eyeing new routes in America, Europe and Africa following its success in establishing operations in 11 Asean countries.

AirAsia Group chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said the new routes plan was not an impossible feat and will be profitable for AirAsia in future considering the good passenger growth rate it has recorded in Asean countries such as Indonesia and Thailand.

He, however did not say when the plans will become a reality.

Asked on the passenger growth rate amid the slowdown in world economy, he said it would all depend on how many new planes AirAsia will receive next year.

"Next year, we expect to receive nine new Airbus planes," he told reporters after attending a farewell ceremony for AirAsia's remaining Boeing 737 which made its last flight from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal here today.

He also said that AirAsia was in a strong position to capitalise on whatever the economic situation, adding that air travel will be in business as usual because people needed to travel and that the budget airlines offered the best options currently.

Fernandes refused to comment on the privatisation plans for AirAsia.

At the event today, he also paid tribute to Boeing, saying that AirAsia started off with two Boeing 737s which had rendered them a wonderful service, and got them where they are today.

Replacing the Boeing 737 for the more fuel efficient Airbus A320 is an important step for AirAsia's ongoing efforts to minimise its carbon footprint. In addition, the saving AirAsia makes on fuel consumption will be passed on as low fares to its customers, he added.

Source: BERNAMA

Gomantong Cave, Sabah's Largest Bird Nest Producer

2008-10-07T12:12:00.000+08:00

October 06, 2008 14:31 PM

By Haslin Gaffor

KINABATANGAN, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- The largest limestone cave in Sabah, Gua Gomantong, is not only a tourism attraction but is also home to thousands of swifts, the bird famously known for its edible nest.

Hence, the cave plays an important role in Sabah's production of this famous bird nest.

The bird nest is renowned for its high commercial value and is a favourite among the Chinese due to its medicinal significance.

Spread over 3,297 hectares of area, Gua Gomantong is located in the Gomantong Forest Reserve in Kinabatangan and is under the Class VI Forest Reserve Category.

In Sabah, there are about 25 limestone caves that are home to the swifts but only two have high number of the bird nest -- Gua Gomantong and Gua Madai in Lahad Datu.

CARE OF THE CAVES

Gua Gomantong is under the care of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Office which is the authority in charge of the bird nest under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.

Wildlife Enforcement Officer for Gua Gomantong, Hussein Muin, said there are four swift species in Sabah.

They are that which spawn the white nest (Collocalia Fuciphagus), black nest (Collocalia Maximus), moss-like nest (Collocalia vanikorensis) and white-bellied birds (Collocalia Esulenta).

He said only the white and black bird nest are edible and have high nutritional and medicinal value.

"There are 19 caverns in Gua Gomantong that produce the white, black and moss nests while four others only produce the black and white varieties," he told Bernama.

Hussein said management of Gua Gomantong takes into account the conservation of the swifts as well as sustainable generation of the bird nest.

BIRD NEST COLLECTION

According to Hussein, to ensure sustainable production of the bird nest, harvesting is carried out for only two seasons in a year.

He said the first harvesting season is from February to April with the second on August-September where only the white and black bird nest is harvested.

The bird nest harvesting at the 19 caverns of Gua Gomantong is sub-divided into seven lots and carried out by contractors who were awarded tenders.

Before harvesting, the Kinabatangan Wildlife Office would check on the size of the bird nest and prepare the report on it.

He said the tender to harvest the bird nest is then offered followed by the harvesting work.

Hussein said the contractors need to follow several regulations like registering their vehicles and workers, duration of harvesting period allowed, time of harvesting and other aspects like the name tags of their workers and safety measures applied.

He also said harvesting the bird nest in Gua Gomantong is by the traditional method involving the use of Guggulug (wooden ladder), Piatau (bamboo), rope and Ambong (container to keep the bird nest as well as other equipment like the Sesungkit and Serapong.

"This traditional method is to ensure conservation of this cave as well as as sustainable production of the bird nest," he said.

SAFETY MEASURES DURING HARVESTING

Among the risks that could be encountered by the harvesters is the danger of slipping and falling down. However the work is carried out by experienced workers and they are also covered by insurance in case any untoward incident happens.

Hussein said after the harvesting work, the contractors are required to make sure that the caverns are free from debris and other rubbish while all the harvesting tools should be well kept and stored properly.

"This is crucial for the conservation of the caves and sustainability of the bird nest," he said.

After harvesting, the bird nest is cleaned, graded and packaged.

HIGH COMMERCIAL VALUE

Hussein said the post-harvest processing should be done cautiously as well as vigilantly to ensure that the bird nest is really clean and ready for sale in the domestic or overseas market.

Before being moved to the market, the pre-processed bird nest is priced at between RM2,500 and RM6,000 a kg but the figure could reach RM12,500 a kg after processing, according to the respective grades.

Source: BERNAMA

SIA, SilkAir Offer Up To 15 Flights Daily On Singapore-KL Route From December 1

2008-10-07T11:50:00.000+08:00

October 06, 2008 11:32 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir are offering up to 15 flights daily between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur from Dec 1.

"We have extended and strengthened our cooperation with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) by including our sister airline, SilkAir, in our ongoing code-sharing arrangement with MAS on the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route," said SIA executive vice-president (marketing and the regions) Huang Cheng Eng in a statement Monday.

SilkAir chief executive Chin Yau Seng said this was the first time SilkAir was flying to Kuala Lumpur and the airline is excited about the prospects for this new route.

SilkAir will commence twice daily flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 while SIA will operate five daily flights. From Dec 1, both airlines will operate four flights each.

Together with MAS, the three carriers will offer up to 15 flights a day.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia To Operate New Routes Between Singapore And Cities In Sabah, Sarawak

2008-10-05T11:36:00.000+08:00

October 04, 2008 19:04 PM

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Low-cost carrier AirAsia has been given the green light to operate new routes between Singapore and three cities in Sabah and Sarawak.

Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat said those cities are Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Miri.

"Detailed negotiations between my ministry and the Singapore authorities will be finalised this month and we hope AirAsia can operate those routes as soon as possible. Definitely this year," he told reporters after attending the Sabah MCA convention here.

Ong also said that the negotiations would involve increasing AirAsias frequency between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by December.

Currently, AirAsia is operating the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route twice daily.

Meanwhile, Ong quashed misconceptions that Malaysia was not practising the open sky policy.

"People seem to have a misconception on the open sky policy when it is actually in place," he said.

"We have reached agreements with other countries to practise this policy in Sabah and Sarawak as well as at our secondary airports," he added.

Source: BERNAMA

Minister To Meet AirAsia CEO On Reinstatement Of Flights

2008-10-05T11:34:00.000+08:00

October 04, 2008 20:58 PM

KUCHING, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Sarawak's Tourism Minister, Datuk Michael Manyin, will meet AirAsia Bhd group chief executive officer, Datuk Tony Fernandes, to discuss the reinstatement of the Kuching-Bali and Kuching-Macau direct flights.

Manyin, who expected tough talks with Fernandez on Wednesday, said AirAsia decided to suspend the routes due to low passenger load.

"They have asked us to give an assurance that the passenger loads on the flights be between 60 and 70 percent if we want the routes to be reinstated.

"How can we give the assurance when we were given only two months to market the Kuching-Bali route, which was introduced in May this year and suspended in August," he told reporters at the Hari Raya Open House of state Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Seri Awang Tengah Awang Ali Hassan here today.

The Kuching-Macau flights will be suspended from Oct 26.

Manyin proposed that AirAsia stop flying directly back to Kuching and instead have one stop-over on the return flight for the two routes.

He said AirAsia could also use smaller aircraft for the return flights.

"The outbound flights do not pose problems as there are passengers. However, the return flights from the two routes have low passenger loads," he said.

Meanwhile, Manyin said the target of four million tourist arrivals was unlikely to be achieved this year due to the current global economic turmoil.

Source: BERNAMA

Malaysia Gains From Asia-Pacific's Air Passenger Growth

2008-10-04T12:14:00.000+08:00

October 03, 2008 16:43 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- The Asia-Pacific is recording the fastest growth in air passenger volumes worldwide with Malaysia among the countries in the region gaining from the trend.

According to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd's managing director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad, booming markets like India, China and Macau will make Asia-Pacific the world's largest aviation market in the coming years.

"More passengers are travelling in this region and this has also contributed to Malaysia's tourism market," he said in an interview after attending the four-day Airports Council International (ACI) general assembly and world conference and exhibition which ended in Boston, US, last week.

Bashir, a member of the ACI governing council, said though the current economic difficulties affected airport operators worldwide, those in the Asia-Pacific were still doing better than their counterparts in other regions.

Malaysia Airports, he said, expects to record a growth of 5.5 percent in passenger volume this year, higher than the industry average of 4.2 percent.

He also said that the airports managed by the company recorded good passenger growth in the first seven months of this year and this was expected to slow down in the remaining months.

At the conference, ACI Asia-Pacific president Max Moore-Wilton said Asia-Pacific is expected to overtake North America and Europe to become the world's largest regional market in the next 10 years.

"This is being driven by the growing economies of India and China, and the region will see the development of new high quality airports," he said.

Asia-Pacific, he added, already has five of the world's top 30 airports in terms of international passengers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur.

In its forecast report, the ACI said Asia-Pacific will lead the other regions with its passenger volume growing at a rate of 6.3 percent annually over the next 20 years with India and China recording growth of 9.2 percent and 9.1 percent respectively.

The fastest growing routes will be between Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, it added.

In freight operations, Asia-Pacific is expected to post the fastest growth in freight tonnage with 6.6 percent, compared to the industry average of 5.1 percent, annually over the next 20 years, the ACI said.

At the general assembly attended by over 2,000 representatives from the global airport industry, a ceremony was held to recognise Malaysia Airports as the host of next year's ACI general assembly and world conference and exhibition which will be held in Kuala Lumpur from November 2 to 5.

Randall Walker, chairman of ACI North America, the current host, presented to Bashir an antique clock to mark the countdown to the 2009 event.

ACI is an international body that campaigns airport interests and promotes professional excellence in airport management and operators. Its members manage 1,650 airports in 65 countries.

Source: BERNAMA

Adopt A Sea Turtle At Sarawak's Turtle Island

2008-10-03T12:20:00.000+08:00

October 02, 2008 14:02 PM

KUCHING, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- "Adopt A Sea Turtle" is a wildlife conservation programme in Sarawak that gives locals and foreigners a chance to experience turtle conservation activities at the turtle island of Pulau Talang-Talang Besar near here.

According to the latest issue of "Perkasa", the Sarawak Timber Industry Corporation's bi-monthly newsletter, participants will be able take part in conservation activities including tagging and measuring the turtles, patrolling the beach, transferring the eggs to hatchery, releasing the hatchlings, recording data as well as assisting in other research and educational activities.

"As one of the state's extensive efforts in wildlife protection, the turtle adoption programme is also a way of incorporating and involving locals and foreigners to value and celebrate what Sarawak has done thus far in sea turtle conservation," it said.

Launched by the then State Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh on April 30 this year, the four-day three-night programme is being conducted from May to September yearly at the island, which is part of the Talang-Satang National Park.

So far, eight species have been found at the national park, where 99 percent of nesting sea turtles recorded in Sarawak are of the Green Turtle species.

Following the listing of all sea turtles under the totally-protected species list in the Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1993 (Amended 2003), a proposal was made to the state government to gazette sea grass beds and coral reefs at the Kuala Lawas area, which had been identified as feeding ground for green and hawksbill turtle as totally protected area.

Perkasa said other conservation efforts included the Reef Ball project, which was found to be successful in reducing the number of sea turtle mortality rate and ensuring its nesting areas are further protected besides benefiting the local fishermen by contributing significant increase in their catches.

However another 5,000 reef balls are still needed to protect the sea turtles' critical habitat, their swimming areas, nesting beaches and feeding ground and migration pathway along the 1,000-kilometre coastline of Sarawak.

"This is where other conservation orientated organisations and the private sector can play their role and show support," it said.

Legislations pertaining to sea turtles in Sarawak are also in place and have been regularly revised to suit the current needs in managing sea turtle reseach and conservation.

Source: BERNAMA

More AirAsia flights to Ho Chi Minh City

2008-10-01T12:28:00.000+08:00

2008/09/30

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia has announced additional flights to Ho Chi Minh City from here and Bangkok.

The decision was in response to strong demand for air travel between Ho Chi Minh City and the Malaysian and Thai markets, AirAsia said.

Effective Oct 26, the frequency of flights from Kuala Lumpur will increase from seven to 11 weekly.

There will also be seven weekly flights from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City from the present four.

To celebrate the extra flights, AirAsia has introduced special fares.

It also announced extra flights from Kuala Lumpur to Bintulu (11 times weekly), Penang (six daily flights) and Bali (five daily flights).

It introduced a new destination, from Johor Baru to Bali, with three weekly flights.

For details, visit www.airasia.com or mobile.airasia. com.

Source: Bernama

Emirates Offers More Capacity To Malaysians

2008-10-01T12:22:00.000+08:00

September 30, 2008 20:43 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- In response to an increasing demand from business and leisure travellers, Emirates Airlines is increasing its capacity on the Kuala Lumpur to Dubai route by over 20 percent.

In a statement, Emirates said starting tomorrow, it will de-link Jakarta from its current Kuala Lumpur - Jakarta - Dubai routing and instead operate dedicated non-stop flights between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai.

From Dec 1 onwards, the carrier will also add three extra flights per week to Dubai from Kuala Lumpur.

The additional flights will boost Emirates services from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai to twelve flights per week.

Emirates Country Manager, Alban Lee said the additional capacity satisfies the increasing demand for flights among its discerning business and leisure travellers from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai and vice versa.

"It also further strengthens the airline's commitment to this market and in supporting Malaysia's efforts to position itself as an ideal tourism and business destination," he said.

The additional flights between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai will be operated using an Airbus A330-200.

Source: BERNAMA

AirAsia X to fly to Korea, Japan

2008-09-07T12:34:00.000+08:00

2008/09/06

KUALA LUMPUR: Long-haul budget airline AirAsia X is hoping to begin flights to Korea and Japan in the second half of next year.

AirAsia X Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani said the airline was in discussions with airport operators and tourism bodies of both countries to discuss terms of agreements.

Azran said with the arrival of the A330 planes, the airline would be ready to launch more flights.

"The first two of the 25 A330 planes we have ordered will arrive this year while another three will arrive next year," he said yesterday during the Matta Fair held at Putra World Trade Centre.

The 25 planes were expected to cost US$5 billion ( RM17 billion), he added.
Azran also said that AirAsia X was hoping to start flights to India and the Middle East by 2013.

The carrier's existing long-haul flights in Asia are to Australia and China.

Azran said AirAsia X will also announce by the end of the year the start of its flights to the UK.

"We have not decided whether our first flight is to Manchester or London."

He added AirAsia X had leased one A340 plane, expected to arrive in March, for its UK flights.

"We will have flights five times a week at 50 per cent less cost than our nearest competitor."

Source: NST

Malaysian airports: Bring back AirAsia to save KLIA

2008-08-12T12:30:00.000+08:00

2008/08/11

By : AZMI ATAN, Petaling Jaya

The Low-Cost Carrier Terminal is seeing a surge in the number of passengers while the Kuala Lumpur International Airport looks deserted.

I WISH to make a comparison. On a recent trip to Bangkok, I landed at the Suvarnabhumi Airport. It was a great experience. It was money well spent.

I got to enjoy all the facilities at the new airport and I feel this is what passengers, irrespective of what airline they are flying, should get.

When I compare this with the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal, I feel shortchanged.

Yes, the LCCT is built for AirAsia and other low-budget carriers. But look at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang. With all AirAsia flights originating and terminating at the LCCT, KLIA looks deserted.

Passenger volume is not at its maximum although the facilities at the airport are world-standard.
Compared with Suvarnabhumi, KLIA is rather quiet and too peaceful.

It would have been better if AirAsia returns to KLIA so that more people will be able to enjoy the facilities.

More passengers also means good business for the commercial outlets at KLIA.

I have accepted the fact that the return of AirAsia to KLIA is almost impossible, especially with the construction of the new LCCT.

I just hope that the new terminal will give the passengers greater comfort and better facilities.

We are humans and not robots. We want to enjoy good facilities and comfort.

We would love to see many shops and outlets and spacious waiting areas.

Yes, we pay a small amount as far as airport tax is concerned, but I wonder what the point is of having a big, modern and world-standard airport when most of the passengers and activities are centred at the LCCT?

I still harbour a small hope that AirAsia flights will one day originate and terminate at KLIA to make the airport relevant and make air travel via budget carriers like AirAsia more comfortable and worthwhile.

Source: NST

Pay extra for MAS tickets

2008-01-05T03:18:00.000+08:00

Friday January 4, 2008

PETALING JAYA: Air travellers will have to pay extra when they purchase Malaysia Airlines tickets from travel agents in Malaysia because the national carrier has scrapped commission payment to the agencies under a new marketing plan.

Passengers will have to pay at least 5% of the ticket price but it could be even more if they pay by credit card or the travel agents deliver the ticket.

Previously, MAS paid their registered agents 2% commission for the sale of special fare tickets.

MAS and Malaysian Association for Travel and Tour Agents issued a joint statement yesterday confirming the scrapping of the commission effective Tuesday.

However, the two parties stated that commission was still payable tickets issued on full published IATA international and domestic fares.

MAS has already announced that they would charge a service fee of RM15 per domestic travel transaction and RM30 for international transactions for both cash and credit card purchases made either through its 24-hour Call Centre or its ticket offices.

This also took effect on Tuesday.

Matta president Ngiam Foon said agents were charging the service fee because the national carrier had withdrawn the commission.

“The service fees will vary depending on the services requested by the customers. Customers will have to pay more for their MAS air tickets now but the ‘more’ depends on the services asked,” he said, adding that those on credit terms will generally have a higher service fee according to the credit level.

Asked about the impact of this latest move which effectively increased the prices of air travel, Ngiam said: “I cannot say if this is a positive or negative move but we will need to see the reactions from the public.

“I believe the travel industry will still go strong. People will still travel.”

However, he pointed out that travel agents were not just ticket issuers but also offer professional advice on destinations, flights and schedules.

Ngiam added that agents also collected the fuel surcharges and airport taxes for MAS and Malaysian Airport Berhad (MAB) but were not paid for carrying out these tasks.

“There is cost involved for agents when they transfer the money to MAS and MAB,” he added.

Source: The Star

Travel agents to charge service fee for MAS bookings

2008-01-04T11:20:00.000+08:00

Thursday January 3, 2008
MYT 6:54:15 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Travellers will now have to pay more for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) tickets purchased from agents.

Travel agents in the country have implemented a new service fee -- a minimum of 5% ticketing/reservation fee, on cash on delivery terms -- after MAS' Zero Commission and Nett Fare plan came into effect on Jan 1.

According to Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Ngiam Foon, there were now neither commission nor distribution fees for MAS-appointed agents, for the promotion and sale of tickets.

He also said travel agents have never received any form of fee from the national carrier and Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad for the promotion, sale or collection of fuel surcharges, airport taxes, airline insurance and other taxes on their behalf.

“As such, the association has included a service fee to replace the commission withdrawal,” he said at a news conference here.

“The service fees will vary depending on the services requested by the customer,” he said, adding that those on credit terms will generally be charged with higher fees.

MAS still offers ticket commissions to appointed agents in other countries.

Source: The Star

The Eye looks set to stay by the lake in KL

2008-01-03T11:28:00.000+08:00

Wednesday January 2, 2008

PUTRAJAYA: If Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor has his way, the Eye on Malaysia will be another icon of Kuala Lumpur, standing tall and proud along with the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) and the KL Tower.

Realising how popular the tourist attraction by the Tasik Titiwangsa has become over the past year, the Tourism Minister plans to keep it there, with the help of City Hall.

“When we were planning to bring in the facility for Visit Malaysia Year 2007, I was told that the projected number of visitors was 300,000. However, by September, some one million people have visited the Eye on Malaysia.

“This shows visitors are attracted to it and it would be a good idea to have it as a permanent fixture for tourists. However, we will have to discuss with the City Hall as the site where the wheel stands belongs to the authority,” he said.

A new icon: The Eye of Malaysia at Tasik Titiwangsa, with the Petronas Twin Towers in the background. By September, some one million people had visited the tourist attraction that was launched in January last year.

Speaking to reporters yesterday after presenting cash to students who excelled in their UPSR and PMR examinations, Tengku Adnan said several other matters needed to be sorted out, including the dispersal of traffic and basic facilities such as parking and toilets.

“We will also have to look into the concerns voiced by people living nearby. Their complaints are mostly about the traffic so we have to find a way to solve this.

“Having the Eye on Malaysia permanently will be good for the tourism industry. We hope to work out something so that it remains here,” he said, adding that the attraction would be available until August.

On another matter, Tengku Adnan said his ministry had directed the organisers of Malaysia International Space Adventure (Misa) to include more interactive features to the exhibition, adding that discussions were also being held with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to invite Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor to share his experience with visitors.

He said the number of visitors to the exhibition had yet to reach 5,000 daily, due mainly to the location and transport problems.

Currently, Misa received about 1,200 visitors every day, he said, adding that not many people were interested in an exhibition that was educational in nature.

“We are tying up with tour operators to include Misa as part of their visit to Putrajaya. We have also distributed 10,000 tickets to residents to encourage students and youngsters to learn more about space,” he said.

Source: The Star

Eyeing a new KL icon

2008-01-02T11:36:00.000+08:00

Tuesday January 1, 2008
MYT 4:28:28 PM

By MAZWIN NIK ANIS

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor is hoping to make the Eye on Malaysia ferris wheel a permanent fixture here, where the icon will stand tall and proud alongside the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) and the KL Tower.

Realising how popular the tourist attraction by the Titiwangsa Lake has become over the past year, the Tourism Minister plans to keep it there, with the help of City Hall.

"When we were planning to bring in the facility for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007, I was told that the projected number of visitors was 300,000. However, by September, some one million people had visited the Eye on Malaysia.

"This shows visitors are attracted to it and it would be a good idea to have it as a permanent fixture for tourists. However, we will have to discuss this with City Hall as the site where the wheel is located belongs to the authority," he said.

Speaking to reporters after presenting cash to students who excelled in their UPSR (Ujian Pernilaian Sekolah Rendah) and PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah) examinations on Tuesday, Tengku Adnan said the ministry would manage the facility and would be holding discussions with City Hall on the matter.

He said apart from having City Hall agree to the site being used for Eye on Malaysia, several other matters needed to be sorted out, including the dispersal of traffic and basic facilities such as parking and toilets.

"We will also have to look into the concerns voiced by people residing nearby. Their complaints are mostly about the traffic so we have to find a way to solve this.

"Having the Eye on Malaysia permanently will be good for the tourism industry. We hope to work out something so that it remains here," he said, adding that in the meantime, the facility would be available until August.

Source: The Star

Joyous welcome for 2008

2008-01-02T02:00:00.000+08:00

Tuesday January 1, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians greeted 2008 with excitement and joy as tens of thousands of revellers turned up to usher in the New Year at massive countdown celebrations held at various venues all over the country.

Revellers partied until the wee hours of the morning both at public celebrations and private parties.

At Dataran Merdeka, thousands of revellers came to welcome 2008 with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah.

The AmBank Group’s Konsert Sinaran 2008 also saw artistes such as Mawi, Awie and Wings, and Mila entertaining revellers with upbeat music and dance moves.

Indian artiste Ravetti, Chinese artiste Ice and veteran singer Datuk M. Daud Kilau belted a few medleys.

At midnight, the crowd was treated to colourful display of fireworks that illuminated the historical Dataran Merdeka despite the drizzle.

In his speech, Abdullah called on Malaysians to strive for more successes in the New Year that could help propel the country to a more progressive nation.

“All of us should work and achieve more successes for 2008. I hope Malaysians will feel more peaceful this new year and have a chance to advance themselves.

Fireworks light up the sky over Kuala Lumpur where thousands of Malaysians had gathered to usher in the New Year with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife Datin Paduka Seri Jeanne Abdullah. Crowds gathered in party spots throughout the city and in many parts of the country to celebrate the birth of 2008.

“My hope is that all Malaysians will enjoy bigger successes this time,” he said, adding that Malaysians should be proud to live in a multi-racial society.

Foreign tourists showed up to join in the celebrations and among them were E. Annelies and Tanja Coomans from Holland.

“ We really enjoyed the show and think it is much better than the New Year celebrations at Times Square in New York!” Coomans said.

The KLCC New Year Countdown also made a comeback yesterday with a bang with a 10-minute fireworks display.

The revelry started at 9pm with a concert featuring artistes likes Francesca Peter, Ella, Ramli Sarip, Search, David Arumugam, Ning Baizura, Imran Ajmain and Karen Kong.

In PETALING JAYA, some 100,000 people partied at the Central Park Avenue at 1 Utama’s Countdown Street Party which started as early as 7pm.

The crowd was entertained with 11 back-to-back performances that saw Paul Wong from Hong Kong (from the rock band Beyond), Estranged, Karen Kong, Danny One, DiGi CelebriTeen, BBoyz OriGenZ Crew, DJ Terence, DJ Eugene, and DJ Fono.

The fireworks lit the sky for a good 10 minutes at midnight.

In PENANG, some 10,000 people “rocked” into the New Year with a hip and happening countdown party at the Esplanade.

In GENTING HIGHLANDS, thousands of revellers were treated to a 15-minute firework display.

In JOHOR BARU, thousands gathered at Danga Bay beach in for the New Year’s Eve party. Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman joined the crowd to usher in 2008.

The revellers were treated to performances by artistes such as Dayang Nurfaizah, William Tan Wei Lian, Chew Shin Huey and Vince.

In IPOH, some 50,000 people congregated at Dataran Ipoh to celebrate the New Year with colourful fireworks display.

Source: The Star

Tahun Baru 2008 disambut sederhana

2008-01-02T01:53:00.000+08:00

Oleh S.ANAND KUMAR dan RAJA SYAHRIR ABU BAKAR

KUALA LUMPUR 31 Dis. – Kedatangan Tahun Baru 2008 diraikan tanpa acara gilang-gemilang di seluruh negara bagi menghormati kesengsaraan yang dialami mangsa-mangsa banjir di beberapa buah negeri, baru-baru ini.

Selain pembatalan konsert berbentuk hiburan di sesetengah negeri, percikan bunga api juga tidak menghiasi udara sebaliknya digantikan dengan majlis kesyukuran.

Sambutan sederhana di ibu negara bermula dengan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bersama isteri, Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah serta 20,000 orang menghadiri Konsert Sinaran di Dataran Merdeka di sini.

Majlis yang bermula kira-kira pukul 8 malam itu turut dimeriahkan dengan persembahan oleh beberapa artis tempatan.

Acara pertunjukan bunga api juga diadakan di Menara Berkembar Petronas.

DI PUTRAJAYA, orang ramai yang melawat sekitar tapak Karnival GEGAR, Jelajah Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2007 dihiburkan dengan persembahan konsert Gegar sambil menanti kedatangan detik 12 tengah malam.

DI SHAH ALAM pula hampir 5,000 orang hadir di Dataran Shah Alam untuk bersama-sama menyambut tahun baru 2008.

DI KUANTAN, kira-kira 5,000 orang berkumpul di Jeti Shah Bandar (Taman Esplanade) bersama-sama Menteri Besar Pahang, Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob bagi menyambut tahun baru yang berlangsung tanpa konsert dan pertunjukan bunga api.

DI JOHOR BAHRU, sambutan diadakan secara sederhana di pusat pelancongan Danga Bay.

DI KUCHING, lebih 10,000 orang berkumpul bagi meraikan tahun baru yang turut diserikan dengan pertunjukan bunga api di Dataran Esplanade Bintulu.

DI KOTA KINABALU, sambutan Tahun Baru diadakan secara sederhana dengan kira-kira 500 pengunjung memeriahkan acara tersebut di Kompleks Star City.

DI KOTA BHARU, kerajaan negeri Kelantan pula tidak mengadakan sebarang sambutan.

Source: Utusan Malaysia

Association:Offer new air route

2007-11-23T18:27:00.000+08:00

Friday November 23, 2007

A LANGKAWI-ALOR STAR air route should be introduced to give visitors a better transportation option in view of Visit Kedah Year next year, according to Matta's Kedah chapter.

Its vice chairman A. Gunasagaran said AirAsia or Firefly could service the untapped air route.

“I hope the authorities will look into this option,” he said in response to a recent announcement that the return ferry fare would be increased by RM10 (for Langkawi-Kuala Kedah route) and RM6 (for Langkawi-Kuala Perlis route) effective Dec 1.

The return ticket will cost RM46 for Kuala Kedah-Langkawi route (from RM36 currently) and RM36 for Kuala Perlis-Langkawi route (from RM30).

Gunasagaran said AirAsia and Firefly could offer cheaper fares during promotions.

“If we have other transport options between the island and mainland, it will break the ferry operators’ monopoly,” he said.

Gunasagaran said tourism players were disappointed with the increase in ferry fare, as it would adversely affect domestic tourist arrivals in the long run.

He said it would be better for the Kedah or Perlis government to run the ferry services.

Source: The Star

AirAsia Keen To Operate From Subang Airport

2007-11-23T05:09:00.000+08:00

November 22, 2007 19:18 PM

SEPANG, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- AirAsia Bhd is keen to operate from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at Subang, a move that it says will enhance business and make the airport more competitive regionally.

AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes said today the company will do the necessary to help develop Subang airport.

It will be a good idea for the government to allow AirAsia to operate from Subang Airport, he told reporters after the company's annual general meeting here.

AirAsia had, among others, suggested that it too be allowed to operate from Subang just like community airline FireFly, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

Yesterday, Air Asia X chairman Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan was reported as saying that Malaysia needs a larger low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) soon to accommodate the increasing passenger volume if it wants to become the regional hub for low-cost travel.

Fernandes said the Subang airport operations, apart from attracting more foreign investors to locate their businesses in Malaysia due to easier access to the Federal Capital, will also make it easier for foreigners to come here for medical, education and tourism reasons.

"Let's make Kuala Lumpur a relevant hub. If we are good and become a strong aviation player, there are so many aspects we can cater for, especially in the medical, tourism and education industries," he added.

"It is a fantastic cause-and-effect business. If we have our own airport close to town, it will attract more foreign investors and more visitors to Malaysia."

Fernandes also said that if AirAsia is allowed to operate from Subang Airport, the LCCT at Sepang can be converted into a cargo terminal.

Source: BERNAMA

Malaysia's Tourism Revenue Expected To Hit RM44.5 Billion This Year

2007-11-23T05:04:00.000+08:00

November 22, 2007 17:40 PM

Minister of Tourism Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (centre) at a press conference to announce the month-long sale which will be launched on Dec 1. Pix: Syed Muhammad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- The tourist ringgit is expected to ring Malaysia's coffers to the tune of RM44.5 billion this year.

The figure, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, was based on the targeted 20.1 million tourist arrivals in the country.

He said it constituted an increase of RM8.3 billion compared with last year when the tourism revenue totalled RM36.2 billion.

"I'm confident of the total tourism revenue target, based on what tourists spent on shopping alone for the first six months of the year.

"Between January and June, tourists spent RM6.8 billion in tourist ringgit compared with RM3.6 billion for the same period last year, indicating an 86.3 per cent increase.

"I hope the Malaysia Year End Sale 2007 (M-YES) will help promote the country as a shopping haven," he told a news conference today to announce the month-long sale which will be launched on Dec 1.

The highlights of the sale include "It's a Girl Thing Shopping Fair" and a "Journey Through Time" watch and jewellery exhibition.

Tengku Adnan said: "We are looking at the various shopping trends of tourists to boost the sale.

"For example, tourists from India buy lots of electronic items while those from other countries spend on jewellery."

Singling out The Gardens and Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the two newest shopping malls in the city, he said they could enhance a unique shopping experience for tourists.

He also said that a "Best Decorated Mall" contest with the theme "Christmas Magic" would be held on Dec 5-26 to encourage participating malls in the Klang Valley to create the best possible festive shopping ambience.

"We hope the shopping malls will put on a good show to lure more customers as we are working with the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to encourage funding for window dressing, among others," he added.

On extending the "late night sales" past midnight for selected malls nationwide during the M-YES event, Tengku Adnan said it would depend on the response of shoppers.

Source: BERNAMA

Debate over Kelantan tourism promotion

2007-11-23T04:53:00.000+08:00

Thursday November 22, 2007

TOURISM promotion was the focal point of yesterday's debate, with questions raised over whether efforts to lure tourists to Kelantan had been fruitful.

State Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Anuar Tan Abdullah (PAS-Kota Lama) accused state tourism action council chairman Ab Aziz Derashid (BN-Kuala Balah) of looking down on the state by making remarks to the media that insulted the committee.

Aziz, he added, told the media that he (Anuar) had carried out tourism promotion in a poor country like Morocco which was not true.

“The promotion was carried out in Dubai (UAE) and United Kingdom,” Anuar told the House.

He added that the state government had taken steps to double activities to attract more tourists to visit Kelantan.

Such activities were carried out through the tourism information centre (TIC) in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2007.

The committee also allocated funds to enhance cultural shows at Gelanggang Seni and organise events that involved other countries such as kite-flying and cock fighting competitions.

He said tourist arrivals had increased and as of August this year, a total 4.2 million people visited the state, including 1.2 million foreign tourists. For the entire 2006, there were 3.146 million tourists.

Earlier, Aziz hit out at Anuar, claiming he was not well-trained in tourism and advised him to heed advice and constructive criticism from others.

Aziz said the tourism action council was targeting 5.1 million visitors next year, adding that Kelantan had the potential to do better than Malacca if the state got her act together.

Source: The Star

Group to improve tourism products

2007-11-23T04:40:00.000+08:00

A TOURISM product audit sub-committee has been formed to improve and upgrade existing tourism products.

State Tourism Development and Environment committee chairman Teng Chang Yeow said the sub-committee members were tasked to do research and formulate strategies.

“The aim is to identify areas with potential that could be further developed or upgraded.

“Focus will be on district level products on the island as well as the mainland,” he said.

Teng said this to a written question submitted by Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah (BN-Seberang Jaya) on measures taken to improve tourism products.

Among the researchers is Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer Prof Dr Amran Hamzah.

Appointed by Tourism Malaysia, Dr Amran’s role is to study tourism products on the island and Seberang Prai.

Teng said Universiti Sains Malaysia was engaged to study bumiputra participation in the tourism sector.

“We will also utilise the Socio-Economic & Environmental Research Institute (SERI) to collect data on tourist arrivals,” he said.

Based on the findings, the state could implement more effective strategies to make Penang a premier tourist destination, he added.

Source: The Star

AirAsia not raising its fuel surcharge

2007-11-23T04:36:00.000+08:00

SEPANG: AirAsia will not raise its fuel surcharge despite the rise in world crude oil prices, which topped US$99 (RM333) a barrel yesterday.

“No, not at the moment. One must build a sustainable business, at whatever the cost of oil is,” AirAsia Bhd founder and group chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes told reporters at the AirAsia Academy here yesterday after two signing ceremonies.

He added that heavier planes required more fuel, “but it’s not fair to put a fuel surcharge on someone who’s not carrying a bag, as opposed to someone who’s carrying six bags.”

“We like to investigate different ways of doing different things,” he said.

Earlier, AirAsia signed an agreement with Aviation Australia to have its existing technicians trained in aircraft maintenance, fulfilling the requirements by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

AirAsia X, the group's long-haul budget carrier, also signed a five-year agreement with Tourism Queensland to promote Gold Coast, Australia.

AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani said that currently there were four flights a week to Gold Coast. Its first flight there was on Nov 2.

“We plan to increase it to a flight a day, as more aircraft become available,” Azran said.

Also present at the event was Australian Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle, Tourism Queensland chairman Don Morris, and Aviation Australia chief executive officer Paul Bredereck.

Source: The Star

PNB Ready To Help Sabah With Homestay Tourism Product

2007-11-22T18:23:00.000+08:00

Thursday 22 November 2007

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Perbadanan Nasional Bhd (PNB) is ready to help Sabah Economic Development Corporation (Sedco) establish a homestay tourism product as a franchise business in the state.

Chairman of PNB Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said homestay programme had the potential of becoming a franchise business considering Sabah's powerful and attractive tourism pull.

"Homestay is a good programme and we are ready to work with Secdo to develop it as a franchise business."

Under the concept of a homestay programme, tourists get to stay and enjoy their visits in traditional homes and among people who have opened up their homes to the tourists.

"If tourists are given the assurance that a homestay has quality especially in terms of hygiene, convenient accommodation and food, I feel that the concept can be developed and we can work with Sedco to make it a success," Shahrir told reporters after the launch of a seminar here today on the franchise business by Sabah's Minister of Industry Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin.

He said PNB was also ready to help Sabah government market its herbal products through franchising via its newly introduced "Forest Secret" outlets.

"We will repack the herbal products found in Sabah before marketing them through our Forest Secret outlets," he said.

Source: BERNAMA

VKY targets foreign tourists

2007-11-22T04:43:00.000+08:00

Wednesday 21 November

At the Kedah State Assembly

SEVERAL tourism promotion programmes have been carried out in foreign countries to attract tourists for Visit Kedah Year (VKY) 2008.

State Tourism, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Datuk Othman Aziz told the House that the state had allocated RM3mil for the promotional activities.

He said 18 tourism projects, costing RM69.8mil, were listed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, of which only one at Sungai Merbok had taken off while the others were now open for tenders.
Replying Datuk Abdul Razak Hashim (BN – Guar Chempedak), he said the state had also allocated RM13mil to renovate facilities at Gunung Jerai.

He said construction work at the resort atop Gunung Jerai had started since March.

“All activities at the resort area on the mountain have been postponed until April next year when the construction work is expected to be completed,” he said.

Othman said there were more than 8,700 hotel rooms available to accommodate tourists next year, of which 7,500 were in Langkawi and 1,200 in Alor Star and Sungai Petani.

He said that the state Economic Planning Unit had also sorted out homestay facilities in Kedah to woo tourists.

Othman also said the two resorts at Pedu Lake, which were closed due to financial problems last year, would re-open early next year.

Source: The Star

Malaysia Tourism News Tourism Malaysia

MAS, AirAsia flights unaffected by Iceland ash cloud

3,000 hotel rooms going for free today

Wednesday May 26, 2010

AirAsia launches Kuala Lumpur - Bangalore Flights

AirAsia launches 1 Million Free Seats Promotion

AirAsia offers a million free tickets

Tuesday May 18, 2010

Tycoon to build 400-room hotel in the heart of Miri

Thursday April 22, 2010

By STEPHEN THENstephenthen@thestar.com.my

AirAsia prefers a low-cost terminal in Labu

Wednesday December 24, 2008

Tourism Malaysia Office In Singapore To Get New Director

KK-Singapore Flights Set To Boost Sabah MICE Sector

Idris Jala Named Orient Aviation Person 2008

AirAsia Aims To Secure 10 New Routes In India

MAS Adopts SITA Reservations System As Turnaround Enters New Phase

Sabah May Host Monsoon Cup Next Year - Azalina

New MAS Services Proposed To Promote Health-Tourism

AirAsia X Weighing Options For Europe

Azalina: Some tourism offices abroad to close

Thai unrest: AirAsia, MAS stop flights to Bangkok

Malaysians stuck in Thailand

MAS and AirAsia cancel flights to and from Bangkok

It’s RM499 to fly to London on AirAsia X (updated)

Published: Tuesday November 25, 2008 MYT 7:04:00 PMUpdated: Tuesday November 25, 2008 MYT 9:54:48 PM

By CHOI TUCK WO

Airasia X's London Stansted-KL Service Takes Off On Mar 11, 2009

No route cuts for MAS

Monday November 24, 2008

By B.K. SIDHU

AirAsia X gears up for London launch

A million visitors from China

Malaysia tops leisure travel list

Tony Says "No" To AirAsia Being A Full-fledged Cargo Operator

AirAsia May Fly To Uzbekistan, Says Abdullah

Firefly stopover service a big hit

Friday November 14, 2008

By CHOI TUCK WO

Airasia X Sees Profitable Year Ahead

Nortel Solution To Support MAS Five-star Value Carrier Vision

MAS All Inclusive Low Fares Goes Global Sale Begins Thursday

Tourism Malaysia Melbourne Concludes Roadshows In Victoria, Tasmania

AirAsia Abolishes Fuel Surcharge

AirAsia scraps fuel surcharge

No fuel surcharge and 500,000 free seats: AirAsia

Published: Tuesday November 11, 2008 MYT 4:37:00 PMUpdated: Tuesday November 11, 2008 MYT 8:46:18 PM

No Fuel Surcharge, Thai AirAsia Hopes To Carry More Passengers

Insufficient KL-London Flights By MAS Will Be Raised In Cabinet, Says Azalina

MAS To Further Reduce Fuel Surcharge

The Man Who Dares To Dream

Malaysia Targets 300,000 Tourists From UK

Cheap, Quality Goods At Tawau's 'Pasar Rombengan'

MAS/Boeing Offering Holiday Packages To Nine Lucky Winners At Global Online Sales

UK welcomes Malaysians

Call home from MAS flights

Wednesday November 5, 2008

Fly direct to Koh Samui from KL

AirAsia-X’s new Airbus from Perth hits a glitch

Tuesday November 4, 2008

By ROYCE CHEAH

Betting on Singapore visitors

Free ride on Eye on Malaysia ferris wheel in Malacca

Airasia X Plans Destinations In Europe And India For Airbus A330

1.1 Million Thais Visited Malaysia In First Nine Months Of The Year

Airasia X Flying From Kota Kinabalu?

Malaysia Gets Nod For More Landing Rights To France

MAS To Offer New Indian Cuisine Inflight Effective Nov 1

Hari Raya open house on Saturday

Thursday October 23, 2008

Asia's top 10 budget airlines

Airasia Confident Of Robust Growth Despite Global Crisis

AirAsia Among The Top 5 Most Recognised & Admired Airlines

Asia Upbeat Tourism Industry Will Grow Despite Economic Slowdown

AirAsia X Set To Take Delivery Of New Airbus A330

AirAsia Looking At Possibility Of Fuel Surcharge Cut

Better Chance For MAS To Meet 2008 Forecast Earning Due To Lower Oil Prices

Tanzania Airport Hopes To Attract Malaysia Airlines

Speculation Of Crude Oil Prices To Slide With Financial Slowdown

By STEPHEN THEN
stephenthen@thestar.com.my

Published: Tuesday November 25, 2008 MYT 7:04:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday November 25, 2008 MYT 9:54:48 PM

Published: Tuesday November 11, 2008 MYT 4:37:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday November 11, 2008 MYT 8:46:18 PM