Malaysia Gains From Asia-Pacific's Air Passenger Growth

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

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

2008/09/30

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

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