AirAsia Wins Best Asian Low-cost Carrier Award

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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