MAS Offers Special Fares And Holiday Packages At MATTA Travel Fair

March 14, 2012 20:50 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines System Bhd (MAS) is offering attractive domestic and international travel airfares, MASholidays packages and travel-related products at the MATTA Travel Fair from March 16-18, 2012.

In a statement Wednesday, MAS said all-inclusive discounted airfares for economy and business class would be available through its appointed agents participating in the fair while MASholidays would offer domestic and international holiday package promotional fares.

"Business class travellers can enjoy all-inclusive return air fares from RM1,899 to Phnom Penh, Manila and Hanoi, RM3,699 to both Beijing and Hong Kong, RM4,899 to Seoul and Male and RM10,015 to Los Angeles.

"Similar fares to London start from RM20,999 and passengers will enjoy the travel comfort of the Airbus A380-800 on selected days starting from July 2012," it said.

MAS said its unit, Firefly, would also offer great deals to destinations like Koh Samui, Langkawi, Terengganu, Kota Bahru, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. MAS said those interested and not be able to make it to the PWTC to grab these deals could get them via its website at www.malaysiaairlines.com, call centre at 1-300-88-3000 and ticket offices nationwide.

-- BERNAMA

Firefly To Launch Kota Baharu-Johor Baharu, Subang-Hat Yai Flights

March 15, 2012 19:16 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Community airline, Firefly, is introducing two new routes -- Kota Baharu-Johor Baharu (JB), from Apr 26 and Subang-Hat Yai, from May 2.

In a statement Thursday, Firefly said the Kota Baharu-JB service will have flights every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and Subang-Hat Yai every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Shorthaul Malaysia Airlines and Firefly chief operating officer, Ignatius Ong, said the new flights were to meet the needs of business and leisure customers from Kota Baharu who had requested for direct flights with convenient timings to Johor.

Ong said the load factor on the Subang-Hat Yai route will comprise Malaysians as well as foreign tourists.

Ticket sales to these new destinations will commence on March 16 and can be purchased from website www.fireflyz.com.my, Firefly's airport and city ticketing offices and through travel agents.

-- BERNAMA

Opportunities For MAS, AirAsia To Collaborate

March 15, 2012 21:28 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- There are still opportunities for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia to collaborate in areas that can benefit both, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

"They should find areas where they can work together. There are areas where they have to compete and that is very important," he told reporters after the Investment Committee Meeting here Thursday.

He said the Competition Act, which came into force in late January, would be the guideline for both airlines.

"It is very important that both comply (with the law). They are doing everything they can and are clearly aware of it," he said.

-- BERNAMA

MAS Frankfurt Keen To Promote Destination Malaysia

March 18, 2012 20:25 PM

MAS Frankfurt Keen To Promote Destination Malaysia

By Manik Mehta
FRANKFURT, March 18 (Bernama) -- Despite having limited connectivity between Germany and Malaysia -- it has five non-stop flights a week from Frankfurt to Kuala Lumpur -- the Frankfurt office of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is very keen to promote destination Malaysia.

"Indeed, we want to do more for destination Malaysia. We have offered to closely work with Tourism Malaysia in the same way as it is doing with Singapore Airline," explained David Raj, Frankfurt-based MAS area manager for Germany, Switzerland and Croatia, in an interview with Bernama in his office.

Tourism Malaysia, which says it needs more connections to Malaysia to keep pace with the demand, has forged close cooperation with Singapore Airline, working out "special offers" for tourists visiting Malaysia and also entering into what is described as a "tactical campaign" with that airline.

MAS has also been involved in other forms of cooperation with Tourism Malaysia to promote Malaysia.

MAS provides air tickets for familiarisation tours organised by Tourism Malaysia for the travel and tour industry and the media.

But Raj, who has built up a large base of business contacts in Germany, said that MAS did not mind Tourism Malaysia working with other airlines "as long as they promote Malaysia".

Raj highlighted the corporate sector's importance for MAS' traffic to Malaysia, and said that the "business segment of travellers generate high yields" for the airline.

There were also, of course, leisure travellers who take MAS' business class.

Raj did not rule MAS increasing at some point in the future the current five flights a week from Frankfurt to Kuala Lumpur to a daily flight "subject to availability of aircraft".

MAS deploys the B-777-200 aircraft type for the Frankfurt-Kuala Lumpur sector.

MAS works on a "hub-and-spokes" network basis. It has "spokes" in Amsterdam, Stockholm, Zaghreb and Zurich.

The bulk of MAS' business, estimated at 90 per cent, was provided by travel agents, underlining the airline's close association with the travel and tour operators. The new buzzword is direct retailing.

This could be done by opening up direct channels of bookings through the Internet which currently accounts for five per cent.

"We are working on that and will introduce a German online service. We have noticed that MAS' sales in France, for example, posted three-digit growth after a French service was launched.

"Our German online service will be launched in the third quarter of this year," Raj disclosed.

--BERNAMA  

MAS Set To Join Oneworld Alliance By Year-end

March 21, 2012 19:35 PM

Malaysia Airlines Cabin Crew and oneworld. Pic: Courtesy of Malaysia Airlines KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama)-- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is well poised to become a full member of the oneworld alliance by end of this year.

In a statement Wednesday, MAS group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said: "After airberlin, Malaysia's national carrier will become a full member of oneworld alliance.

"The prospect of being able to offer improved global coverage and connectivity through an expanded network of great airlines to Malaysia Airlines' guests is indeed very exciting," he said.

"Our customers, in particular members of our enrich loyalty programme, will benefit from increased rewards and recognition whilst enjoying more seamless air travel options," he added.

MAS is looking forward to a full membership that will improve its brand awareness amongst the alliance members' customers and enhance its load factors through additional partner traffic, Ahmad Jauhari said.

These in turn would drive the hub connectivity to facilitate the national carrier's global reach through oneworld's network of some 800 destinations in 150 countries.

"This membership will be among the significant catalysts that will complement our efforts to win back customers and become a profitable preferred premium carrier as outlined in our Business Plan," he added.

Oneworld aims to be the airline alliance of choice for the world's frequent international travellers, bringing together some of the best and biggest names in the airline industry including airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines.

--BERNAMA  

MAS Launches The Big Flight Competition

March 23, 2012 19:04 PM

Malaysia Airlines' A380 'The Big Flight' competition. Pic: Courtesy of Malaysia AirlinesKUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines today launched 'The Big Flight' competition at its official YouTube brand channel which will see the winners earning a joyride on the airline's A380 plane.

In a statement, MAS said those interested in the competition need to submit a short video by April 22, stating why they are unique and deserve to fly on the Malaysia Airlines A380 Joyride.

Participants must be Malaysian, aged 18-years and above with a valid passport. Twenty shortlisted videos will be chosen based on creativity, originality and overall impression.

The shortlisted videos will then be put up on YouTube for voting by the public, and the top eight most voted videos will win the joyride tickets.

Its Marketing and Promotions Senior Vice President, Al-Ishsal Ishak said the competition was part of the airline's "A380 Pride of Nation" campaign, launched earlier this month.

Details on the competition and video submissions can be found at http://www.youtube.com/MalaysiaAirlines.

Malaysia Airlines is expected to receive the first of six A380 aircraft in mid-June this year.

The aircraft will have 494 seats in a three-class configuration comprising eight First Class, 66 Business Class seats and 420 Economy Class seats.

The A-380 will fly the Kuala Lumpur-London route from July. -- BERNAMA

Malaysia Airlines Increases Regional And Long-Haul Network Frequencies

March 24, 2012 17:28 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines is offering increased full-service weekly frequencies effective tomorrow between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing, Manila, Phnom Penh, Los Angeles, Taipei, Bangkok, Medan and Jakarta, taking advantage of an expected rise in demand on these routes.

These sectors will see a gradual increase in total capacity from the current 19,540 seats to 24,820 by May 1, the airline said in a statement here today.

The company said these routes would mainly use B737-800 and B777-200 aircraft, all equipped with in-seat personal TV screens and more leg room for customers' comfort.

The additional frequencies also seek to offer travel enthusiasts from Malaysia more convenient connections to enjoy events like the Penghu Fireworks Festival in Taiwan, Beijing International Book Fair and Cocoa de Flores in Manila.

The company said travellers can now take advantage of the 50 per cent increased frequency of 21 weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur and Manila at all-inclusive return economy class fares starting from RM1,357.

For travel to Phnom Penh, customers can enjoy return economy class fares from only RM814 and more flight choices with the 55 per cent frequency increase to 14 weekly services by May 1.

For Indonesia, passengers will have more flight choices with all-inclusive return economy class fares from RM647 to Jakarta and RM477 to Medan as Malaysia Airlines increases weekly frequencies to 42 flights for the Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta route effective tomorrow and double daily for the Kuala Lumpur-Medan route.

As for travel to Bangkok, all-inclusive return fares start from RM883 as the national carrier commences four daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, also effective tomorrow.

Other attractive deals are available on Malaysia Airlines' website www.malaysiaairlines.com, Malaysia Airlines Call Centre at its 24-hour toll-free number 1-300-88-3000, and all its ticket offices in Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia Airlines & Bangkok Airways Begin Code Sharing

March 27, 2012 15:38 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Bangkok Airways have commenced a code-sharing agreement on the Thai carrier's selected domestic flights and international routes between Thailand and Malaysia.

The arrangement, effective March 25, also covers MAS services between Malaysia and Thailand.

It will allow the national carrier to set its MH marketing flight code on Bangkok Airways' services for Bangkok-Koh Samui (31 times weekly flights), Bangkok-Phuket (14 times weekly flights), Bangkok-Chiang Mai (14 times weekly flights), Koh Samui-Phuket (14 times weekly flights) and Koh Samui-Kuala Lumpur (daily flight).

"Bangkok Airways will code share on Malaysia Airlines' Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok (27 times weekly) and Kuala Lumpur-Phuket (14 times weekly) services," MAS said in a statement today.

The latest Bangkok Airways' service for Kuala Lumpur-Koh Samui allows Malaysians and international passengers to fly direct into the island from KL International Airport (KLIA) without having to stop over in Bangkok.

The KLIA-Koh Samui-KLIA service is the Thai airway's third international route into Samui island after Singapore and Hong Kong.

Senior Vice President (International Affairs) MAS, Germal Singh said the national carrier was delighted with the cooperation with Bangkok Airways which was growing fast in Thailand's premier domestic and regional airline market.

"With Malaysia Airlines' current 27 weekly services between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok and twice daily services between Kuala Lumpur and Phuket, the code share with Bangkok Airways fits nicely into the needs of our travellers.

"They now have better travel options to get to Chiangmai via Bangkok, or on circuit trips like KLIA-Phuket-Koh Samui-Bangkok-KLIA.

"The code share with Bangkok Airways also allows us to improve our Thailand product by offering seamless connectivity to these sought-after destinations whilst strengthening KLIA's position as a key gateway for travellers."

-- BERNAMA

MAS, AirAsia flights unaffected by Iceland ash cloud

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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