MAHB Courted for Management Deals

By Hamisah Hamid

MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which operates four airports overseas, has been approached by several parties to jointly manage international airports in Europe and the Middle East.

Managing director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad said MAHB was chosen due to the quality of the airports it manages and their size. He declined to name the companies.

He said although MAHB’s priority is the 39 airports it manages in Malaysia, the ongoing privatisation of airports worldwide presents an opportunity for the company to move out and venture in airports management abroad.

“We should take this opportunity as we are in demand and we are being approached by many people to manage their airports.

“We handle the request on a case by case basis… we are prudent and dilligent in the choice that we make,” he told Malaysian media in Hyderabad, India, on Friday.

Bashir was there for the official launch of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, in which MAHB has an 11 per cent stake.

He said when considering each proposal, MAHB looks into the strength of local partner, the potential of the airport and the airport itself such as the country the airport is located, the contract, value of the concession and concession conditions.

He said the company is also looking at opportunities for airport management in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Middle East.

“Right now, we are comfortable with four or five airports. Going beyond, we will study that,” he said.

Bashir also said that MAHB is confident of maintaining profitability this year although the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2007 campaign will come to an end on August 31.

He said even if VMY campaign ends, the momentum has been set (from the campaign) and MAHB is expected to gain from it.

“We are quite confident we can continue the growth. It may not be the same growth… it can be up and down but it will be an upward trend,” he said.

Bashir said that to diversify MAHB’s sources of revenue, the company plans to enhance its non-aeronautical operations such as retail and development of the landbank around the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang.

He said MAHB plans to utilise 10 per cent of its landbank – about 800ha – for oil palm plantation to take advantage of the current high prices of crude palm oil.

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