KLIA Woos More Airlines

MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) aims to reel in more airlines from

Europe and Australia into the KL International Airport’s (KLIA) to

achieve the objective of it becoming a regional hub.

Managing director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad said such a move would

significantly expand KLIA’s current route network and subsequently

enhance its position as an airline hub.

He said the 50 airlines currently operating in the airport are mostly

concentrating on the Asian and West Asian routes.

“For areas such as West Asia, Far East, Association of South- East Asian

Nations (Asean), India and China, I think we are quite well- covered.

“We believe once we can get more airlines from Europe, and at least one

from Australia, our network will then be completed,” he told a news

conference after signing a memorandum of understanding with Routes, the

organiser for World Route Development Forum 2008, in Kuala Lumpur

yesterday.

In line with this, Bashir said MAHB plans to bring back major airlines

that have stopped flying to Malaysia, namely British Airways and Qantas.

He said MAHB has already approached both airlines and discussions on

the matter are still ongoing.

“We have been talking to them and they have given serious thoughts to

it. However, since it involves major decision, it may take sometime

before the airlines concerned are able to give a definite answer on the

matter,” he added.

KLIA recorded a 12 per cent increase in passenger traffic to 11.07

million in the first six months this year, compared with 9.88 million for

the corresponding period in 2004.

International passengers made up most of the increase, rising by 17.4

per cent to 7.06 million, from 6.01 million a year ago while the number

of people using domestic services was up 3.6 per cent to 4.01 million.

KLIA, to date, has received five new airlines and is expecting one or

two more by end of the year.

Meanwhile, MAHB edged three other mega rivals, including Singapore,

Bangkok and Beijing Airports, in winning the bid to host the World Route

Development Forum 2008, the world’s leading airport-airlines networking

event.

Malaysia would be the first country in Asia to host the event, which is

traditionally held annually in Europe.

Copenhagen, Denmark, is hosting the event this year, followed by Dubai

in 2006, and Stockholm, Sweden, in 2007.

To be held from September 25 to 27, the forum in Denmark is expected to

attract 500 airports, 300 airlines and 1,600 participants from around the

world.

Bashir said the event in 2008 is expected to receive more than 2,000

participants.

He said the Routes Forum 2008 serves as an ideal platform to fast- track

its marketing efforts to attract more new airlines to offer their

services to KLIA.

MAHB’s other partners for the hosting of the event are Tourism

Ministry, Express Rail Link, Malaysia Airlines, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala

Lumpur and Convex Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the operator of Kuala Lumpur

Convention Centre.