CATHAY PACIFIC AND MALAYSIA AIRLINES SIGN CODESHARE AGREEMENT

Cathay Pacific Airways and Malaysia Airlines today signed a codeshare agreement covering their flights between Hong Kong and Malaysia. The agreement includes the two airlines' routes between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, and between Hong Kong and Penang. The codeshare agreement will come into effect on 2 September this year. The codeshare is still pending final government approval.

Under the agreement, Cathay Pacific will put its designator code on the 9 Malaysia Airlines flights each week between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, including the 2 flights which stopover in Penang. Malaysia Airlines will place its code on the 17 Cathay Pacific flights a week between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, including the 7 flights which continue on to Penang.

The agreement will mean passengers of both Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines will have a wider choice of 26 frequencies a week between Malaysia and Hong Kong, and a correspondingly wider choice of departure times.

With the new codeshare in operation, Cathay Pacific also plans to increase its frequency from 17 flights to 21 flights each week between Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur in December 2000. Malaysia Airlines will also increase frequency from 9 flights to 10 flights a week between Hong Kong and Malaysia later this year.

Cathay Pacific Director and Chief Operating Officer Philip Chen said: "We are very pleased to be able to enter into this new codeshare agreement with Malaysia Airlines. We will now be able to offer passengers a much better selection of flight times, so they can fly exactly when they wish."

Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines have been partners in a number of ventures over recent years. The airlines recently announced their joint involvement in a new online travel exchange with seven other Asian airlines. The new venture will start in the fourth quarter of this year. The two are also partners in the computer reservations company Abacus, and were former partners in the Passages frequent flyer programme.