Malaysia Airlines Signs Charter Services Agreements

Malaysia Airlines has signed two agreements to operate scheduled charter flights from Malaysia to Indonesia and China.

Through the first agreement concluded with an established local tour operator, Yangtze Cruise & Tours Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Airlines will operate charter flights between Malaysia and China for two seasons.

The first season charter involves operating nine flights using a 386-seater B747-400 aircraft and one flight using a 294-seater Airbus A330-300 aircraft commencing September 2002 till November 2002. This charter service departing KLIA, covers the cities of Urumuqi, Chengzhou, Xian, Chengdu and Kunming in China.

The second season charter commencing February 2003 involves 6 flights using a 386-seater B747-400 aircraft and two flights using a 294-seater Airbus A330-300 aircraft departing KLIA, covering the Chinese cities of Tianjin, Chengdu and Kunming.

In another agreement concluded with Nusantara Charter (M) Sdn Bhd, a consortium of eight Bumiputra travel agents, Malaysia Airlines will operate three flights from KLIA to Padang, Indonesia in October 2002 using a 144-seater Boeing 737-400 aircraft. Another sixteen Boeing 737-400 flights will be operated after Hari Raya Puasa this year.

In addition to charter services to Padang, Malaysia Airlines will work with the consortium on the feasibility of operating similar charter services to Chiangmai and Koh Samui in Thailand.

At the ceremony officiated by YB Dato' Chan Kong Choy, the Deputy Minister of Finance Malaysia, Encik Ahmad Fuaad Dahlan, Senior General Manager (Sales, Distribution and Network) signed the agreements on behalf Malaysia Airlines whilst Y Bhg Tan Sri Sabaruddin Chik and Tuan Haji Mohd Ayub Hassan, Chairmen of Yangtze Cruise & Tour Sdn Bhd and Nusantara Charter (M) Sdn Bhd respectively, signed on behalf of their organisations.

Malaysia Airlines, recognising the vast business potential in the passenger air charter business, has developed a comprehensive product catering to both scheduled and ad-hoc charter needs of customers around the Asia Pacific region where the market is estimated to be in the region of RM 250 million. The product is now offered to various charter market segments ranging from ad-hoc passenger, government charters, emergency evacuations to charters for Heads of states and Royalties.

With the recently announced organisational restructuring, Malaysia Airlines has intensified efforts to increase its market share in this lucrative charter business to add to its annual revenue growth.