Ansett Australia to fly to KL soon<\/p>\n
SYDNEY (AFP): Ansett Australia will launch services to Kuala
\nLumpur three months ahead of its planned entry to the southeast
\nAsian market under a new agreement signed with Malaysian
\nAirlines, airline officials said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The code-sharing (or seat-sharing) deal, which is still
\nsubject to formal government approval, will allow Australia's
\nfledgling international carrier to offer 800 seats a week on MAS
\nservices from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and Melbourne from August 1.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian carrier has similar code-sharing rights on
\nAnsett's domestic operations in Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Ansett announced last month a planned expansion of its Asian
\nnetwork with flights to Taiwan and Malaysia from November, but
\nthe code-sharing arrangement allows early low-cost entry to the
\nhighly competitive South-East Asia market.<\/p>\n
Apart from flights to the Indonesian resort island of Bali as
\nan extension of its domestic services, Ansett already operates
\nfive services a week to Osaka in Japan and Hong Kong which it
\nhopes to extend to a daily service.<\/p>\n
According to plans filed with the International Air Services
\nCommission in Canberra, it has not made a final decision
\nregarding planned operations to Singapore, foreshadowed last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
A copy of the plans released yesterday said Ansett believed
\ncode-sharing would be \"in the greater public interest in that it
\nwould enhance the range of services available inbound and
\noutbound.\"<\/p>\n
Partnership<\/p>\n
It would also \"foster the development of tourism through the
\npartner airline,\" the document said.<\/p>\n
\"Ansett will price and sell its capacity on the route
\nindependently of MAS, and will ensure that all passengers will be
\ninformed at the time of ticket reservation that the flights are
\noperated by Ansett as joint services.\"<\/p>\n
Plans by Air New Zealand to acquire a half share of Ansett
\nworth A$550 million (US$396 million) are meantime reported to
\nhave been stalled by Australian government reluctance to give
\npolicy undertakings which could damage the upcoming Qantas share-
\nfloat.<\/p>\n
Ansett Australia is owned equally by media giant News Corp
\nLtd. and transport multi-national TNT Ltd., which is understood
\nto be negotiating to sell its 50 percent stake to Air New
\nZealand.<\/p>\n
However, Air New Zealand is reported to be seeking government
\nassurances that it would subsequently be permitted to acquire
\n100-percent ownership of Ansett if TNT should decide some time in
\nthe future to part with Ansett.<\/p>\n
But Canberra, which has set a 49-percent limit on overseas
\nownership of the national flag-carrier Qantas -- and no more than
\n25 percent by current shareholder British Airways -- has so far
\nmade no response to the Air New Zealand request.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ansett-australia-to-fly-to-kl-soon-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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