KL to study ways to attract more airlines: Minister<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia will study ways to attract more
\nforeign airlines after four carriers stopped operating flights to
\nthe country, Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik said Sunday.<\/p>\n
He said a special government committee would study the matter
\nbut gave no details of any possible new incentives.<\/p>\n
Japan's All Nippon Airways said last month it would stop
\nflying to Malaysia because it cannot make money on the route.<\/p>\n
It was the fourth airline to announce it is stopping services
\nsince the nine-billion-ringgit (US$2.4 billion) Kuala Lumpur
\nInternational Airport (KLIA) opened in June 1998.<\/p>\n
The others are British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa. The
\npullouts were a blow to efforts to promote the futuristic airport
\nas a regional hub.<\/p>\n
Ling said several foreign airlines, including Emirates
\nAirlines and Lauda Air, planned to increase flights to Kuala
\nLumpur.<\/p>\n
He said Cathay Pacific had increased its flights to Malaysia
\nfrom 14 to 21 per week. National carrier Malaysia Airlines had
\nalso obtained four additional flights from London, bringing the
\ntotal number of flights between London and KLIA to 10 per week.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that within the next three or four months, there is
\na big possibility of us securing even more flights (to London),
\nthat is 21 per week or three daily,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ling said airlines which pulled out cited commercial reasons
\nafter incurring losses from the depreciation in the value of the
\nringgit.<\/p>\n
The local currency was pegged at 3.80 to the dollar in
\nSeptember 1998 compared to 2.5 before the East Asian economic
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Ling said All Nippon Airways hoped to resume operations in the
\nnear future.<\/p>",
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