KL's first airplane takes off

KL's first airplane takes off

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): The first made-in-Malaysia aircraft took off from a Kuala Lumpur airport yesterday, the national news agency Bernama reported.

The two-seat sports plane would be sold at about 80,000 ringgit (US$20,000), Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik said after he inaugurated the airplane.

Work on Langkawi 1, designed from blueprints purchased from Zenith Air of Canada, started in 1996. It was a cooperative effort of private and public companies.

It was not known when the plane would be on the market.

"The aircraft, which is attractively priced, will make flying affordable to Malaysians," Ling said. "This will eventually help to introduce and popularize the flying culture in Malaysia and neighboring countries."