Malaysia's Mofaz Air ties up with Bangkok Airways

Malaysia's Mofaz Air ties up with Bangkok Airways

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian aviation firm Mofaz Air, a
partner in Malaysia's second international airline, said it had
joined with Bangkok Airways to expand its network and also had
plans to link up with a Indonesian airline.

Mofaz had signed a memorandum of understanding in Thailand
with Bangkok Airways to jointly develop routes currently not
served by major airlines and cooperate in aircraft operation
maintenance, officials said Sunday.

Bangkok Airways was represented by its president, Prasert
Prasarttong-Osoth, while Mofaz chairman Mohamed Fauzy Hamid
signed for the private aviation firm, which has a helicopter
service and a pilot training center at its base on the northern
Langkawi island resort.

"The two airlines will cooperate to expand networks, pool
resources and gain mutual benefits from landing rights and
immigration procedures," Fauzy said.

Mofaz is a 15-percent shareholder in AirAsia, the operator of
Malaysia's second international airline, in which HICOM Bhd, the
government's heavy industries entity, has a 85-percent interest.

Fauzy said the link-up would help the region develop the
concept of the "Northern Growth Triangle" meant to encompass
Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

The two carriers said in a joint statement that they would
jointly develop routes in the northern growth triangle and share
their sales-infrastructure to package and market destinations.

Mofaz Air said it planned a similar agreement with an
Indonesian airline, but declined to name the potential partner.

The development came after Malaysia proposed a transnational
mega-carrier for the East Asian Growth Area, through the
formation of alliances among regional carriers.

Malaysia last month designated Pelangi Air, another private
aviation company, to pursue Kuala Lumpur's commitment to the
idea.