MAS ties up with Garuda to boost cargo business

MAS ties up with Garuda to boost cargo business

Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Air System (MAS) announced a tie-up Friday with Garuda Indonesia to boost cargo business at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

The Malaysian carrier, in a statement, said the "smart partnership" program would allow the two airlines to jointly offer competitive and effective air cargo transportation in their networks.

As a first step, it said its cargo division MASkargo would partner Garuda in capacity sharing, joint freighter service and special rate arrangement.

The two carriers would also work on plans to coordinate flight schedules to enhance their synergy of network and fleet, conduct joint marketing and share resources and technology infrastructure.

The move would reinforce efforts to promote the KLIA, south of Kuala Lumpur, as the leading air-cargo transshipment hub in the region, MAS said in a statement.

Separately, a senior official at Malaysia Airports Holdings, said Friday the country's three-year-old international airport could expect new business next year despite gloomy global aviation prospects.

Azmi Murad, air traffic services general manager, said talks were being held with several foreign airlines to start services at KLIA next year.

Although the world aviation industry has been badly hit by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, he said some airlines were still keen to operate from Malaysia.

Azmi did not name the companies but said Qatar Airlines from the Middle East was scheduled to begin inaugural flights from the KLIA early next month.

"This will bring to 42 the number of airlines operating at KLIA this year and for a start it will conduct two flights between Doha and KLIA," he was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.