Malaysia and Brunei seeking UK open skies treaty.

Date: 18 December 2012

Malaysia and Brunei seeking UK open skies treaty.

Malaysia and Brunei are seeking to sign 'open skies' agreements with the UK next year, paving the way for unlimited flights into London and other regional cities, a senior member of the UK’s air service negotiating team has said. Simon Knight, head of aviation negotiations at the Department for Transport, told Routes News: “We will probably have talks with Brunei and Malaysia in the near future to discuss a possible open skies agreement like the one we currently have with Singapore.”

Signed in 2007, the UK–Singapore agreement which allows for unlimited frequencies between the two countries and awarded fifth freedom rights to their respective flag carriers to operate domestic services within one another’s home markets.

Airlines operating from Brunei are currently restricted to seven weekly services per week between London and the capital Bandar Seri Bagawan and four services per week to Manchester. Royal Brunei Airlines operates a service via Dubai.

Malaysia-based carriers have unlimited access for both passenger and all-cargo services to and from regional points in the UK and Malaysia, and vice versa, but are restricted to 24 services per week between London Heathrow and Gatwick and Malaysia. Currently only Malaysia Airlines operates between the UK and Malaysia after AirAsia X withdrew its Kuala Lumpur–Gatwick service earlier this year.

Knight said wide ranging talks were expected to take place next year in London during which existing traffic and bilateral rights would likely be discussed. “Royal Brunei Airlines has existing rights to operate daily flights to London via Dubai and that is coming up for renewal so they will be looking at whether they can extend those rights,” Knight added.

The UK Government generally supports unrestricted traffic rights and any deal agreed with Malaysia and Brunei could be recripocated across the European Union. During his first official visit to the UK in 2011, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Razak held talks with Prime Minister David Cameron during which they discussed further liberalising the current air service agreement.

                                                     

Written by  Oliver Clark

Copyright © 2011 Routes News