Win-win for passengers, taxi drivers.

Date: 16 February 2013

Win-win for passengers, taxi drivers.

SEPANG: VISITORS and locals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) now have the option to board city taxis instead of solely relying on the airport limousine.

According to sources, the restriction that only airport limousines can pick up passengers from the terminal has been relaxed following complaints that the services could not meet the high demand. There were also complaints about long waits, in some instances up to two hours, to  get their rides homes.

A source also said that about 200 registered privately-owned city taxis were allowed to pick up passengers from KLIA. He said, due to lack of resources, city taxis can now ferry passengers to and from the airport.

"Taxi drivers who are interested to provide this service need to register with Airport Limo Sdn Bhd. Once the registration is done, the applications are submitted to the Land Public Transport Commission for notification. After that, the drivers can start picking up passengers from the airport," he said.

The taxi fares, he added, go by zones. The fares from KLIA are RM74.30 to KL Sentral; RM64.50 (Seremban); RM159 (Malacca); and RM64.40 (Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya).

Taxi driver K.P. Vijayan said many privately-owned taxi drivers welcomed the move as they are able to earn a higher income when they can pick up passengers from the airport. "I prefer to drive up to KLIA and pick up passengers from the airport rather than in the city. This is because there are too many taxis in the city and we have to face the heavy traffic daily. There is also the certainty of getting passengers at KLIA compared with the city. The charges are similar to the limousine service, based on destinations," he said.

However, Vijayan said they are only allowed to pick up passengers from the airport at certain peak hours and to certain destinations. "There are two time slots when we are allowed to pick up airport passengers -- from 6am to 10am and 2pm and 6pm." He said the furthest destination they were allowed to take their passengers to is Malacca, adding that his furthest trip so far is to Selayang.

According to taxi driver Koo Wai Kin, the previous restriction of not allowing city taxis to pick up passengers from KLIA meant they had to return empty leg. "Some taxi drivers charged higher fares to KLIA as they had to come back without passengers. Now, it's a win-win situation for passengers and taxi drivers." He said, despite a RM5 deduction for every trip, taxi drivers still make a profit.

Meanwhile, a limousine driver who wished to be known as Guna said the new system has helped to improve the service at KLIA.

"Passengers no longer have to wait in a long queue for a taxi now that privately-owned taxis are also available. So far, there is no problem between limousine and city taxi drivers," he said.

By C. PREMANANTHINI AND NOR AIN MOHAMED RADHI | streets@nstp.com.my

Copyright @ 2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

Batavia Air grounded for good.

Date: 5 February 2013

Batavia Air grounded for good.

KUCHING: It is a sign of closure — literally. Displayed at Batavia Air’s office, where the neon lights have been turned off, at Kuching International Airport (KIA) here is a sign that reads: “Closed”. Next to the sign, printed on an A4-sized paper, were instructions for ticket refunds. The address and telephone number listed were based in Jakarta.

Inside Batavia Air’s office here yesterday were about half a dozen staff. Despite the closed sign, the door was unlocked. The staff were friendly but they declined to be interviewed. “We’ve not been told anything. We can’t speak. We’re so sorry. There’s a notice outside,” said one manager.

Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) president Audry Wan Ullok told The Star it was with “great regret” that the industry accepted the news. “I was in Indonesia on a visit with Sarawak tourism officials when the news came,” Audry said on Sunday at KIA. I don’t know what to say really. It’s just sad because now we have one less airline that flies into Sarawak.”

Batavia Air was an important link for the development of medical tourism for Sarawak, the federation chief said. “Batavia Air gave us an edge over Sabah in terms of getting sick people to come to our hospitals in Kuching. Batavia Air could better accommodate sick people, including those on stretchers.”

MASwings, which flies daily to Pontianak, does not accommodate stretchers. (A MASwings official told The Star that the service was temporarily not available because the installation of stretchers would take two hours onboard its aircraft.)

“They closed because they were running at a loss,” said Samuel Chung, managing director of Straits Central Travel and Tour Agencies, which was the exclusive agent for Batavia Air in Sarawak for almost a decade. “At its peak, Batavia’s Kuching-Pontianak flight was about 50% to 60% full. But then MASwings began the same route in April last year and Batavia’s load for that route dropped to between 20% and 40%.”

Chung said Batavia Air also suffered from increased competition from Pontianak- based operators. “Right now, there are five airlines flying Pontianak-Jakarta. Batavia just could not keep up. There’s a lot of options, including those between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.”

Chung said it was unclear if all Batavia Air ticket holders would get their refunds. “As a travel agent, I had a deposit of about RM3,000 with Batavia too. I’m also not sure if I can get it back.”

With Batavia Air gone from KIA, just five other airlines utilise the state capital’s airport namely, Malaysia Airlines (MAS), MASwings, AirAsia, Silk Air and Tiger Air. Jetstar pulled out of KIA around the time when Tiger Air launched its Kuching-Singapore route while Firefly ceased operations to Sarawak and Sabah about a year ago. Batavia Air used to fly three weekly flights from here to Pontianak and onwards to Jakarta.

In the middle of last week, Indonesia’s commercial court declared budget carrier Batavia Air bankrupt just months after AirAsia aborted a deal to invest in it, reported the Associated Press. The Jakarta Commercial Court declared the company bankrupt after Batavia Air failed to pay a US$4.7mil debt. Flights stopped just after midnight last Thursday, the Associated Press said.

The airline began in 2002, and at its peak, flew to 48 destinations. Six destinations were international routes, including its stop at KIA. The airline also flew to Singapore and destinations in China, including Guangzhou. According to the Jakarta Globe, passengers who purchased tickets with Batavia Air before the budget carrier declared bankruptcy and shut down last week, would still be able to use them after three airlines agreed to take over 20 of Batavia’s 42 routes.

The Indonesian newspaper said Citilink, a low-cost airline of national carrier Garuda Indonesia, was set to take over 14 routes. Mandala Airlines and Express Air would take over another six routes. Although it is unclear at the moment, it seems routes to Pontianak would be undertaken by Express Air.

By YU JI  yuji@thestar.com.my

Copyright @ 1995-2012 Star Publications (M) Bhd

MAS Travel Fair Offers Special Fares.

Date: 4 February 2013

MAS Travel Fair Offers Special Fares.

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is now offering value fares for travellers via the Malaysia Airlines Travel Fair (MATF), and in commemoration of its entry into the oneworld alliance on Feb 1. Attractive fares to various new and existing destinations up for grabs through the promotion which is available until Feb 11, for travel from now until Nov 30, 2013.

MAS Regional Senior Vice President Malaysia and Asean Region, Muzammil Mohamad said the MATF is designed for avid travellers, looking for good offers to plan their yearly travels. "Now, with the addition of the oneworld offers, an extensive range of alliance fares are also available. This automatically enables customers to fly on multiple airlines with attractive savings on regular published fares," he said in a statement.

The offers cover economy and business class fares to various Malaysian domestic destinations and international destinations in North Asia, China, Australia and New Zealand, North America and Europe. An all-in return fare for flights to Bali from Kuala Lumpur starts from only RM679 on economy class and RM2,179 on business class, and Bangkok from as low as RM509 on economy class travel and starting from only RM1,579 on business class.

Customers can enjoy the Chinese New Year holidays in Kunming, China, with an all-in return fare that starts from only RM1,199 on economy class and RM2,979 on business Class. MAS is also mounting four extra flights on this route for the holiday season.

The MATF is also offering wonderful fares for the South Asia destinations. Customers can fly to Chennai from Kuala Lumpur for an all-in return fare as low as RM1,169 on economy Class and RM2,239 on business class.

A journey from Kuala Lumpur to Los Angeles for a much deserved holiday starts from an all-in return fare of only RM3,909 on economy class and RM14,879 for business class travel. Customers can also choose to fly to London from Kuala Lumpur on MAS' latest A380 aircraft with an all-in return fare from only RM3,409 on economy class and RM13,689 on business class.

Fares to domestic destinations also see discounts up to 40 per cent. The all-in return fare to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching from Kuala Lumpur starts from only RM428 on economy class travel and RM1,960 and RM1,560 respectively on business class.

Economy class travel to Penang from Kuala Lumpur is up for grabs starting from only RM238, while for business class, the MAS offer starts from RM760. The Kuala Lumpur-Johor Bahru-Kuala Lumpur route is offered at an all-in return fare from only RM248 on economy class travel, and RM760 on business class.

MAS is also offering attractive fares out of its Kota Kinabalu hub to destinations such as Perth, Hong Kong and Taipei. Customers can fly to Perth, Hong Kong and Taipei with an all-in return fare starting from only RM 1,439, RM839 and RM969 respectively on economy class travel.

Meanwhile, the all-in return fares on business class are RM4,879, RM2,189 and RM2,479 respectively for Perth, Hong Kong and Taipei.

As for the oneworld fares, the all-in return fare from Kuala Lumpur to San Francisco and New York via Los Angeles, starts from only RM4,170 and RM5,030 respectively on economy class, while on business class it is RM17,150 and RM21,140 respectively.

Over at North Asia and China, the all-in return fare from Kuala Lumpur to Sapporo via Tokyo starts from only RM2,730 on economy class and RM6,630 on business class. Customers can now fly to Chengdu in China via Hong Kong for fares that start only from RM1,760 and RM4,698 on economy class and business class respectively.

Experiencing the beautiful city of Barcelona in Spain is now possible with an all-in return fare to that Spanish city via London, from only RM4,524 on economy class and on business class from only RM16,202. All-in fares to Manchester via London starts from only RM4,629 on economy class and starts from only RM15,963 on business class.

Those who wish to explore the land Down Under now can plan travels to Canberra via Sydney with fares that start from only RM3,809 on economy class and RM11,369 on business class.

These offers are available to customers at all MAS distribution channels, namely, www.malaysiaairlines.com, 24-hour toll free number 1 300 88 3000, MH Buddy in Malaysia Airlines Facebook, MHmobile, MAS and subsidiary ticket offices as well as appointed agents throughout Malaysia.

Copyright @ BERNAMA

MAS all set to join oneworld.

Date: 29 January 2013

MAS all set to join oneworld.

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has started the final countdown towards joining the oneworld global airline alliance on Feb1. "It is a key element of the Malaysian national flag carrier's turnaround strategy and comes as it marks 40 years of delivering its unique Malaysian hospitality," the national carrier said in a statement today.  

MAS said it will stage two days of celebrations to mark its addition to the world's premier airline alliance. "Senior executives from the existing partners of the award-winning global alliance will be flying here to welcome MAS as the newest member," it said.  

MAS group chief executive officer, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, said on the first day as part of the alliance, all representatives will join him at KL International Airport to welcome passengers on the airline's first departures. "Joining the alliance will strengthen MAS' competitiveness and enable it to offer customers an unrivalled alliance global network served by the highest quality partners from each of the world's key regions," he said.

MAS said it will fly alongside best known brands in the world airline industry such as airberlin, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and Russia's S7 Airlines.

The airline said its addition will expand the oneworld coverage to over 840destinations in 155 countries, served by some 9,000 departures a day operated bya combined fleet of some 2,500 aircraft, carrying nearly 340 million passengers a year, with annual revenues of US110 billion (US1 = RM3.07). MAS Enrich frequent flyer members will have their privileges extended to whenever they fly with any oneworld member airline worldwide," it said. - BERNAMA 

Copyright @ 2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

UPM Launched First University Tour Package.

Date: 19 January 2013

UPM Launched First University Tour Package.

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) - Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Friday launched their Mother Nature Tour Trail in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY) Promotional Campaign in Bukit Jalil here.

The tour package makes UPM the first university to offer the tourism package by allowing tourists to explore the university's vast natural surrounding located at its campus in Serdang.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof. Datuk Ir Dr. Mohd Salleh Jaafar, said the package offered was not the usual tour packages in the market. "There are seven locations selected specially for the package that offers from half day tours up to three days and two nights," he said.

Dr Mohd Salled said the packages were priced between RM 99 to RM 370 per person. Three tour agents will start promoting the package, namely TM Tours and Travel, Mitra Kembara and Poto Travel and Tours.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, who launched the tour package, said 30 UPM students had been trained for the tour package and this would help expand the tourism industry further by exposing UPM students to the industry.

Copyrights @ BERNAMA

Malaysia: In search of broader tourist base.

Date 20 January 2013

Malaysia: In search of broader tourist base.

A focus to attract more tourists from growing regional markets will spearhead Malaysia’s efforts to boost visitor numbers in 2013. However, efforts to increase arrivals from certain key segments may not be enough to drive visitor figures up across the board.

Despite ranking as one of the world’s top 10 tourist destinations, the market base remains narrow, with more than half the visitors coming from neighbouring Singapore. This year will see Malaysia focus on broadening its reach to tap into emerging markets that are demonstrating significant growth, such as India.

Final figures still to be pub­lished are expected to show that despite global economic uncertainty, visitor numbers to Malaysia from India rose 36 per cent in 2012, according to international media in mid-January. A total of 514,926 tourists entered Malaysia from India in the first three quarters of 2012, already up 2.6 per cent on full-year visitor numbers for 2011, according to the Tourist Development Corporation of Malaysia (TDC).

Zulkifly Md Said, the director of the international marketing division for South Asia, East Asia and Africa at the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB), told reporters he expected the country to have met or topped its target of welcoming around 700,000 arrivals from India in 2012. Malaysia aims to push the number up to 780,000 this year, Said added.

The rise in visitor numbers from India is thought to be due to a combination of improved connectivity between the two countries and an increase in the range of packages and products being offered to Indian tourists. Reports also suggested that India’s population, especially its affluent middle class, were increasingly looking at medium-haul destinations, such as Malaysia, which remained more affordable than Europe and North America, long popular with the Indian elite.

Zulkifly said Malaysia was benefitting from well-formulated packages aimed at targeted groups in the Indian market, including families and honeymooners. The country also offered quicker visa processing, a wide range of tourist attractions and affordable food and travel costs, he added.

With the world economy still struggling, and many tourists from emerging-markets on tight budgets, officials had suggested that Malaysia’s relatively low costs were also giving the country an important competitive advantage. Air connectivity has risen to meet growing demand, with Malaysia Airline System Bhd, the country’s flag carrier, increasing capacity between India and Malaysia by 25 per cent in 2012. The airline expected to continue expanding its routes to India this year.

Malaysia’s low-cost AirAsia Bhd, which has strengthened its regional presence in recent years, is also looking to increase the frequency of flights to the Indian cities it serves.

China is another growing market that offers potential for Malaysia’s tourism industry in both the leisure and business segments.

The TDC set a target of attracting 1.5 million visitors from China in 2012, up by 20 per cent on 2011’s figures. As of end-September 2012, 1.18 million Chinese tourists had visited Malaysia, up from 933,540 in the same nine months of 2011. The country hopes to break the two-million-barrier by 2014.

Boosting visitor numbers from emerging markets forms a key component of Malaysia’s bid to maintain its position as one of the world’s leading destinations. The country attracted 24.7 million international visitors in 2011, placing ninth in the world, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), just below Turkey, which received 29.3 million visitors from abroad, and the UK, with 29.2 million. France topped the list, registering 79 million international arrivals.

However, the total number of international tourists in 2011 was only up 0.4 per cent from 2010 figures, which reached 24.6 million. This figure was a four per cent rise on the number of visitor arrivals in 2009, when Malaysia received 23.6 million international tourists. Over the same period, earnings from tourism also increased, rising from US$15.8 billion in 2009 to US$18.2 billion in 2010 and reaching US$18.3 billion in 2011.

But broadening its narrow market base remains a challenge for the country. Visitors from Singapore were expected to continue dominating numbers in 2013 and 2014, accord­ing to officials. In the first six months of 2012, the top 10 markets, including Singapore, China and India, accounted for 87.55 per cent of the 11.6 million arrivals.

Tourism industry leaders in the private sector are keen for the TDC to continue broadening its promotional activities, targeting both emerging markets, including Russia, the Middle East and Eastern European countries, alongside well-established out­bound segments such as France and the US. Plans to boost arrivals from diverse sources should also stand the tourism industry in good stead, despite its remaining sensitive to fluctuations in the international economy.

By Paulius Kuncinas

Copyright 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

Amadeus rolls out app for mid-office system.

Date: 15 January 2013

Amadeus rolls out app for mid-office system.

Bangkok - AMADEUS has launched the Amadeus Travel Office Manager Mobile, an extension of the Amadeus Travel Office Manager (ATOM) mid-office system, providing travel consultants with on-the-go access to booking data, pricing and management reports.

With the new app, travel consultants will be able to check task queues created in ATOM and take action on due or overdue tasks, access supplier and customer contact details, send emails and messages, and get an overview of the daily booking sales and payment reports from their mobile devices.

Bruno des Fontaines, vice president, customer solutions group at Amadeus Asia Pacific, said: “Amadeus Travel Office Manager Mobile enables efficiency and continuity of services wherever the travel consultants are. People are now used to working anytime, anywhere and on any device, and travel agencies need to ensure that their consultants can access information securely from systems such as Amadeus Travel Office Manager.

“We are proud to be the first travel technology company to release an application for mid-office systems and will be adding more functionalities in time to come.”

Amadeus Travel Office Manager Mobile is available to ATOM customers in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore and Thailand. It can be downloaded for free on the Amadeus website or from Apple App Store.

Copyright @ TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd © 2013

MASwings’ BIMP EAGA expansion sees smooth progress.

Date: 15 January 2013

MASwings’ BIMP EAGA expansion sees smooth progress.

KUCHING: MASwings Sdn Bhd’s (MASwings) expansion plan within the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP EAGA) is progressing smoothly with the announcement of its thrice-weekly flight to Balikpapan yesterday.

Dato’ Mohd Nawawi, MASwings chief executive officer, noted that MASwings’ route expansion was in line with the government’s initiative to lure more tourists into the Borneo states in particular, and also into Peninsular Malaysia especially with the recent announcement made by Federal Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen in making Malaysia a destination haven during a promotional campaign for Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

“Being a Malaysian carrier, we will collaborate to support all initiatives planned by the state and federal government,” Nawawi stated. “Transportation connectivity is a key element in realising the BIMP EAGA goals of increasing trade, investment and tourism within the sub region. As a major supporter of the BIMP EAGA objectives, MASwings is proud to be able to contribute towards the growth in the sub region.”

He noted that the implementation of the phases was just the first step to promote and ensure connectivity between points and that with the 60 million people in the targeted cities, it would no doubt help move the initiative in the right direction.

Nawawi highlighted that past performance for the BIMP EAGA region was rocky at first but towards the end, the load factor averages out to over 50 per cent for the year with December figures registering up to 80 per cent to some destinations. Passenger growth for 2012, Nawawi noted that both domestic and international figures registered 1.584 million passengers, 84,000 more than the target of 1.5 million passengers and achieved a year on year growth of 12 per cent. Sabah and Sarawak passenger growth registered at between two and three per cent.

“Last year, MASwings commenced its first phase of international network by adding three destinations namely, Bandar Seri Begawan as well as Pontianak and Tarakan in Kalimantan. It is now gearing up to add more international routes within the BIMP EAGA region through the second phase of expansion which will see it spreading its wings to Puerto Princesa in Palawan, by March 2013 and Zamboanga in Mindanao by June,” Nawawi enthused.

As for phase three, the MASwings CEO noted that the company was already looking into linking up Makassar in Indonesia as well as Manado and Davao in the Philippines.

Nawawi explained that with the introduction of flights linking Balikpapan to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, MASwings weekly passengers capacity for its international network would increase from 3,200 to 3,968. The company also plans to expand its aircraft fleet in the near future with an expansion rate from the current 10 to an additional 16 new aircraft.

He further added that with the large expatriate community at Balikpapan as well as the higher spending power due to the presence of many international oil companies, mining companies, and related industries, it would no doubt leave an economic footprint as well.

The commencement of the flights on February 1 would also serve another purpose as Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS) would officially be part of ‘Oneworld’ meaning that MASwings customers would be able to have access to MAS’ network and also Oneworld.

By Jonathan Wong, jonathanwong@theborneopost.com

Copyright @ 2010-2013 BorneoPost Online

MAHB projects 7pc passenger traffic growth.

Date: 15 January 2013

MAHB projects 7pc passenger traffic growth.

MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is confident of achieving a 7.1 per cent increase in passenger traffic this year after recording five per cent growth in 2012. The increase is expected to be driven by preparations for Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY2014) campaign, an anticipated increase in the region's travel demand as well as the country's economic growth.

MAHB managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid said promotional efforts for the VMY2014 are already in progress, while travel demand in the region is expected to increase this year.

The economy - an important element to sustain travel demand - remains in good shape with gross domestic product growth expected to be between 4.5 per cent and 5.5 per cent. The challenge, Bashir said, is to ensure that the additional capacity provided by airports and airlines is properly and fully utilised to cater for the increasing demand for air travel.

"All the parties involved must work together to enhance each other's potential. I think if we all work hand in hand, then the country's aviation industry will have a great future," Bashir said in an interview with Business Times recently.

In a recent statement to Bursa Malaysia, MAHB said passenger movements at its airports grew 9.9 per cent in November 2012 from the same month in the previous year, while in October, the growth was 7.7 per cent. During the month under review, international passengers grew at 13.1 per cent, while domestic passengers grew 7.1 per cent.

The airport operator is also confident that 2013 will be a good year for the aviation industry in Malaysia. Bashir said the aviation industry has a strong foundation for continuous growth. "We are very fortunate to have Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia Bhd as our major airlines as both of them have done very well," he said.

Over the last couple of years, Bashir said MAHB, together with the government, has taken the initiative to increase airport capacity in many key cities such as Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, as well as at smaller airports such as Malacca, Ipoh and Sibu. There are also plans to increase capacity at other airports such as Sandakan.

Bashir added that the new low-cost carrier terminal, klia2, which is expected to start operations on June 28, will also provide the much-needed additional capacity for the growth of low-fare travel.

"This increase in airport capacity is important to provide room for growth not only for the country's airlines such as MAS, AirAsia, Firefly, MASwings and Berjaya Air, but also for the many foreign airlines that operate at our airports," he said.

Besides airports, local airlines' move to take new delivery of aircraft and expand their capacity by operating new routes and additional frequencies will encourage further growth in the industry. Last year, MAS announced the purchase of 36 new ATR 72-600 aircraft to expand operations of Firefly and MASwings. It has also added A380s to its fleet and is in the process of replacing its aircraft with newer ones.  Meanwhile, AirAsia has been continuously adding seat capacity and has also announced the purchase of 100 new Airbus A320s.

The entrance of Malindo Airways, which is expected to start operations by May this year, would also provide capacity growth, said Bashir. He added that this year, foreign airlines already operating here such as Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, Cebu Pacific Air and Mandala Airlines, will be adding more frequencies and new routes, while four new foreign carriers, including Air France, are expected to begin services at KLIA.  This is in addition to the seven new airlines that began operations into the country last year.

"We continue to offer the lowest aeronautical charges in the region and this provides a low-cost base operations for airlines in Malaysia, as well as those operating to Malaysia," he noted.

By Bilqis Bahari

Copyright © The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

UMS Signs Historic MoA With International Tourism Organisation In Macau.

Date: 14 January 2013

UMS Signs Historic MoA With International Tourism Organisation In Macau.

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) and Sabah Tourist Guide Association (STGA) to set up the WFTGA International Training Centre here in Sabah, Malaysia.

The MoA was signed by UMS Vice-Chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah for UMS, by Ms Rosalind Newlands OBE for WFTGA, and by Mr Daniel Doughty for STGA at the 15th WFTGA Convention held in Macau, China, Monday.

The signing took place during the opening ceremony of the convention and also present at the ceremony were Tan Sri Datuk Abdul Hamid Egoh, Chairman of the Board of Directors (UMS), and Associate Professor Dr Arsiah Bahron, Dean, School of Economics and Business (UMS).

According to a statement issued by UMS to Bernama, here today, this international training centre, only the second in the world (the first centre is in Cyprus) will commence operations in April 2013 providing career development to licensed tourist guides both local and international.

Copyrights @ BERNAMA

AirAsia plans to launch Indian airline.

Date: 11 January 2013

AirAsia plans to launch Indian airline.

NEW DELHI: AirAsia Bhd plans to launch an Indian airline in partnership with a local promoter, Videocon Group, The Economic Times reported. Quoting two people close to the development, the newspaper said Asia’s largest budget carrier was exploring options to set up a company that would be majority-owned by an Indian promoter, preferably a well-known business group.

AirAsia would hold 49% in the venture that would apply for an aviation licence, it said.

The Malaysian carrier had broached the issue with the Videocon Group and the talks were at a preliminary stage, one person said. Venugopal Dhoot, the chairman of the Videocon Group, confirmed that they had been approached by the airline. “They had approached us. These were preliminary discussions. There’s nothing I can say now,” Dhoot said.

Though initially not very enthusiastic about the liberalisation of foreign direct investment in aviation in India, he is believed to have changed his mind recently. Videocon Group’s core areas of business are consumer electronics and home appliances.

In another development, London-based magazine Euromoney has named AirAsia Bhd the overall best managed company in Malaysia and the best managed company in Asia in the aviation/airline sector. – Bernama

Copyright @ 1995-2012 Star Publications (M) Bhd

Stiffer competition expected for MAS, AirAsia and Firefly with Malindo flying in.

Date: 7 January 2013

Stiffer competition expected for MAS, AirAsia and Firefly with Malindo flying in.

PETALING JAYA: The local aviation industry is set for more interesting times when Indonesian low-cost carrier Malindo Airways takes flight in May. Although established players Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Firefly and AirAsia remain optimistic on the outlook for the year, the entry of Malindo 51%-owned by Malaysia's National Aerospace and Defence Industries and 49% by Indonesia's largest low-cost carrier Lion Air - will definitely grab the attention of both industry observers and travellers alike.

Affin Investment Bank Bhd analyst Sharifah Farah said in a recent report that Malindo's commencement of operations here would also coincide with the scheduled completion of the low-cost carrier hub KLIA2. “Upon the commencement of the new airline, we expect airlines to offer cheaper fares and various promotions to garner market share and/or retain market share,” she said, adding that the main concern would be AirAsia's ability to maintain its load factor without significantly compromising its yield in the face of new competition.

Sharifah noted that against the backdrop of a fragile economic outlook, which had already negatively impacted air travel, historical trends showed that low-cost carriers would likely fare better than full-fledged carriers due to their lean cost structure, competitive pricing and the switch by business travellers to cheaper fares.

She said this was evident in the number of passengers carried by AirAsia Malaysia, which grew 10.2% year-on-year to 14.5 million for the nine months to Sept 30 last year. Similarly, AirAsia's Thai and Indonesian arms saw passenger numbers grow by 19.6% and 12.8%, respectively. In contrast, for the same period, MAS experienced a 3.7% drop to 9.7 million passengers due to weak international travel.

MAS' regional senior vice president for Malaysia/Asean Muzammil Mohamad recently said the airline was forecasting between 10% and 15% growth with a few more destinations and more frequencies, which would go hand-in-hand with ticket sales revenue growth for the year. He said although the industry outlook for the year would be challenging, the airline was optimistic about its prospects.

Sharifah said the direction of the jet fuel price would continue to be the biggest challenge for the aviation industry. Over the past one year, the crude oil price has remained elevated, ranging between US$85 (RM259.25) and US$115 (RM350.75) per barrel, while the price of jet fuel also remained high within the range of US$120 (RM366) to US$137 (RM417.85) per barrel. Sharifah has an assumption of US$120 (RM366) to US$125 (RM381.25) per barrel for the house's earnings model for the industry in 2013.

Copyright © 1995-2012 Star Publications (M) Bhd

MyCEB boost for tourism industry.

Date: 7 January 2013

MyCEB boost for tourism industry.

The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) aims to improve the number of business tourist arrivals and organise more international events to boost the country’s tourism industry. The non-profit organisation serves as a central hub in assisting event planners to bid and stage international businesses and major events in Malaysia.

Chief executive officer Zulkefli Sharif said business delegates are interested in Malaysia as statistics have shown that it received a steady number of business visitors compared to neighbouring countries.

“In 2012, we managed to secure 24 international meetings which would bring RM342 million in economic impact to the country. It is also our goal to grow international business events visitors from 5% to 8% of overall tourists arrivals, which is estimated at 25 million as of 2012.”

Apart from business delegates, he said MyCEB aims to bring in more visitors via world class international events. “Through our international events unit, we have brought in events such as Future Music Festival Asia 2012, MTV Worldstage 2012, Shrek the Musical and even the recent Jennifer Lopez concert where it brought in a revenue of RM25 million.

“Next year MyCEB will be working closely with the Ministry of Tourism in the upcoming Visit Malaysia 2013/2014 and will bring in international events such as 110th Harley Davidson Anniversary Festival, World Debating Championship, MuayThai World Championship as well as international artists where we aim to have three new events annually and create over 8,000 new jobs.”

MyCEB has been in effort to improve the tourism industry as a whole for the past three years focusing on supporting the growth of the business. The organisation’s revenue currently stands at RM762.5 million out of the targeted RM900 million.

Copyright @ 2012 Malay Mail Sdn. Bhd.

Mahathir promotes Satun-Langkawi links.

Date: 6 January 2013

Mahathir promotes Satun-Langkawi links.

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad vowed yesterday to push for various joint development projects along the Thai-Malay border. Projects to improve tourist immigration procedures between the two countries would be at the top of the list, Mr Mahathir said during a visit to Satun province yesterday.

The proposals would benefit tourism in Satun and Malaysia's neighbouring Langkawi in particular, he said.

The former Malaysian PM described Satun and the Malaysian archipelago as "sister cities", saying a large number of tourists and businesspeople travelled between them. Malaysia's continuing development of Langkawi International Airport would help boost tourism in Satun, he said.

Mr Mahathir's visit to Thailand was aimed at strengthening relations between Satun and Malaysia's Perlis state. Each year, large numbers of Malaysian tourists travel to Satun, mostly on their way to Koh Tarutao and Koh Lipe, he said.

Thai businessmen in Satun would also be encouraged to invest in Langkawi, which is renowned for its tax free shopping, he said.

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Promoting caves temple as venue for meetings.

Date: 5 January 2013

Promoting caves temple as venue for meetings.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chin Swee Caves Temple which designates it as its fourth shell site. MyCEB has designated Putrajaya Maritime Centre, Central Market and Thean Hou Temple as shell sites.

MyCEB was set up by the Tourism Ministry to strengthen Malaysia's business tourism brand and position in the international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions market.

The MoU was signed by Chin Swee Caves Temple Building Society vice- chairman Tan Kong Han, who is also the president and chief operating officer of Genting Bhd, and MyCEB CEO Zulkefli Sharif. It was witnessed by Genting Malaysia Bhd senior vice-president of public relations and communications Datuk Anthony Yeo.

Tan said: "We are honoured to have MyCEB as our partner to promote the Sky Terrace at Chin Swee Caves Temple as a destination for business and international events. We hope MyCEB will help to promote Sky Terrace to the international business community as an ideal venue for international events. We look forward to placing Chin Swee Caves Temple and Malaysia on the world map of international business events." The 3,250sq m Sky Terrace is an observation area which offers magnificent mountain views.

Zulkefli said: "MyCEB is continuously looking to develop competitive, creative and innovative offerings to further attract international business events to the country. A big selling point for Malaysia is our rich culture where one can experience the whole of Asia in one destination. "Hence, adding one-of-a-kind venues like the Chin Swee Caves Temple into our list of offerings will definitely make Malaysia more appealing as a business events venue."

Shell sites are unique and iconic sites that can be utilised as off-site business events for groups of up to 1,000. As an alternative to conventional meeting venues, shell sites present visitors with an experience of meetings while being enclosed within the cultural and natural elements of Malaysia.

The temple is located at 1,400m above sea level in Genting Highlands and is less than an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur. It is a perfect getaway for those who wish to escape from the city. It is situated on a rocky forested mountain overlooking lush green slopes of virgin forests. Blessed with cool crisp mountain air, the temple is a peaceful place for purifying the mind and soul.

 It is a tourist hub which features traditional Chinese culture and legend, including a nine-dragon wall. Each dragon, which is in a different colour, represents a different type of luck. There is a nine-storey pagoda decorated with 10,000 Buddha figurines and a 18m high stone carving of a Buddha resting on a lotus.

The temple has played host to numerous cultural activities and promotional events, drawing local and foreign tourists. The temple has a meditation hall, two meeting rooms, and a vegetarian restaurant. There are also 110 rooms where devotees can stay in comfort for retreats, prayers, reflection, meditation and self-discovery. For details about Chin Swee Caves Temple, visit www.csc.org.my.

Copyright © 2011 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

MATTA gets ISO cert.

Date: 21 December 2012

MATTA gets ISO cert.

KUALA LUMPUR: After more than a year of meticulous auditing, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has been certified with the MS ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System. MATTA is the first travel trade association in Malaysia to be ISO certified.

Its president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun said that having the certification would give its existing and potential business partners more confidence in MATTA's reliability. “It will also ensure that MATTA lives up to the expectations of our 2,800 members in terms of quality, as we will now have to work hard to keep up our standards, since we will be audited yearly to stay certified,” he said at the ISO certificate presentation ceremony at Wisma MATTA here yesterday.

He said this would set the pace for all travel agents and tour operators to further improve the quality of their services. “Only with improved standards will our industry grow and go on to greater heights, thus contributing to the economy,” he said.

Mohd Khalid received the certificate from Christina Chan, a department manager who represented auditing firm SGS (M) Sdn Bhd.

Managing director K.H. Tan who represented Cambridge Consultants, a firm which also assisted in auditing the association for the ISO certification, said that MATTA was found to be up to standard, particularly in the areas of its management and operations.”It was a very comprehensive and detailed process which took over a year to complete,” he said.

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MAS Acquires 36 New Turboprop Aircraft For RM3 Billion.

Date: 18 December 2012

MAS Acquires 36 New Turboprop Aircraft For RM3 Billion.

SUBANG JAYA (Bernama) - Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has today acquired 36 new ATR 72-600 aircraft for RM3 billion from ATR, the turboprop manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. MAS Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said ATR had already committed into delivering three turboprop aircraft next year, another five the following year and six in 2015.

"Of the total 36 aircraft, Firefly will be getting 20, while MasWings will get 16," he told a press conference on Firefly's network expansion today.

Ahmad Jauhari said an advantage of the turboprop operation was its ability to turn around very quickly, in less than 30 minutes, translating into increased flight frequencies. "Nowadays, people travel at their own convenience, so frequency is becoming more important," he said, adding that the new aircraft acquisition would be funded internally, within the MAS group.

Meanwhile, Firefly CEO Ignatius Ong said the brand new series of fleet would boast state-of-the-art innovations with the latest glass cockpit technology similar to the A380 panels and it is also reputed to be one of the most fuel efficient aircraft in existence, resulting in lower carbon emissions.

"We expect the new aircraft to generate robust growth for both community airlines in the next three years, increasing our fleet from 12 to 20 in the next three years, which is a 40 per cent capacity growth. Currently, our average load factor is 70 per cent, however, our existing routes which focus on business destinations such as Penang, Kota Baharu and Singapore, are always full during the peak hours," he said.

MASwings CEO Datuk Capt Mohd Nawawi Awang said the new acquisition was timely, given its target to increase its passengers to two million in the next three years, compared with its target of 1.5 million passengers for this year. "We're also expanding our domestic presence and increasing flight frequencies from towns within Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) region," he said.

Mohd Nawawi said MASwings currently has 10 aircraft, which would be replaced in accordance with the delivery of the new turboprop aircraft. "We're also acquiring another six aircraft for our expansion plan, prior to receiving the new aircraft, which would hopefully be completed by March next year," he added.

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MAS Eyes 80 Per Cent Load Factor On A380 Service To Paris Next Year.

Date: 17 December 2012

MAS Eyes 80 Per Cent Load Factor On A380 Service To Paris Next Year.

AMSTERDAM (Bernama) - Malaysia Airlines (MAS) expects a load factor of 80 per cent for its Kuala Lumpur-Paris-Kuala Lumpur daily route when the Airbus A380 is rolled out in March 1 next year to replace the current Boeing B777 daily services.

"France is a very big country. A lot of French people travel outside the country and at the same time, we have a lot of business going on between the Malaysian government/businessmen and French government/businessmen as well as within the other European countries," said MAS Regional Senior Vice-President for the UK and Europe, Huib Gorter.

Furthermore, he added, Malaysia is part of the strongly growing tourism sector of the Asia Pacific region and the country itself is an attractive destination for Europeans despite the economic and financial crises in several regions of the world.

"One of the key things is to price your products creatively and at the right time. We have very very good airlines competing with us and we can never ever lose sight, we have to be on top of that and I think we have done it quite well," he told Malaysian journalists attending the just recently concluded IATA Global Media Day 2012 held in Geneva.

Despite the gloomy eurozone economic outlook, Gorter sees next year as an excellent one for MAS in Europe as the A380 aircraft will definitely enhance MAS' brandname. He is confident that with the A380's introduction into service with an exciting new level of comfort, luxury and convenience in long-haul travel "we can expect the number of passengers to increase more and more."

The A380 has a capacity of 494 seats in a three-class configuration comprising eight first-class seats and 350 economy-class on the main deck, together with 66 business-class seats and 70 economy-class seats on the upper deck.

Gorter added that with the deployment of the superjumbo on two of the popular European routes (London and Paris), the national carrier will be able to offer the latest premium products and services to travellers and this customer proposition is also certain to increase tourist arrivals into Malaysia next year.

Since MAS commenced its A380 operations on the KL-London route on July 1, 2012, customers' response has been overwhelming, he said, adding that there has been a 22 per cent rise in passenger load from London to KL.

Gorter also said although the UK is MAS' biggest market in Europe, Paris could be another high profile destination, followed by Holland, Germany and Turkey. Currently, direct flights from Europe to Malaysia (including code sharing) are from Amsterdam (17), Frankfurt (nine), London (14), Paris (daily) and Istanbul (3), with 14 being operated by MAS.

Meanwhile, in order to increase tourist arrivals in Malaysia, Gorter said MAS would be working closely not only with Tourism Malaysia but also with the Sarawak Tourism Board, hoteliers, travel agents and those related with the travel industry. "We have to be very quick and competitive, we need to have strategies and we have estimated about 122 European tour operators will feature Malaysia in their brochures and online sites," he said.

The Malaysian tourism industry is targeted to contribute RM104 billion to the country's Gross National Income by 2020 for which Malaysia will need to achieve 36 million tourist arrivals in 2020 from 24 million in 2009, a 50 per cent growth.

Malaysia Airlines is the eighth operator of this new aircraft and will receive its remaining two A380s by the first quarter of 2013.

From Azlina Aziz 

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Nip-tuck tourists drawn to Penang for better looks.

Date: 17 December 2012

Nip-tuck tourists drawn to Penang for better looks.

GEORGE TOWN: They are not just coming to this state for the sun and the surf. Affordable surgical procedures in Penang continue to draw “nip and tuck” tourists seeking to enhance their looks.

Consultant plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgeon Dr Lee Kim Siea said the cost of cosmetic surgery in Malaysia was at least 50% lower than in Singapore. “Surgery in South Korea and China do not come cheap either, although South Korea is cheaper than Singapore. The cost of cosmetic surgery depends on the materials used. All the same, doing a good, proper job is important,” said Dr Lee.

For example, he said a facelift would cost between RM10,000 and RM20,000 in Malaysia while in Singapore the cost could go up to RM50,000.

Dr Lee sees between 150 and 180 patients a month, of which 20% are foreigners. His foreign patients are mainly Indonesians and Japanese expatriates. Dr Lee said among the surgeries offered were for double eyelids, botox injections, liposuction, breast augmentation and enlargement, and facelifts, adding that his foreign patients kept him updated with their new looks by sending him their pictures through e-mail.

Tony Leong, director of Beautiful Holidays, a company that offers combination packages for medical holidays in Penang, said clients would also bring their families for a holiday. He added that 80% of their clients were from Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Leong said the company arranged for lodging and transportation from the airport to the hotel and post-surgery doctor visits.

By JOSEPHINE JALLEH josephine@thestar.com.my

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Foreign Tourists Laud Dataran Merdeka Heritage Walk.

Date: 15 December 2012

Foreign Tourists Laud Dataran Merdeka Heritage Walk.

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) - The free-of-charge Dataran Merdeka Heritage Walk, complemented with professional tour guides, was a big hit with foreign tourists when it was launched for the first time Saturday. The tourists described the heritage walk as interesting and spectacular. It is jointly organised by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Development Council.

First-time tourist from Russia, who wanted to be identified only as Vladimir, said he was "extremely delighted" to be given the opportunity to experience such an interesting tour. "I think this is the most spectacular guided tour that I have ever joined. Very interesting, not only we were exposed to the different functions of the historical buildings, but also given a tour to see the magnificient architectures of the buildings. I recommend this programme to everyone," the 37-year-old told Bernama here Saturday.

The two-and-a-half hour tour which kicked off at 9.30am, covered 11 heritage sites in the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka which includes the Sultan Abdul Samad Building built in 1894, former High Court Building (1909), Federated Malay States Railway Station (1905) and the old City Hall (1896). It also covers the Government Printing Office (1898), Chartered Bank (1919), St Mary Cathedral (1895), Royal Selangor Club (1884) and the field where the British Union Jack was lowered and the flag of an independent Federation of Malaya raised for the first time on Aug 31, 1957.

Italian tourist Giovanni, 27, here on his maiden visit, described the heritage walk as a good activity since most tourists did not know much about the historical aspect of Dataran Merdeka, which is the focal point for the British Administration before the country's independence.

For Briton, Frida Halvarssor, 24, who is in the country for her second visit, the walk was truly educational. "This is my second time in Kuala Lumpur and for me, this programme is very good for foreign tourists because we can discover 11 historical sites around Dataran Merdeka...we can learn and know details, everyone should join in the walk," she said.

Tourists who joined the heritage walk need to register at pelacongan@dbkl.gov.my before taking part in the tour which is being carried out thrice a week for free, namely Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. They can also logon to www.visitkl.gov.my for details on the heritage walk.

By Noor Adila Ali

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