CH Teo

I agree. FY Jets cancellation is really bad for East Malaysian. Remember, East Malaysians can only fly in order to get into Peninsular! And with higher cost of living and lower income, there is nothing wrong for getting a much wider choice for us to go to KUL! Since FY Jets was mean to be run under LCC models that go head on competition with AK, so follow low cost business model!

(D) Sabah, Sarawak to get major share in airline KUCHING - Sabah and Sarawak would have a 60 to 70 per cent share in the restructured regional airline MASwings, Sarawak Tourism and Heritage Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said yesterday. "I cannot reveal too much as MAS (Malaysia Airlines) is a public-listed company. "But it will give Sabah and Sarawak a substantial share in the airline." He said this at his home in Petra Jaya to provide details on the restructuring exercise which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak disclosed when opening the Jelajah Janji Ditepati carnival on Saturday. MASwings, set up to operate the rural air services in the two states, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MAS. Abang Johari, who started the push for the two states to have a controlling stake in the airline last year, described the talks as being quite advanced and added that the deal could be wrapped up before the year-end. He said the rationale for having control of MASwings was to give Sabah and Sarawak the right to exploit opportunities in the Asian travel and tourism business. "We not only need direct connectivity. We have to compete with other airlines. This region will be lucrative. It is important we have a say." Although the future of the airline is still being thrashed out, its operations would no longer be confined to servicing rural communities in Sabah and Sarawak and flying to some destinations on Borneo island. MASwings now flies to Brunei from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. It also flies to Tarakan, Pontianak and Balikpapan in Kalimantan. Abang Johari said the restructured MASwings would fly primarily to east Asian destinations in South Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong. It would also fly to India. "The network we're planning will have a huge impact on the development of the tourism economy in the two states." The airline will no longer have a turbo-prop fleet. Abang Johari said MASwings would purchase Boeing 737-sized aircraft to service the proposed east Asian routes. Some of its Twin Otters, he said, would be retrofitted with floats to land on the Bakun and Batang Ai dam reservoirs and the Batang Lupar in Sri Aman. Bakun and Batang Ai are being developed as major eco-tourism areas while the Benak tidal bore festival on the Batang Lupar in Sri Aman has become a major tourist draw. Sources: http://www.asiaone.c...430-342955.html

© Sarawak, Sabah eye majority stake KUCHING: Sabah and Sarawak are set to acquire a majority stake in MASwings soon, said Minister of Tourism Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg here yesterday. The takeover bid, which is already in its advanced stage of negotiations, is expected to be wrapped up by year-end. He said MASwings’ parent body Malaysia Airlines and the Sarawak and Sabah governments had already agreed to the transaction although the buyout percentage was still being negotiated. “The rationale behind our aim to become a majority stakeholder in the airline is to have its management from our side … where we can formulate the direction and business model for MASwings. “We will not compete with other airlines as we need to evaluate the best business model for this airline. The most important factor is for these two states to have a say on what needs to be done. What we need now is direct connectivity,” Abang Johari, who is also Minister of Housing, told a press conference at his residence here yesterday. With MASwings administration to be determined by both state governments, its focus would swing to enhancing connectivity between the two East Malaysian states with East Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong and India. In addition, established network with Singapore, the peninsula and BIMP-EAGA areas would also be strengthen. Once the restructuring exercise is completed, Abang Johari forsees a re-branding of MASwings. Its fleet of aircrafts would be expanded by acquiring more 737-800 aircrafts. On the local front, the state might buy more planes despite the availability of the ATR and Twin-Otter aircrafts. Some of the Twin-Otters would be fitted with amphibious landing equipment to serve Bakun and Batang Ai. “Considering that the main objective is for MASwings to have a network specifically for these areas, this new acquisition would create better accessibility to SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy) and Sabah Corridor areas. “This development will give a big economic development impact to both states, including for the tourism sector. We have always highlighted Sarawak being a new ecotourism destination. The state, rich in its biodiversity, culture and nature, provides vast attraction to foreign visitors. “The state will strengthen its tourism promotion to woo tourists who love nature, culture and biodiversity.” Without the restructuring exercise, Abang Johari said it would remain difficult for the state to propose routes and connectivity with MAS due to business reasons. This new development would give both state governments more room to manoeuvre its tourism and economic planning. Abang Johari said the state could not have its own airline as it was a very expensive business. Both Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers then decided that the best alternative would be to go for a takeover considering the infrastructure was already in place. Also present at the press conference was Assistant Tourism Minister Datuk Talib Zulpilip. Sources: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/04/30/sarawak-sabah-eye-majority-stake/

True enough... ... I think fares also played a role, this year less sales from them; previous two years when more sales, I can see that the load is at least 50% of the capacity....but yea, balancing profitability and connectivity is really a hard task.... Waiping, serious? Only 5 passengers for the entire ATR 72? Got talks about it as seen in media, but till now seems no real orders being decided yet....

(A) Najib: Proposed restructuring will see Sabah, Sarawak as MASwings stakeholders KUCHING: MASwings will be restructured to allow the Sarawak and Sabah state governments to have a stake in the airline. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who announced this yesterday, said the move would help both states to increase their connectivity. In response to requests from both states, the structure of MASwings would be reviewed to take into consideration the interests of Sarawak and Sabah, to enable both state governments to partially own the airline, he said during the Janji Ditepati programme at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday. Najib did not give further details of the proposed restructuring of the airline. However, industry sources indicate that Sabah and Sarawak will have 30% ownership each while the Federal Government will take the remaining 40%. The announcement is welcome news for the state’s tourism industry, which depends on good air links to bring in visitors. The Federal Government recently agreed to both state governments’ proposal for MASwings to be a regional airline instead of only operating rural air services in Sarawak and Sabah. MASwings has since introduced new destinations in Brunei and Kalimantan and plans to fly to Asian cities like Hong Kong, Bangkok and Seoul in its next phase of regional expansion. Sources: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/29/sarawak/11198860&sec=sarawak ( Abang Johari: Majority stake in MASwings deal by end of year KUCHING: The Sarawak and Sabah state governments aim to close the deal on their majority stake in MASwings before the end of this year. Sarawak Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg told reporters here that the deal was nearing completion. “Certainly, we hope it will be concluded by the end of this year. The two state governments combined will have a majority stake,” Johari said at a press conference on Sunday. He declined to reveal further details. To a question on whether the two state governments could hold between 60% and 70% equity in MASwings, Johari did not deny the figures. “Yes roughly around that. It's being worked out, I really can't say much because MAS (MASwings's parent company Malaysia Airlines) is a public listed company. "What is safe to reveal now is that we (Sarawak and Sabah state governments) will have a substantial stake. The management (of MASwings) will be under us,” he said. The Star has reliably learnt from industry sources that Sarawak and Sabah state governments are each aiming at 30% equity, leaving the remaining 40% to Federal Government. Little is known about the developing deal, and how the potential unravelling of the MAS and AirAsia shareswap last year could impact the change of MASwing's ownership. Talk of MASwings' becoming a Sarawak and Sabah state governments majority owned airline has been circulating since early this year. The move was prompted by the sudden downsizing of Firefly - another of MAS's subsidiaries - that abruptly cancelled its services from the two Malaysian states on Borneo on the eve of Malaysia Day last year. Sources: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/29/nation/20120429163412&sec=nation Have your say, good or bad? For me, if the future expansion plans are really based on market demand without politics concerns / influence; it would be a good move....let's see how they gonna turn the connectivity issues around which they had been complaining for so long once flights got cut....

New issue is downloadable from the website now... http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/content/dam/mas/master/en/pdf/enrich/WOR_May_Jul_2012.pdf

Something that sounds goods if this means the first step to mark a return of FY jets....Just few days back saw they wrote using the 737-400...and now 737-800....hmmm...let's see...

I already said it, just slightly more choices rather than "apple or orange" game only will be more than enough; not as many and as big in Indonesia, I do know that the market cannot sustain so much airlines, but at least not just a pick between "apple or orange" for Malaysians...

Let's see what's the story next in less than 24 hours, it would be more than happier for us to have things revert back to normal...wanders when can we have the choices that Indonesian can have for the domestic sectors (not "so much" as them, but at least is not an "apple or orange" game only...

Who has the details for the rego?

Just tried one, one question here, we still can print out the itenarary and do normal counter check in right?

Wah, meaning you can redeem one free ticket (only pay the taxes) for flights between Peninsular and Borneo if you fly before next month end....may I know when was the date for latest free 1000 miles being credited to your account?

I thought Kalstar already serve Kuching from Pontianak and SEA will soon serve BKI from the Philippines? So, real new comer might only be counted to 3.... NICE!

Anymore people receive free 1000 miles from MHBuddy promos????

Just get it done soon enough...they had served East Malaysian rural folks for real good and real long...time to bid bon voyage to them...Viking 400 series should be the best, next is Dornier 228...

What new card??

Among these first batch of BIMP-EAGA destinations, I think the rest should be sustainable; only KCH-BWN-KCH I am slightly in doubt though demand from both of the city's folks looks promising, the fares are not customer friendly at all; and a check at BI website also revealed that they do drop down the return fares for BKI-BWN-BKI for now, previously about 220 MYR for a return and now about 170 MYR for a return only...

Good one! I like this!

Plans nicely drawn, Sarawak government also has one; as Borneo citizens, after so many dramas in flight frequencies cut this year, we can only hope that they are not only know how to talk, but really working on it, or else next time maybe got money also no seats to fly...

I got being prompt with 2 options only, one MH flight and one MASwings flight...

Only BKI-BWN-BKI is bookable at MAS website (intro fares RM 156 return all in, less BND 12 airport taxes payable when depart from BWN)for now, others still NOT opened; MASwings site NOT updated yet at all...

I am pondering the same question too...

Nice insight. Maybe the only difference is from "Orange" to "Jelly", though they might pass as a LCC, they seems looked have failed to be a FSC; partly because many new faces I guess (from what I "overlooked" at the "appearance" of FY Jet's crews at KLIA last month...

Sometimes I just wandered how can they add so much flights without increasing the fleets size...

Promise to be kept or not is another thing, let MASwings start the regional flights that had been talked for ages first...