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Airlines lukewarm to using Malacca airport

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Airlines lukewarm to using Malacca airport

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/8/nation/4482043&sec=nation

 

MALACCA: After spending RM131.5mil to upgrade the Malacca International Airport (MIA), the state government had to stomach the disappointing news that two major low-cost carriers are not interested to fly there.

 

Firefly, a subsidiary of Malaysian Airline System, pulled out at the last minute, while AirAsia only showed lukewarm interest in using the airport as one of its main destination.

 

A disappointed Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said he had received a letter from Firefly noting they have scrapped plans to fly to Singapore from Malacca.

 

“Firefly claimed it had insufficient bookings and that we did not help to promote the routes.

 

“It added that we did not give any incentives to them.

 

“They even requested the state to pay RM75 for each of the unsold seats, but this impossible,” he told reporters after launching the 6th MATTA fair at Dataran Pahlawan here yesterday.

 

As for the claim of insufficient bookings, Mohd Ali said the state government had checked at the website earlier and it showed flight from Malacca to Singapore was fully booked.

 

However, subsequent check on Firefly’s official website showed the Malacca-Singapore routes had been removed.

 

At present only 1,476m of the airport runway is operational as work to further extend the runway to 2,200m under a RM60mil project is ongoing

 

 

I dunno why, but whatever was built over a railway place always end up being ...well.. useless?

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So soon, MKZ has become a white elephant? The runway extension is not even completed! :o

 

May be the CM should organize a chartered 744 to pop the cherry, to show the world MKZ is the HUB for chartered flights :rofl:

 

:drinks:

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Wait until Kuala Lumpur is as big as London, then KUL will become like LHR and SZB like Gatwick. Maybe then MKZ can tumpamg to be something like STN. If I am a Singaporean, I'd rather use my expensive car and enjoy it on the NS highway on my way to Malacca. Won't get fleeced by the taxi either to move around.

Edited by Radzi

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Saw it coming unfortunately. SIN - Malacca also want to fly. Hmm...

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The problem with Melaka is that it is too near KLIA - so they might want to consider running just helicopter shuttles to KLIA, like the Macau-Hong Kong heli services.

 

For Melaka to be viable, it must rely on international flights - that means the runway must be able to take a minimum of A320 aircraft with a view to be extended to accommodate A330s in future. Routes like BKK-MKZ or HKG-MKZ might attract more pax. Currently the runway cannot even take the A320. That may explain why airlines are unable to operate out of the airport.

 

Saw it coming unfortunately. SIN - Malacca also want to fly. Hmm...

I don't even fly KUL-SIN cos door to door, it takes the same time to drive. So this route is not really commercially viable.

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He is a very super ambitious man in Melaka, Even malaccian friends that I spoke too laugh at the way he manage the city (or town) :rofl:

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They even requested the state to pay RM75 for each of the unsold seats, but this impossible,” he told reporters after launching the 6th MATTA fair at Dataran Pahlawan here yesterday.

Is this supposed to be P&C between the CM (or 'whoever it may concerned') and the carrier?

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If I am a Singaporean, I'd rather use my expensive car and enjoy it on the NS highway on my way to Malacca.

 

Actually you are quite spot-on. Singaporeans don't get much opportunity to slam their foot on the accelerators in their home turf. I know of some Singaporeans who have managed to get from Singapore to Malacca in their Japanese/Korean cars just shy of 2 hours...2 hrs 5 min if they slow down to avoid the traffic police spot-checks.

 

Why fly when you can drive?

Edited by S. Huang

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Actually you are quite spot-on. Singaporeans don't get much opportunity to slam their foot on the accelerators in their home turf. I know of some Singaporeans who have managed to get from Singapore to Malacca in their Japanese/Korean cars just shy of 2 hours...2 hrs 5 min if they slow down to avoid the traffic police spot-checks.

 

Why fly when you can drive?

 

The shortest time from 2nd link to Sg Besi toll among my friends is 1 hour 45 minutes on a RS4 :clapping: :good:

 

:drinks:

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August 13, 2009 20:46 PM

Firefly Suspends Singapore-Melaka Route

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's community airlines, Firefly Sdn Bhd, has suspended its planned Singapore-Melaka route scheduled for commencement on Sept 1, said managing director Eddy Leong.

 

The move would allow the airline to evaluate in greater detail the request by the Melaka state government to focus on the Indonesian sector.

 

The Melaka Government recently asked the airlines to focus more on Indonesian routes such as Pekanbaru, Djambi and Palembang to boost medical tourism.

 

"We will continue to talk to the state government. We remain positive that Firefly will light up Melaka just like how we did for Perak," he said in a statement.

 

Following the suspension of the Singapore-Melaka route, Leong said Firefly would re-deploy the aircraft meant for the sector to the Singapore-Ipoh sector.

 

Firefly will operate daily flights between Singapore and Ipoh from Sept 1.

 

Currently, it serves the sector four times a week.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/news_lite.php?id=432678

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The Melaka Government recently asked the airlines to focus more on Indonesian routes such as Pekanbaru, Djambi and Palembang to boost medical tourism.

 

May be the CM can builds a medical center at the airport, the first medical center in the world with attached aerobridge.

 

:drinks:

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Maybe new airport for Shah Rukh Khan to land his plane(s)? :pardon:

 

PS: I've tasted biryanis virtually all over India, but I keep coming back to JM Beriani here at Tesco Shah Allam :good:

 

Sorry, O/T. :)

 

 

=====

Shah Rukh Khan Hosts Dinner For Ali Rustam In Mumbai

 

By P.Vijian

 

HYDERABAD, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan hosted Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam to a special dinner at his residence in posh Banjara Hills in Mumbai on Monday.

 

"I attended a dinner at his house. He served the best Indian cuisine including briyani and thosai.

 

"I must say Malaysian (food) tastes 20 per cent less good than original Indian food. He also agreed to do one or two shoots for his new movie Happy New Year in Melaka later this year," Mohd Ali told Bernama during a brief visit to Hyderabad.

 

He said they also discussed establishing a film studio in Melaka to develop talents for the Malaysian movie industry.

 

"He (Khan) has a lot of experience in acting and movie production. He has given us his blessings, I hope he can give lectures and share his knowledge with us," added Mohd Rustam.

 

Two of Khan's movies, "One Two Ka Four" and "Don" were shot in the historical Melaka state.

 

Last November, the Melaka state government awarded him the title "Datuk" for promoting Melaka through his movies.

 

Khan's movie Happy New Year is directed by the actor himself and his wife Gauri Khan.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=432629

Edited by Naim

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KUCHING, May 4 (Bernama) -- Melaka wants low-cost carrier AirAsia to introduce direct flights from the Melaka International Airport (MIA) to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to boost joint capacity in the tourism sector.

 

Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the proposal for the direct flights was made to AirAsia chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes last year and the airline was now in the process of reviewing its domestic routes.

 

"I hope there will be at least one direct flight each week to the two destinations. For example, the direct flight departs in the morning and returns in the afternoon or the next day," he told reporters after handing out an official invitation to attend the 13th Malaysia Games (Sukma) to be held in Melaka from June 10 to 19 to Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, here Tuesday.

 

Mohd Ali said AirAsia had the capability to provide the direct flights as the MIA now had the capacity to receive the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 aircraft.

 

He said Melaka was also keen to develop the education sector with Sarawak in view of the great potential which could be exploited jointly.

 

Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=495570

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There is good load for flights from Malacca to Sibu, but they have to be quick. Very quick.

 

Wonder, is this a job for.... SILVERFLY!!!!!

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Wonder, is this a job for.... SILVERFLY!!!!!

Nah :nea:

Lalat Perak's niche is likely something in the category of Taiping / Long Pasia vv (non-stop) ;)

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Silverfly ? :rofl:

 

How about them....it's been sooooo quiet eversince... :blink:

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KUCHING, May 4 (Bernama) -- Melaka wants low-cost carrier AirAsia to introduce direct flights from the Melaka International Airport (MIA) to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to boost joint capacity in the tourism sector.

 

Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the proposal for the direct flights was made to AirAsia chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes last year and the airline was now in the process of reviewing its domestic routes.

 

"I hope there will be at least one direct flight each week to the two destinations. For example, the direct flight departs in the morning and returns in the afternoon or the next day," he told reporters after handing out an official invitation to attend the 13th Malaysia Games (Sukma) to be held in Melaka from June 10 to 19 to Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, here Tuesday.

 

Mohd Ali said AirAsia had the capability to provide the direct flights as the MIA now had the capacity to receive the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 aircraft.

 

He said Melaka was also keen to develop the education sector with Sarawak in view of the great potential which could be exploited jointly.

 

Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=495570

 

At the end of the day, airline industry is a business; therefore such route would proceed if an airline makes money, regardless who. Making money does not easily be translated with full / high loads, the core has always been the yield. There has been cases with high yield with just say 60 -70 % that are financially more sound and feasible compared to an extremely low yield with 90 -100%.....unless someone is willing to cover the P/L.

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Sometime ago, Melaka CM lobbied for connection between Melaka and Sandakan, so-called historical-natural links to boost tourism...

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Sometime ago, Melaka CM lobbied for connection between Melaka and Sandakan, so-called historical-natural links to boost tourism...

 

The ghosts of the Sandakan Death March can go visit the ghosts of the Malacca Sultanate. After that maybe they can drive on the bridge to Sumatra perhaps.

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better be fast... Its nice to see other airlines operate here rather than Riau airline only... =)

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