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Pieter C.

MASwings Set To Fly To BIMP-EAGA

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Nothing new - Putrajaya works very slowly. Just ask AirAsia X how long they had to wait for the KUL-SYD route approval...

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Nothing new - Putrajaya works very slowly. Just ask AirAsia X how long they had to wait for the KUL-SYD route approval...

 

By the time they assess QF's new premium airline's proposal they've already set up in SIN.

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By the time they assess QF's new premium airline's proposal they've already set up in SIN.

The govt. should never be in business itself - they should facilitate business.

 

The govt. being in business means that there is a conflict of interest. That is why it takes Putrajaya so long to assess matters - cos it has to protect its own businesses! :rolleyes:

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This plan had been in the pipeline for almost 2 years now, and yet we are now being told is our country internal problem; what a paradox for the state government to appeal for more flights from outside while the federal ministry is holding up or canceling flights internally! If you say other 3 countries need more time or don't approve, still can be understood....:S...I believe more things to come soon...considering the follow up effects of last month deal...

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Maswings is subsidized and won’t be permitted to cannibalize either MH or AK revenue.

Maybe Sapphire, being a regional airline, will be given the routes? MASWings will then be able to stay focussed as an RAS airline.

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With the news / plans being out for almost 2 years, I guess MASwings will stay remain as an RAS player for Sabahan and Sarawakian only; with the possibility of giving those routes to Sapphire, unless those tourism players within the region can make some solid noise...

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KUCHING: Minister of Tourism and Heritage Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg is urging the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to step on the accelerator and grant permission to MASwings to become a regional airline.

 

He said the state tourism industry and economy would get a shot in the arm if MASwings could serve BIMP-EAGA countries and important hubs such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Bali and Singapore.

 

“The moment you have the connectivity, I believe Main Bazaar here will be full of tourists. When we have a lot of tourists, our economy will improve. That was why the other day I expressed my frustration with the Ministry of Transport for being slow in granting MASwings the permission to operate in BIMP-EAGA.”

(BIMP-EAGA is the acronym for Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines – East Asia Growth Area).

 

Speaking at MAS and MASwings Hari Raya gathering here yesterday, Abang Johari argued that if Silkair could be the regional airline for Singapore Airlines, he couldn’t see why MASwings couldn’t be the regional airline for MAS.

 

“MASwings can come out with a new model to be both full service as well as low cost.”

 

Abang Johari said the state government wanted to expand the tourism industry and that efforts were being made towards that direction.

 

“I have written a letter to the chairman of MAS and MASwings telling him about the requirements of Sarawak and Sabah, and a copy of the letter was also forwarded to the Prime Minister.”

 

He added that he was also in close touch with his counterpart in Sabah to ensure that both states would have a common approach in tackling the problem of connectivity.

 

“The Prime Minister is actually supporting us. In the last meeting in Brunei, he asked why the MoT is slow in giving approval for the BIMP-EAGA routes. The Prime Minister has taken the matter up and I’m sure the issue will be settled soon.”

 

In the meantime, Abang Johari urged hotel operators and travel agents to modernise themselves.

 

“They will also have to rationalise the way they promote Sarawak. We can no longer use the conventional approach because you (hotel operators and travel agents) are the people who will gain in this industry.”

 

In terms of hotel rooms, he said that besides Merdeka Plaza, three more hotels were in the planning stage. This meant that eventually at least 2,000 rooms would have to be filled here.

 

“We are also building hotels in other parts of Sarawak,” he added.

 

Abang Johari also revealed that he was still trying to get amphibious aircrafts to serve Batang Ai, Bakun Dam, Damai Lagoon and Miri.

 

Sources: http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/09/29/stop-dragging-your-feet-abg-jo-tells-ministry-of-transport/

 

KUCHING: MASwings aspires to be a household brand for the people of Sabah and Sarawak.

 

The community airline had held many activities in the past five months to position MASwings as an airline that serves the need of the people in Sabah and Sarawak.

 

“Being a community airline, I realise the importance of MASwings to the people of Sabah and Sarawak. Therefore, I tell MASwings employees that they really need to perform to serve the people in Sabah and Sarawak,” said the managing director of MASwing Datuk Capt Mohd Nawawi Awang during MAS and MASwings Raya open house at Hilton Hotel Kuching yesterday.

 

He revealed that 85 per cent of Maswings staff from Sabah and Sarawak. Out of 1,300, some 1,100 employees are from both states.

 

Capt Mohd Nawawi said he understood the difficulties faced by the people in rural places such as Bario and Ba Kelalan in getting from one place to another.

 

With MASwings as the lifeline for the people in the interior, he said the community airline looks forward to playing its role in serving the interior communities in Sabah and Sarawak, even with the limited equipment it has — 10 ATR aircrafts and four Twin Otters.

 

Besides serving the people of Sabah and Sarawak, Capt Mohd Nawawi said MASwings also aspires to expand beyond the shores of Sabah and Sarawak to position itself for the future.

 

“When I came in to lead the company five months ago, I realised I’m in the privileged position to take the airline into the future. When I came on board in April, my first task was to expand into BIMP-Eaga.

 

“Initially, our target was to start our operations in July and I thought three months down the road I could start our first operation into BIMP Eaga,” he said.

 

However, to his surprise, MASwings is still waiting for approval from the Ministry of Transport to launch its operation.

 

“I went regularly to Putrajaya to explain our strategies and told the minister that we are ready to start our operation into BIMP Eaga,” he added.

 

Among those who were present at the open house yesterday were Minister of Tourism and Heritage, Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg; Assistant Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Datuk Talib Zulpilip; Tourism and Heritage Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik; Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive Datuk Rashid Khan; MAS area manager for Sarawak, Mohd Asif Abd Talib and MASwings Sarawak regional manager Zainuddin Mohammed.

 

Sources: http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/09/29/maswings-eyeing-to-become-household-name/

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MIRI: The International Trade and Industry Ministry feels that an airline that facilitates intra-state travel inside Sarawak and Sabah and between Sarawak and Sabah could be viable in the long-term if the airline is allowed to fly also to Brunei, Indonesia and Philippines.

 

Its deputy minister Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan yesterday said the ministry felt that having a regional airline covering East Malaysia, Brunei, Kalimantan and Philippines would be more economically sustainable if it focused on Sarawak and Sabah only.

 

“The suggestion to set up a domestic airline for Sarawak and Sabah should be viewed in a positive light. There is indeed a rapid reduction in the number of flights between the cities and towns inside Sarawak and Sabah and between the two states,” he said.

 

“Having a separate airline to service the two states will boost connectivity, enhance trade and facilitate the setting up of more joint ventures in industrial projects as well as boost tourism.

 

“It will help facilitate the flow of people between the two states and inside them. However, the economic viability of such a domestic airline in the long-term is another factor altogether.

 

“The costs of sustaining its operation over the long-term period will be enormous. In view of the current economic situation in the country and also the current global economic uncertainties, the setting up of this domestic airline for Sarawak and Sabah may be difficult unless the airline also serves the countries surrounding Sarawak and Sabah,” he told The Star.

 

Jacob, who is Baram MP, was commenting on a proposal by the Sarawak Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry that the Federal Government consider the setting up of a separate airline for Sarawak and Sabah because MAS, AirAsia and MASwings are constantly reducing their flights in and into the two states.

 

Jacob yesterday said there was a big movement of people in the Sarawak-Sabah-Brunei-Kalimantan-Philippines sector and a regional airline that operates in this area would not only be sustainable, it could also be profitable.

 

He hoped that the business chambers in Sarawak and Sabah would aggressively pursue this domestic airline idea with the federal ministries and see how far they could go.

 

He also noted that in order to establish a regional airline, neighbouring countries must also give air clearance and landing rights.

 

Thus, consultation between the governments would also have to be carried out at the federal government level.

 

In the meantime, Hornbill Skyways chief executive officer Datuk Aidan Wing said the state-owned aviation company was willing to play a management role in handling such a domestic airline if it was not too costly.

 

“We are willing to discuss the idea with the relevant ministries if there is an official proposal to us.

 

“Right now, we have a fleet of mostly helicopters, but we also have three fixed wing aircraft for chartered and unscheduled flights.

 

“We have the experience of running an airline, but the finer details of the cost must be looked into very carefully if we are to be a partner in any domestic airline,” he said.

 

Hornbill now operates flights for aerial surveys and mappings and also for offshore oil and gas projects.

 

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/4/sarawak/9624251&sec=sarawak

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They have not come to their senses! I agree they should start their own airline rather than bitch and moan about MAS and AK, but yes, you're right. It's so not gonna happen cuz they haven't got the brains and balls to do it.

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Remember SAEAGA Airlines...doomed before it took off...

Now that is one alarming statement to make upon an object that wasn't naturally intended to be flying :p

 

Back to topic, I guess the SAEAGA episode must be considered in parallel with the 'Midas touch' effect of anything related to Ekran in those days ;)

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KUCHING: East Malaysian community airline MASwings Sdn Bhd (MASwings) has taken a stand to clarify certain issues pertaining to its serviced rural routes and flight frequencies.

 

The call was made in response to a media report quoting the Bintulu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry as saying ‘current services are not up to expectation and that businesses in need of easy connectivity are feeling the effects of cancelled routes and reduced flight frequency’.

 

The association also claimed that in Bintulu, MASwings had cut down its flights to-and-from Kuching to only one daily, of which the return flight from the state capital was at 4.25pm with a transit in Sibu.

 

“We haven’t cancelled or revised any flight on our Kuching-Bintulu route. The fact about the one-per-day flight is not correct,” affirmed MASwings’ managing director Datuk Mohd Nawawi Awang in a telephone interview with The Borneo Post yesteday.

 

He added that since March last year, MASwings had been providing twice-daily return flights for its Kuching-Bintulu route. The additional flight, which flies between Kuching and Bintulu via Sibu, became fully operational in March this year.

 

“So, we actually have two-plus-one flights between Kuching and Bintulu – not just one as claimed.”

 

In the said media report, the Bintulu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s president Datuk Sia Hiong Ngie stated that the chamber had received many complaints – both from the business community and public – about the increasingly poor air services, to which he added that the situation could get worse because of Malaysia Airlines – or MAS, MASwings’ parent holding – and AirAsia Bhd’s flight rationalisation exercise.

 

Sia even suggested a joint venture (JV) involving MASwings and other local aviation companies to handle routes in the state as well as to Brunei.

 

In response to this, Nawawi commented, “To reiterate, MASwings is a subsidiary of MAS and subject to governance under the ministry. Any decision to form a JV has to gain a ‘go-ahead’ approval from our top management, as well as from Ministry of Transport since we have the rural air services agreement with the government.

 

“We are striving towards meeting the needs of the community and submitting any operational proposals – including the formation of a JV as well as to mount additional flights – but it has to go through MAS as well as the government,” he explained.

 

When asked about MASwings’ regional expansion plan across the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), Nawawi disclosed that the airline had already submitted a confirmation to the ministry last week, stating that the plan attained the nod from MAS top management.

 

“We are proceeding with what has been planned. I have been told by the ministry that the plan will be presented to the Cabinet for approval. As you know, the initial plan was to have the expansion ready by July this year before it was postponed to October.

 

“With all regulatory procedures to be cleared over the next few months, hopefully, the new BIMP-EAGA route will be operational by the end of this year,” he said.

 

Under its BIMP-EAGA expansion plan, MASwings’ would first introduce its Kuching-Pontianak (West Kalimantan) route, alongside return flights from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei. Another route, Kota Kinabalu-Tawau-Tarakan was slated for early next year.

 

Sources: http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/10/05/maswings-%E2%80%98clears-the-air%E2%80%99-on-rural-route-flight-frequency-issue/

 

Some more waiting for those who expects BIMP-EAGA routes to come abroad, I just hope they don't reduce the frequencies and seats allocations for RAS after these...

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KOTA KINABALU -- MASwings, the airline servicing Sabah and Sarawak, expects to launch the first phase of its BIMP-EAGA operations into Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia, by early near year.

 

Chief executive officer, Datuk Capt Mohd Nawawi Awang said the foray into international destinations, would be another milestone in the airlines' history.

 

It will, he added, pave the way for many more people to travel into Sabah and Sarawak while further intensifying tourist arrivals and business opportunities.

 

"Hopefully, in the next few days, we will be getting the long awaited approval to operate into the BIMP-EAGA.

 

 

 

"This will be a new dawn for MASwings, and we hope to launch the first phase of our BIMP-EAGA operations by early next year," Mohd Nawawi said at MASwings 4th Anniversary Dinner, here last night. - Bernama

 

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KOTA KINABALU: MASwings might begin its international flights next year if everything goes as planned, according to its chief executive officer Datuk Captain Mohd Nawawi Awang.

 

Expecting a positive result next week, Nawawi said they were planning to expand their services to the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines – East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

 

He said they were kicking off with two routes via the state capital, namely Kota Kinabalu-Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) and Kota Kinabalu-Tawau-Tarakan (South Kalimantan), and two from Sarawak, Kuching-Pontianak (West Kalimantan) and Kuching-Bandar Seri Begawan.

 

He said they were awaiting approval for the four routes, adding that currently, it has been tabled in the Cabinet meetings of both states.

 

“We are expecting positive answers since we believe the expansion will help us to widen MASwings’ operations in promoting accessibility to these locations, and also to help promote Sabah and Sarawak.

 

“MASwings sees that both Sabah and Sarawak have great potential, especially when tourism and nature is concerned, and believe a lot of people come here for either education or its health services,” he said.

 

If everything goes well, MASwings is also planning to expand its services to Balikpapan and Banjarmasin in Indonesia, apart from several locations in the Philippines and Irian.

 

Since its inception in 2007, MASwings has flown to over 20 destinations in East Malaysia with some 940 flights weekly compared to 450 flights when it first started.

 

“Last year we flew in some 1.2 million passengers, and for 2011, we have targeted to increase the numbers to 1.3 million. To date, the figure has surpassed 1.2 million,” he said.

 

Earlier in his speech, Nawawi said although MASwings is just a subsidiary company to the national carrier, it has shown encouraging growth.

 

“MASwings recognises the support from the people, therefore to make us as the brand name here, we will strive to offer the best services to our passengers.

 

“We (MASwings) should be the brand for Sabahans and Sarawakians. Our staff should be proud of themselves for being able to provide the best services to the people,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Nawawi said Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) decision not to use Kota Kinabalu as its hub will not affect MASwings’ operations in the state.

 

Nawawi said instead, they will be focusing on implementing the task to provide the best services to the passengers.

 

“We believe that we will remain as the choice for Sabahans and Sarawakians,” he said after presenting certificates to 10 full time and two part time MASwings Cabin Crew graudates during a graduation ceremony, yesterday.

 

It is reported that MAS, which will be relocating its headquarters from Subang to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in February next year, will cut several routes including those to Dubai, Johannesburg, Buenos Aires and Cape Town, in a bid to reduce costs.

 

The media report, quoting a source, added that MAS would no longer rely on Kota Kinabalu as a hub and would cut flights out of the Sabah capital to destinations such as Haneda, Seoul and Osaka.

 

It was also reported that choosing Kota Kinabalu as a hub was not a strategic move in the first place, and now the airline had to reverse the decision.

 

This is the second time that MAS has abandoned the idea of using Kota Kinabalu as a hub. The first attempt was in 2003.

 

Issued By: Corporate Communications Department MASwings

 

http://www.maswings.com.my/press/111118.html

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So MH got only one hub? Which is KUL?

 

As for pathetic MasWings, the plan of beginning international flights from KCH and BKI have been long planed and dragged till next year... Brilliant... and thanks to MH, the parent company, due to its uncertainty that has affected the subsidiaries' growth.

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Dont they need new aircraft which is larger and can go further than ATR72.

 

Supposing the proposal by Sarawak government comes true and the long planned BIMP-EAGA region services also materialised; I don't see that they can grow the destinations without growing the fleets of 10 ATR 72, larger or not I am not sure, but in terms of numbers, they MUST grow in order to support the proposed growth in routes...

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MASWINGS Sdn Bhd, which currently serves Sabah and Sarawak, will start its Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) flights by February 1 next year.

 

 

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri said the federal government had agreed to Sarawak's proposal for MASwings to become a regional airline operating within BIMP-EAGA.

 

The plan was part of the state tourism ministry's efforts to sort out problems arising from the recent termination of Firefly services as well as the uncertainty caused by the MAS-AirAsia collaboration and share swap.

 

"The first phase of this BIMP-EAGA operation will start off with Bandar Seri Begawan, Kalimantan and Davao. The direct air links to these destinations should boost trade and tourism within the sub-region," Abdul Rahim said in a press conference before a site inspection at Kuching International Airport yesterday.

 

He said it would pave the way for many more people to travel into Sabah and Sarawak while intensifying tourist arrivals and business opportunities.

 

"The move by the airline, which serviced Sabah and Sarawak, would transform Kuching and Kota Kinabalu international airports into transport hubs and regional entry points for international destinations."

 

BIMP-EAGA was established in 1994 as a collaborative initiative by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, all of which are Asean member nations.

 

Abdul Rahim said after the conclusion of the BIMP-EAGA Ministerial Meeting in Cagayan De Oro in the Philippines recently, the four countries agreed to find ways to improve air connectivity in the region.

 

He said that although MASwings would become a regional airline, it would remain committed to providing the best service domestically, especially in rural areas.

 

"This is in line with MASwings' objective to provide subsidised air service in the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak which are not accessible by road."

 

Abdul Rahim said that each year, the government spends about RM150 million to subsidise MASwings' operations to provide travel convenience to the rural folks of Sabah and Sarawak.

 

MASwings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines.

 

 

 

Read more: MASwings' BIMP-EAGA flights to take off on Feb 1 http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/CONISE/Article/#ixzz1fcQ8DAr0

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Yeah, we heard that one before. I'll file this in the "I'll believe after it happens" folder.

They sound dead serious this time... Lets wait and see lah! :)

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I suppose it's one thing to start flying the proposed routes

Totally something else to sustain the service I imagine :D

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