Air Services Agreement Will Ensure Connectivity Between Malaysia And Chile In Fewer Hours

[flee 5]

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia-Chile air services agreement, expected to come into force year-end, would ensure connectivity between the two countries in fewer hours, said Chile's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fernando Schmidt.

 

"With the agreement, Malaysia Airlines and LAN Airlines can come to Santiago and Kuala Lumpur, thus making Kuala Lumpur and Santiago regional hubs for transportation of goods and passengers.

 

"We also hope to have one transit instead of two or three now," he said in an interview with Bernama Monday.

 

He said both governments had negotiated the technical part of the agreement and it was now up to airline companies to materialise the air services agreement.

 

"I think it is perfectly possible to connect Malaysia and Chile in fewer hours, maybe 22 hours after the air services are implemented.

 

"That gives opportunity to trade and making Malaysia a good destination for tourists. Today, the number of Chilean tourists to Malaysia and Thailand is increasing.

 

"The air services agreement will perfectly serve this," said Schmidt, who is on a working visit to Kuala Lumpur.

 

Schmidt said the air services agreement was signed last year and would enter into force immediately after the ratification by the Chilean Senate in the next few weeks.

 

He said the Malaysian-Chile Free Trade Agreement (MCFTA) would benefit, among others, the halal-certified companies in Chile.

 

"Chileans can export more of agriculture products as well as others.

 

"It (MCFTA) is an opportunity for Malaysia to reach new American Latin countries. Malaysia can export to Chile and re-export, such as the halal products, to other American Latin countries.

 

"We believe very strongly in making alliance when the FTA enters into force," he said.

 

Schmidt said the FTA would see Malaysia and Chile working together to combine policies.

 

"I want to put the FTA in a broader framework, the 2020 initiative for Malaysia and together with Chile to be a developed country by 2018," he said.

 

He said that science and technology was an issue that should be further explored by the two countries.

 

"We believe a lot can be done on Antarctic issues, in the area of astronomy. Chile has the largest astronomical capacity in the world and 70 per cent of the observation capacity in the world is located in Chile," he said.

 

Schmidt said that Chile also needed to improve its quality of education and had raised the allocation for its education by US$781 million to US$11.65 billion for next year under its 2012 Budget.

 

"In our 2012 Budget, education occupies the largest, 25.7 per cent of the total.

 

"We believe it's very important to have exchange of students with Malaysia. We have announced this morning to bring students to stay in our diplomatic academy for 15 days in order to have better contact," he said.

 

He said Chile was looking at organising education fairs in Malaysia.

[suadrif 0]

Hopefully MH and LA cooperates with each other and make this route profitable year-round.

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

I bet if MH's going to SCL, it will be on a codeshare of LA's AKL service.

Edited October 24, 2011 by Mohd Suhaimi Fariz

[Naim 6]

I'll be on the Santiago flight!

[Johan Z 0]

Perhaps MH could start a new route to SCL or move the exotic CPT-EZE to CPT-SCL (subject to approval, of course).

[Tamizi Hj Tamby 1]

Interesting; Looking forward to hear more news about it.

[flee 5]

I don't think Chile is a hot destination. So it may just be a code share flight so as to minimise wastage and losses for the airlines operating the flights.

[dean hizudy 0]

I think chile would be a great holiday destination,it just not many malaysian people aware about it. BTW, few months ago there was chile tourism commercial aired in rapid KL buses.

[Naim 6]

Chile is an excellent destination.

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

Great development considering MH's election into oneworld next year where LAN is already a member.

 

But I don't think for MH to fly its aircraft to Santiago (whether via Africa or Oceania) is a good business decision. LAN flies to AKL and SYD, 2 destinations where MH is serving as well with high frequency. A MH-LA code share via SYD and/or AKL would be the most business sense option in my opinion.

 

MH can also avoid the problem that its KUL-CPT-EZE route is experiencing, where the South African government is being the stumbling block to even to increase the route's frequency to 1 more weekly service, if it proceeds with the proposed LA code share in SYD and/or AKL.