Split Load

[Isaac 0]

True, but for my situation (departing from AKL), it is still convenient for me to fly MAS. Especially the KUL-TWU on MH2662, otherwise it means I have to stop at BKI twice! Now it means I have to purchase a sector fare by Air Asia.com.

You also can book AK for a non-stop flight between KUL/TWU too. I think AK got 2x daily flights now. Can save you some $$$$. Anyway, for flight longer than 1 hour, i still prefer MAS.

 

[Abel E 0]

s#1t man, I don't hope that this will be the end of our national carrier!!

But the government should learn by now that politics and business cannot be mutually inclusive!!!

 

Will MAS follow the footsteps of Garuda?? Look at Garuda these days.......sad.........

 

wat actually happend to garuda???

[Isaac 0]

wat actually happend to garuda???

Corruption !

 

[Seth K 3]

I think government intervention plays a strong role with MAS, I heard from Sing Yew that the political connection is also strong. MAS will need to cut these ties (as it will incur a cost to MAS) and seems like it won't be an easy job for Idris Jala to change all these. Obviously the introduction of the whistle blowing policy had highlighted these issues - indirectly.

 

 

MAS should gain independent like 57' from colony(aka gov.)

[S V Choong 4]

MAS should gain independent like 57' from colony(aka gov.)

 

Doubt these politicians will let go of it. Unless MAS is suffering from yet another setback. Then someone will purchase it for RM1 perhaps. For now, I don't see this happening, neither do they wish to have non-Malay or non-bumi to head the airline, dare I say.

 

[Bing Chu 0]

Doubt these politicians will let go of it

Doubt if MH will let go of the govt either !! The two seem to have some symbiotic relationship that allows one to feed off the fat of the other - worked perfectly well over the years

 

[Seth K 3]

Doubt if MH will let go of the govt either !! The two seem to have some symbiotic relationship that allows one to feed off the fat of the other - worked perfectly well over the years

 

 

Let see, Government help MAS domestic routes, MAS gets benefits...............what gov get, losing money? Where's money from, tax payers

 

MH needs gov to survive and gov don't need MAS to survive

[Bing Chu 0]

MH needs gov to survive and gov don't need MAS to survive

Some here (not necessarily me!) are of opinion Malaysian economy will collapse and civil unrest break out should MH be allowed to go under !

[S V Choong 4]

Some here (not necessarily me!) are of opinion Malaysian economy will collapse and civil unrest break out should MH be allowed to go under !

 

Just imagine how many people MAS is currently employing and try to imagine the impact of it. There will be an outbreak of political pressure to current ruling party, the Barisan National and UMNO.

 

MH needs gov to survive and gov don't need MAS to survive

 

Where do you think the government's money comes from? Look at how much tax MAS will be paying when they are profitable! The relationship like what BC said, is bit of a Tom and Jerry or Itchy and Scratchy.

[Bing Chu 0]

There will be an outbreak of political pressure to current ruling party, the Barisan National and UMNO

Personally, I don't think the political consequences of MH going under will be as damaging as what the govt is currently having to face currently with the fuel hike issue

..... how much tax MAS will be paying when they are profitable!

With all the accumulated losses over the years and projected losses carried forward, my guess is there will be quite a few years before 'Ketua Pengarah Hasil Dalam Negeri' sees a dime from MH !

[Andrew Lim 1]

Yay.

 

More cases of 'Unable to shut engine down' to look forward to.

Edited March 15, 2006 by Andrew Lim

[Sherman 0]

Bernama

 

 

MAS To Focus On Primary Domestic Routes, AirAsia Secondary Ones

March 14, 2006 15:11 PM

 

 

By Alan Ting And M. Saraswathi

 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- National carrier Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) will be flying on primary domestic routes while AirAsia will concentrate on secondary ones as well as take over the rural air service if a recommendation by a Cabinet committee is taken into consideration.

 

The committee set up by the government to look into the rationalisation of domestic air routes in the country following keen competition between MAS and AirAsia and to ensure better utilisation of resources.

 

Primary routes refer to those like Penang, Langkawi, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Johor Baharu and Kuala Lumpur with frequencies of about seven to eight flights daily.

 

The committee comprises representatives from the transport ministry, finance ministry, MAS and AirAsia.

 

A source close to the negotiations said such an arrangement would eventually see MAS operating less domestic routes while AirAsia would serve most of the domestic routes.

 

"AirAsia, which is a budget airline, would also be allowed to fly on primary routes, secondary ones and take over the rural routes, mostly involving domestic air services currently operated by MAS," he told Bernama Tuesday.

 

Based on the recommendations of the committee, MAS would only focus on domestic primary routes such as Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Johor Baharu, Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur.

 

This is due to the fact that they are the most profitable routes for the national carrier which also needs them as domestic feeder connections for its international flights from KL International Airport.

 

The source said MAS would also relinquish the rural air services, mostly in Sarawak and Sabah, currently served by turbo-propeller aircraft, to AirAsia as it was found that such services were very costly for full-fledged airlines to operate.

 

He said this would also see AirAsia operating turbo propeller aircarft as such routes could not be operated using bigger aircraft.

 

AirAsia currently operates two types of aircraft -- Boeing 737-300s and Airbus A320s.

 

"Both airlines have given their feedback on the matter and discussions are still currently on going. However, we expect the matter to be finalised on Wednesday when it will be brought up for the Cabinet discussion," the source said.

 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy is expected to make an announcement of the domestic route rationalisation on Thursday, an issue which had been deadlocked for about a year.

 

Meanwhile Chan, when contacted, refused to comment on the arrangement except saying that it would be announced "very soon".

 

AirAsia Chief Operating Officer Datuk Tony Fernandes, when contacted, said: "(It's all in the air...wait until Thursday."

 

However, the source stressed that whether all these recommendations would materialise would depend on the Cabinet's decision tomorrow.

 

Previously AirAsia said it was prepared to take over some of MAS assets, including four to nine aircraft, as well as 200 to 1,000 employees to service the added domestic routes.

 

Fernandes had said AirAsia was also willing to immediately take up the unprofitable domestic routes now run by MAS with no subsidies, with a view of turning over 100 percent domestic routes into profitables ones.

 

AirAsia had offered to take any of the domestic operations that the national carrier intended to exit, including the Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan routes.

 

However, the low cost carrier said it could not fly to Lahad Datu, Limbang and Mulu as their runways are not able to accommodate the large Boeing 737-300s and Airbus 320s that it operates.

 

As for MAS, the government has indicated that it does not prefer MAS to continue to operate domestic routes on behalf of Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd (PMB), its parent company, because of the financial burden of the present set up.

 

The government has indicated that it preferred MAS to take over the profit and loss responsibility of PMB.

 

But for this to happen, MAS has to radically restructure its business to be profitable.

 

MAS, which recently announced its business turnaround plan to show a profit from next year, also said that it needed to have a free hand in determining destinations, schedules and fares to be profitable.

 

-- BERNAMA

[Seth K 3]

Does politicians get to fly for free?

How MH passegers . Is it increasing or losing?

Are they losing money from poor load or ticket too cheap?

 

 

Let's revise from the root.......