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Hock Inn

New airline based in PEN

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February 24 2007

 

BUTTERWORTH - The minister of transportation Datuk Chan Kong Choy said that a new airline based in Penang is expected to get green light for operation before the month of April serving regional routes on ASEAN countries.

 

 

 

Could someone post an internet source? I copied it down from a newspaper.

Now this is interesting of what a threat it might pose to the other airlines. The minister did not mention any other detail on the new airline.

Edited by Hock Inn

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Another new airline in Malaysia? Base at PEN? A new airline start with ASEAN routes seem to be rather too ambitious isn't it? Is this news for real or just another rumour like DisneyLand at Johor :pardon:

Edited by Seth K

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...and in the mean time what happened to Asmara Air??? <_ src="%7B___base_url___%7D/uploads/emoticons/default_help.gif" alt=":help:"> :help:

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Since the minister leak it out.........

 

It will be a Fokker 50 fleet, using ex-MAS birds. Flown by MAS crew who used to fly the F 50. Sort of MAS subsidiary. Operating city pairs not served by MAS or Air Asia.

 

Firefly?

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Source: The Star

 

New local airline to operate from Penang

 

BUTTERWORTH: A new local airline will operate from the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas by April.

 

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the airline was in the final stage of obtaining the permits to set up its base at the airport.

 

“We hope the company can start operating by April. It will use Penang as its main hub to fly to other parts of the country and to Asean countries,” he told newsmen at the Bagan MCA division’s Chinese New Year open house yesterday.

 

The minister, who is the MCA deputy president, said the airport in Penang, which had the capacity to handle five million passengers annually, only handled about three million last year.

“We hope this (the new local airline) will boost the tourism industry in Penang,” he said.

 

Asked if the move would affect Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, Chan said: “Healthy competition is good for the aviation industry.”

 

Chan said that the Penang Government was also working closely with his ministry to turn the airport into a regional hub for budget airlines.

 

 

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Since the minister leak it out.........

 

It will be a Fokker 50 fleet, using ex-MAS birds. Flown by MAS crew who used to fly the F 50. Sort of MAS subsidiary. Operating city pairs not served by MAS or Air Asia.

 

Firefly?

 

Most prolly routes like PEN-KBR, possibly PEN-SZB? :o

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Since the minister leak it out.........

 

It will be a Fokker 50 fleet, using ex-MAS birds. Flown by MAS crew who used to fly the F 50. Sort of MAS subsidiary. Operating city pairs not served by MAS or Air Asia.

 

Firefly?

 

Hmm...interesting fact. Guess they would be planning flights like Penang-Ipoh; Penang-Kota Bahru; Penang-Terengganu; Penang-Subang; Penang-Hadyai or Penang-Phuket maybe?

 

Btw, Firefly sounds like a nice name...hehe.

 

 

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Hmm...interesting fact. Guess they would be planning flights like Penang-Ipoh; Penang-Kota Bahru; Penang-Terengganu; Penang-Subang; Penang-Hadyai or Penang-Phuket maybe?

 

Btw, Firefly sounds like a nice name...hehe.

 

When I was working on the F27, we use to fly KUL/IPH/PEN, PEN/KBR/AOR/KBR/PEN

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Since the minister leak it out.........

 

It will be a Fokker 50 fleet, using ex-MAS birds. Flown by MAS crew who used to fly the F 50. Sort of MAS subsidiary. Operating city pairs not served by MAS or Air Asia.

 

Firefly?

 

Hm.. some sort of SIA-SilkAir kinda thing?....

 

PEN-LGK route? maybe not since already served by MAS and AK...

 

PEN-AOR maybe? haha!!! DARN short distance! and since it's F50, PEN-Taiping anyone? :lol:

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Hm.. some sort of SIA-SilkAir kinda thing?....

 

PEN-LGK route? maybe not since already served by MAS and AK...

 

PEN-AOR maybe? haha!!! DARN short distance! and since it's F50, PEN-Taiping anyone? :lol:

 

Does AK?? :help:

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It will be a Fokker 50 fleet, using ex-MAS birds. Flown by MAS crew who used to fly the F 50. Sort of MAS subsidiary.

 

Sounds very similar to KLM & KLM cityhopper :o

 

Remember my suggestion about such an operation prior to when FAX was rumoured to 'get airborne' ?

 

This may well become a successful operation, when 'feeding' big Mama (MH) at PEN, and maybe, other airports at a later stage :good:

 

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Well...seeems like the remaining of the untilised and currently grounded ex MAS Fokker 50 can now air bourne again. Is it meaning to say that the proposed LCC in Penang is for such purposes? New route not serve by AirAsia or MAS? Seems like MAS once again intends to venture into the so called unprofitable routes....will see what it turns out to be.

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According to today's NST, this is a project (Firefly) from MH to attract premium (leisure) pax. Targeted routes are PEN to KBR, TGG, HKT, LGK etc.

 

I wonder how they are going to make the economics work given the high operating costs of the F50.

 

There should be more news re. this following the announcement of the FY06 full report by MH after 17:00 today.

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PEN-IPH and PEN AOR??? No way, its faster to drive there.

PEN-KBR is what I really need.

How about PEN-Malacca? Could really work. Both are major tourist destination.

Edited by Fitri Shukri

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PEN is less than an hour flight time from KUL. If MH II is operating from PEN, it will cannibalize KUL as a hub.

 

Domestic tourists are seasonal and low yield, operating routes during holiday period may be viable but not year round.

 

Old wine in new bottle. Doubt MH II PEN based operation will be profitable.

 

:drinks:

 

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It might just work. F50 is just the right size aircraft for such routes. A prop aircraft is much cheaper to operate than a B737. Flying 50 pax which should not be that hard to fill, is alot better than flying 50 pax on a B737-400. Sectors like PEN/KBR/PEN, KBR/AOR/KBR were operated in the past MH utilising the F27 until the early 90's when it decided to have only B737 operations in the peninsular. It then found that it couldn't fill the B737 on those routes and stopped the flights.

 

It's operations will be lean, it will just use ground handling, engineering etc from MH. With a different cost centre from MH it's cost will be low enough to make money from so called lost making sectors. As AK has shown, if your cost are low and have the right sized aircraft, you can make money from most routes.

Edited by Alan B.

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It might just work. F50 is just the right size aircraft for such routes. A prop aircraft is much cheaper to operate than a B737. Flying 50 pax which should not be that hard to fill, is alot better than flying 50 pax on a B737-400. Sectors like PEN/KBR/PEN, KBR/AOR/KBR were operated in the past MH utilising the F27 until the early 90's when it decided to have only B737 operations in the peninsular. It then found that it couldn't fill the B737 on those routes and stopped the flights.

 

It's operations will be lean, it will just use ground handling, engineering etc from MH. With a different cost centre from MH it's cost will be low enough to make money from so called lost making sectors. As AK has shown, if your cost are low and have the right sized aircraft, you can make money from most routes.

 

If AK is operating, the chance to make profit is there. Doubt about MH; the moment the operation is profitable, load of monkey business will come in.

 

:drinks:

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If I correctly recall, there was word about this venture some time ago, and it was due to unhappiness among some MH staff with FAX's takeover of F50 routes. I would like to think that a business is about viability, and not envy.

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Confirmation but still need more details....will this be a Silkair/ Tradewinds model? With the speculated fokker 50 to start with, the fares will have to be relatively high to make it viable. E.g people who dont mind paying as opposed to going by road to Kota Bharu.

 

 

MAS Confirms Plans Of Secondary Hub In Penang

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that it planning to set up a new domestic and regional operation in Penang to service the premium travel market.

 

"We have been talking about something like that," its managing director, Idris Jala said to reporters after announcing the full year results for the national carrier, here Monday.

 

He said the airline was in the process of getting some approvals when asked on the news report of the company's plans in Penang.

 

It was reported that MAS will be using Penang's Bayan Lepas International Airport as its base.

 

However, he declined to give more details except that "the product has to be different," when pressed further on the plans in Penang.

 

The news report said MAS will use Penang as the hub to service holiday destinations such as Langkawi, Phuket in Thailand and Medan in Indonesia, as well as domestic destinations namely Kota Baru and Kuala Terengganu.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

 

 

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