Hock Inn 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 (edited) 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 February 24, 2007 by Hock Inn Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Min Chun 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 (edited) Hopefully I will be in time to shoot the 'maiden flight'.. Edited February 24, 2007 by Min Chun Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seth K 3 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 (edited) 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 Edited February 24, 2007 by Seth K Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Y. J. Foo 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 ...and in the mean time what happened to Asmara Air??? <_ src="%7B___base_url___%7D/uploads/emoticons/default_help.gif" alt=":help:"> :help: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Radzi 2 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alif A. F. 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Imran K. 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Ng 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan B. 5 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Min Chun 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 What about PEN-LGK-PEN? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sanjay Thaker 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 And i got rumours saying that the MAS co-pilot which is seconded to fly the F50 for that airline would be earning RM 13k a month..not sure how true it is though... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yusoff 1 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Min Chun 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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? Does AK?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yusoff 1 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 Does AK?? Whooops... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teoh Z Yao 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 Hey, that's interesting! Can go to more cities easier now! Now we have Fokker at PEN, good for Penang spotters! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieter C. 5 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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 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 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenneth T 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mushrif A 3 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fitri Shukri 0 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 (edited) 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 February 26, 2007 by Fitri Shukri Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KK Lee 5 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zealich 0 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 ...and in the mean time what happened to Asmara Air??? <_< :help: Asmara Air<<<<---damn s**k name..like make love on air Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan B. 5 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 (edited) 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 February 26, 2007 by Alan B. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KK Lee 5 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rozhan 0 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 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. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mushrif A 3 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 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 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites