3 New Airlines To Serve KLIA

[Eugene Koh 4]

AT least three more airlines are slated to fly to the KL International Airport (KLIA) by year's end, bringing the number of carriers flying to the airport to 53.

 

The three are Russia’s second largest airline Transaero Airlines, Medan-based Top Air, and India’s Air Sahara.

 

The latter airline had originally planned to fly to KLIA in May but now expects to make its maiden flight from Chennai in mid-November.

 

The entry of more airlines bodes well not just for KLIA, which wants to be a hub for the region, but is also seen as a boost for tourism and providing greater connectivity for passengers using the KLIA.

 

Chen See Hoong, general manager of ABDA Aviation Sdn Bhd, the general service agent for Transaero, told StarBiz that the maiden flight from Moscow to KLIA was scheduled for Oct 28.

 

The privately owned airline will initially operate two weekly flights – one direct and the other via Bangkok – using B767 and B747 aircraft. Its operations will give direct connectivity to Russia, which was previously provided by Aeroflot.

 

Aeroflot moved out several years ago, although sources now say Russia's national airline and largest carrier has shown renewed interest in returning to KLIA.

 

“Transaero sees a lot of potential in the KL-Moscow route. The connectivity also provides a direct link for Malaysian students studying in many parts of Russia,†Chen said.

 

As for privately owned Air Sahara, its country manager G.J. Vijay Kumar said: “We will be flying daily when we begin. We hope to register passenger load factors of about 70% from the start,†he said.

 

Sky Asia Sdn Bhd had been appointed the airline's general service agent.

 

Indonesia’s Top Air is among more than 60 airlines operating in that country.

 

It is due to start its Jakarta-JB sector soon.

 

A Top Air spokesperson said the airline would start flights to KLIA in October.

 

This year, too, saw four other airlines begin flying to KLIA. They are Shenzhen Airlines, Royal Nepal Airlines, Jet Airways and Pakistan International Airlines.

 

Shenzhen Airlines, which began with two weekly flights earlier this year, had recently increased the frequency to daily.

 

A number of airlines that currently fly to KLIA have also increased their frequencies during the year and more are likely do so before the year is out, as it would be winter soon.

[Isaac 0]

Wow, that's great. Just one question, will the Transaero 767 be able to fly KUL/SVO year round with no weight restriction ? Thank you for posting the wonderful new by the way Eugene

[Charles Ryan Teo 0]

Wow, that's great. Just one question, will the Transaero 767 be able to fly KUL/SVO year round with no weight restriction ? Thank you for posting the wonderful new by the way Eugene

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Yes , no problem. If they can fly to SIN , no problem with KUL. I wonder how the load factor be like on it's first flight.

 

I remembered Transaero first flight to SIN was not very encouraging . POB for SIN-SVO flight was only 11 passengers including the flight crews for a 763. !

[Daniel Ng 0]

TOP air.....wonder if there's a Bottom air in Indonesia since they have more than 60 different airlines flying.

 

Anyways, hope it will stay around longer compared to its other rivals like Jatayu & Star (only few months to KUL).

 

Wonder which equipment will Top air and Air Sahar will be using and its route? Would there be multiple routes or just from a single city?

 

Rgds

[Roszaimy 0]

TOP air.....wonder if there's a Bottom air in Indonesia since they have more than 60 different airlines flying. 

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News has it that Left Airlines and Right Airlines will also fly into KLIA in 2006

 

[Issac Hendrikyarto Singkarno 0]

I remembered Transaero first flight to SIN was not very encouraging . POB for SIN-SVO flight was only 11 passengers including the flight crews for a 763.  !

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Let's give them some time to warm up

 

Wonder which equipment will Top air and Air Sahar will be using and its route?

 

For air sahara, it's likely to be 738

[Izanee 0]

its not svo-kul....it will be dme-kul (domodedovo airport in moscow)

[Jamie H 0]

as much as i hate to admit it, i cant help but laugh at these titles: transero to kul; royal khmer to kul; top air, left air, right air, down air etc instead of :qantas to return to kul or ba or nw to return to kul.....ACTUAL carriers that MATTER

 

and to further add insult to injury.....latest figures show KLIA is actually behind CGK in terms of passenger movements and 4th overall in South-East Asia....i can understand BKK and SIN, but CGK? (no offence to our indonesian friends on this forum)

 

sorry guys, i dont mean to be pessimistic but surely the great KLIA can do better

Edited September 24, 2005 by Jamie H

[Issac Hendrikyarto Singkarno 0]

as much as i hate to admit it, i cant help but laugh at these titles: transero to kul; royal khmer to kul; top air, left air, right air, down air etc instead of :qantas to return to kul or ba or nw to return to kul.....ACTUAL carriers that MATTER

 

Better than nothing at all

 

and to further add insult to injury.....latest figures show KLIA is actually behind CGK in terms of passenger movements and 4th overall in South-East Asia....i can understand BKK and SIN, but CGK?   (no offence to our indonesian friends on this forum)

 

It has to do with the population in Indonesia. Indonesia also have many carriers that have many flights around Indonesia beside GA & we still can't denied that there are in fact more Western Airlines flying to CGK. I'm NOT surprised at all if KUL is behind CGK.

[Jamie H 0]

Better than nothing at all

 

If an airlines calls itself TOPair, NOTHING is better

 

It has to do with the population in Indonesia. Indonesia also have many carriers that have many flights around Indonesia beside GA & we still can't denied that there are in fact more Western Airlines flying to CGK. I'm NOT surprised at all if KUL is behind CGK.

 

well, in my opinion, thats not a valid argument.....look at SIN, its a DOT compared to its neighbouring countries.....but i agree with you with the numerous carriers in indonesia and the extra WESTERN carriers, but lets face it.... the truth of the jist is that a considerable chunk of the 26 million pax through CGK were domestic pax

 

hehe....i do apologise if it sounded as if i was attacking the integrity of CGK, when the attack was actually aimed more at KLIA.....KLIA has always been ahead of CGK until 2004-2005 where all of a sudden CGK came out of nowhere and overtook KLIA.....and apparently from the figures, CGK is one of the fastest growing airports in terms of pax movement in the world (up 30-odd percent)

 

what amazes me is that over the past decade or so....year after year....malaysia has had the healthiest number of tourist arrivals amongst ASEAN countries, and yet KLIA has not been able to capitalize from this...........am puzzled

[Jamie H 0]

but i suppose at this stage........klia needs as many carriers as she can get

Edited September 24, 2005 by Jamie H

[kandiah k 0]

I think we should not only look at the major carriers for KUL, instead we can welcome them and hope they grow in Malaysia. I think STARAIR did not stop flying into KLIA because of the route itself,more so because of the airline going bankrupt or some sort.

 

 

Nice to know Transaero starting flights into KUL. I never knew they had a B747.

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Kandiah,

 

Yes, they just took delivery of 2 if I'm correct, both ex Virgin Atlantic

 

Guess, they'll start with 767-300 first, before upgrading to 747's ?

[Izanee 0]

er..."more western carriers flying to CGK??"

 

KUL:

4x weekly LH

daily KLM

6x weekly OS

soon to be 2Xweekly UN

 

 

CGK:

daily LH

daily KLM

 

 

 

hmmmmm....

 

not really!

 

 

 

 

 

[Izanee 0]

by the way....CGK has more domestic passengers than KLIA....look at Jakarta's population of 10 million compared to KL/Klang Valley of 4 million. indonesia has 200 million population compared to malaysia's 25 million. this has enabled the low cost industry to grow significantly in indonesia

by population alone, CGK should have 50 million pax/year....but it only has 26 million compared to KL's 21 million and SIN's 30 million...

 

so..don't feel too bad.... its not the same situation. we are improving as well...

[kandiah k 0]

I can't seem to find any information on TOP AIR nor TRANSAERO's website.

 

I also read in the BTimes yesterday that TOP AIR is a Turkish Airline.

 

Anyone with any info ?

 

 

[Keith T 2]

er..."more western carriers flying to CGK??"

 

KUL:

4x weekly LH

daily KLM

6x weekly OS

soon to be 2Xweekly UN

CGK:

daily LH

daily KLM

hmmmmm....

 

not really!

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There are QF flights to CGK from both PER and SYD. And AF from SIN I think. There are quite a few airlines flying to CGK via SIN.

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Kandiah,

 

here you go:

 

http://www.transaero.com/noframes/eng/home.htm

[Issac Hendrikyarto Singkarno 0]

by population alone, CGK should have 50 million pax/year....but it only has 26 million compared to KL's 21 million and SIN's 30 million...

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I'm not surprised, considering Indonesians financial situation. I think more than 80% of Indonesians have NEVER travelled by air.

 

[Izanee 0]

AF does not fly to CGK anymore....it codeshares with KLM via KUL

Yeah...QF is not a 'western' carrier....i always thought the australians wanted to be called asian!

 

But fair enough...QF does not fly to KL.

 

but i would not say that CGK is served by more western carriers than KUL. somebody help me out here!!!

[Jamie H 0]

er..."more western carriers flying to CGK??"

 

KUL:

4x weekly LH

daily KLM

6x weekly OS

soon to be 2Xweekly UN

 

 

CGK:

daily LH

daily KLM

 

yea....initially i was like, hmmmmmm .....i know for a fact that qf still serves CGK, but was not too sure of AF.......and from personal experience i was thinking of swiss as well, but i think they left CGK years ago......i was on a flight on the then known swissair in 1990 btw SIN and ZRH and the flight was routed: CGK-SIN-BKK-AUH-ZRH on a DC-10

 

if my memory serves me well, once upon a time, KUL used to house the following 'WESTERN' carriers: JAT yugoslav, OK Czechoslovakia, UTA, AF , Sabena etc etc.......did i miss any?

 

lets just hope that with the impending schedule of KUL hosting the 2008 World Route Development Forum, there will be a turnaround in this scenario and enable KUL to be the major HUB that she so aspires to be

[Issac Hendrikyarto Singkarno 0]

I think KUL & CGK are the same now. AF left CGK soon after they merge with KLM

[Issac Hendrikyarto Singkarno 0]

QF is not a 'western' carrier....i always thought the australians wanted to be called asian!

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QF is a 'western' carrier no matter what they might say. Most of the australians CAN'T just change their past , same for New Zealand.

 

But fair enough...QF does not fly to KL.

 

but i would not say that CGK is served by more western carriers than KUL. somebody help me out here!!!

 

I think it's more appropriate to say there are more 'western' airlines flights into CGK

 

 

 

[Izanee 0]

haha....don't get me pulled into this game...okay okay, QF is a western carrier then:

 

KUL- austrian, KLM, lufthansa, transaero

CGK- KLM, lufthansa, qantas.....

 

at the moment...KUL and CGK equally have the same number of 'western' carriers....soon (oct 28 onwards)...we will have 4!

 

discussion closed (i have been fair!)

 

 

 

 

 

[Izanee 0]

if you want to look at the past....yeah....SR and AF flew to CGK but not to KUL....but at some point, KUL had been served by aeroflot, balkan bulgarian, sabena, czechoslovakian, air france/UTA, turkish airlines, JAT , British Airways...

 

so forget about it man....!