Malaysia’s AirAsia has secured traffic rights for two daily flights on the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route and plans to launch services on 1 February, which means Malaysia Airlines’ turboprop operation Firefly has so far failed in its bid to operate on the route.
AirAsia group CEO Tony Fernandes said at a briefing in Singapore today that the twice-daily Kuala Lumpur-Singapore service launches on 1 February. Fernandes declines to say why Malaysia’s Government granted his carrier all the traffic rights on offer despite the fact that low-cost operator Firefly also wanted to serve the route.
Malaysia and Singapore agreed last year to let low-cost carriers from each side operate on the route from 1 February and each side has traffic rights for two round-trip flights a day.
Fernandes claims that having low-cost carriers on the route will have no impact on the incumbent full-service carriers, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Malaysia Airlines, because having price-competitive low-cost airlines will increase total traffic. SIA currently charges about S$150 ($105) each way not including taxes.
He says in recent years passenger numbers have declined on the route.
AirAsia plans to sell one-way fares for as low as S$14 – not including taxes – and Fernandes says the standard fare will be S$60 one-way, not including taxes.
The Malaysian low-cost carrier will operate from Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s low-cost carrier terminal to Singapore Changi Airport using Airbus A320s whereas Firefly was proposing to operate Fokker 50s or ATR 72s from Kuala Lumpur’s secondary Subang Airport.
Singapore has granted its additional traffic rights to Singapore-based Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways, which will each offer a daily service starting 1 February.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Source: FlightGlobal.com
