Firefly may fly to Singapore

Another first: Chan receiving passengers on the Firefly inaugural Penang-KL flight in Subang Monday. Next to him (right) is Leong.

Now that AsiaAsia can fly to Singapore, national carrier Malaysia Airlines’ subsidiary Firefly may follow suit.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said that the Government “would certainly give serious consideration” for the national carrier’s subsidiary to fly to the republic from its hub in Subang.

It was a bilateral issue and he would have to raise the matter with his Singapore counterpart at the Asean Transport Ministers Meeting on Thursday, he told newsmen after receiving Firefly’s inaugural flight from Penang, which arrived at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport here at 8am yesterday.

The Cabinet last week agreed to give no-frills carrier AirAsia and Singapore’s Tiger Airways Pte Ltd the go-ahead to start flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Another first: Chan receiving passengers on the Firefly inaugural Penang-KL flight in Subang Monday. Next to him (right) is Leong.

MAS expressed disappointment over the opening of the KL-Singapore route on a limited basis and had asked that its 100%-owned Firefly be allowed to fly to Singapore from Subang.

Chan said that the decision to allow Firefly to operate from Subang was an extension of the Government’s earlier policy of only allowing turbo propeller aircraft to operate at the airport.

“After we moved (airlines operations) to KL International Airport, the Government continuously enhanced its position as a hub. But we allowed some operations by turbo propeller aircraft at the Subang airport, such as Berjaya Air,” he said when asked why Firefly was allowed to fly from Subang when an earlier request by rival AirAsia was rejected.

Firefly started operations six months ago, flying from Penang to Langkawi, Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Phuket and Koh Samui. Effective yesterday, it commenced twice daily flights between Subang and Penang.

Firefly managing director Eddy Leong said that the Government had also given it the green light to operate from Johor Baru and Kota Kinabalu, adding that Firefly now could link up with many domestic destinations and cities in Indonesia and southern Thailand.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad managing director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad said that refurbishment of the Subang airport would be completed in December.

Source : STAR
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