Let Tiger Airways fly into Malaysia

Let Tiger Airways fly into Malaysia: Tourism Minister
By Ooi Tee Ching
bt@xxxxxxxxxxx


August 26 2006


SINGAPORE'S low-cost carrier, Tiger Airways, should be allowed to fly into
Malaysia, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

The move would further improve connectivity and would generate more tourism
activities between the two nations.

"We should allow Tiger Airways to fly in to facilitate more connectivity and
make it more convenient for tourists visiting Malaysia. I'll be meeting with my
Singaporean counterpart to talk about this," Tengku Adnan told Business Times in
a telephone interview yesterday.

From previous meetings with representatives from Tiger Airways, he said that the
budget carrier has expressed its interest to fly into Malaysia.

Market observers see this ministerial proposal as a possible exchange with
AirAsia trying to gain approval to fly into Singapore.

If AirAsia were to be given landing rights in Singapore, then naturally one of
Singapore's budget airlines should be allowed to fly into the low-cost carrier
(LCC) terminal at the KL International Airport in Sepang.

The minister's proposal could also be one of the ways to address the decline in
Singapore tourist arrivals since January 2006.

Between January and May this year, Singapore arrivals have dipped by some 91,369
persons. Singaporeans have always been Malaysia's strongest market in terms of
total arrivals and foreign exchange earnings. Some 60 per cent of total arrivals
into Malaysia come from across the causeway.

According to Tourism Malaysia's statistics, the other markets that are seeing
decline in the same duration are Lebanon and Syria.

The minister also launched a joint programme with the Education Ministry
entitled Student in Tourism Programme Carnival 2006 held in Kuala Lumpur
yesterday.

The programme, targeted at creating a deeper awareness of local tourism
businesses will see participation from 680 primary schools and 492 secondary
schools throughout the country.

The 5-day programme will be held at Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan from
September 1 to 4.
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