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Monday, July 14, 2014

Melaka government woos airlines in vain

There are no flights out of the new Melaka International Airport and negotiations with airlines have been going on for the past six months.
melaka airport300MELAKA: The Melaka state government straddled with its embarassing “no flights” international airport is now saying medical tourism from Indonesia and being an international tourism centre may save the airport.
But, the Indonesians land in KLIA and travel by road to Melaka. Since March 15 this year, no commercial flight has taken off from the Melaka International Airport (MIA), even though RM240 million has been spent to upgrade the facility and lengthen the runway.
The issue was first raised by Ayer Keroh state assemblyman Khoo Poay Tiong.
State exco member Lim Ban Hong, who oversees the transport and project recovery portfolio, said they had been talking to airlines.
“For the past six months we have had discussions with a few airlines, both domestic and overseas to use the airport. Recently, the Melaka chief minister and I had a meeting with AirAsia officials.
AirAsia deputy group chief executive officer Kamarudin Meranun and CEO Aireen Omar were present at the meeting.
“We also had another meeting with FireFly officials. We discussed the possibility of flying from Melaka to Indonesia and other domestic flights.
However, based on previous records, FireFly had operated from here but stopped the service due to poor response. There was also negotiations with a China airline but nothing has come out of it.
Lim, who is also MCA state assemblyman of Klebang, denied that the airport is a white elephant.
“The airport has economic value. Melaka is an international tourism city.
“When we market Melaka overseas, the first thing travel agents ask is whether Melaka has an airport?
“From the feedback we received from overseas travel agents, the holidaymakers want direct flights to Melaka.
“They prefer a direct entry point to Melaka rather than landing in KLIA and then spent another two or three hours to reach Melaka by taxi or bus.
“We cannot talk to overseas travel agents to bring tourists to Melaka without the facilities and infrastructure in place,” Lim said.
Lim added that Melaka was also a medical tourism city.
“Melaka has many private hospitals and most have offices in Indonesia.
“So if the patients from Indonesia want to come over here for treatment, they don’t want to come through KLIA.
“So Melaka must have an airport. We are trying our best to make MIA a successful commercial airport,” he said.

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