Move to get Malaysian airlines more access to China skies

BEIJING: Negotiations are underway for Malaysian airline companies to expand and open up more routes in China, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said Malaysia Airlines (MAB) is eyeing the second-tier cities of China by flying to Wuhan in the central, Nanjing in the east and the southern city Fuzhou.

“The second-tier cities of China are developing very fast, it is vital to expand and open up new markets,” he added.

Liow said low-cost carrier Air Asia also aims to increase its flight frequency to the ancient city of Xian from four days per week to daily.

Last year, the company carried some eight million passengers on 58 routes to 19 Chinese cities.

“We hope to continue to expand our presence in China and we are getting a lot of support for MAB, Air Asia and Malindo to fly to China,” he added.

Liow conveyed these requests to Feng Zhengling, administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), during a meeting yesterday.

He is in Beijing for the inaugural Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation, attended by over 300 participants including transport ministers from more than 30 nations.

Before closing, the conference adopted a ministerial declaration – the Beijing Declaration – on aviation safety, air navigation services, accident investigation and human resources development.

Liow also urged the International Civil Aviation Organisation to equally grant the technical cooperation fund for human resources development to countries in the Asia Pacific region.

He said Malaysia also signed agreements with the civil aviation commissions in Europe, Africa, Latin America, Saudi Arabia and the Caribbean states to strengthen, promote and develop their mutual cooperation in training aviation personnel.

During his working trip here, Liow, who is also MCA president, met with China’s Communist Party chief of International Liaison Department, Song Tao.

Song highly commended MCA’s efforts in deepening the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and China, and assisting both nations towards achieving mutual benefits under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Liow said Malaysia supported the initiative and MCA would continue to promote such international cooperation.