MAHB PLANS TO MANAGE ANOTHER ONE OR TWO AIRPORTS IN ASIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB)
plans to manage another one or two airports in Asia by year-end.

"We are looking at this prospect. We will announce it once it is finalised,"
said managing director Bashir Ahmad Thursday.

Under its overseas operations, MAHB currently operates two airports in India
and another in Turkey.

Bashir said that MAHB was aiming to achieve a four to five per cent increase
in passenger travel growth from 8.2 per cent recorded last year.

"I think the industry is recovering. If you see last year, the industry
started to recover over the last couple of months and we believe the recovery
will carry forward this year. We are sure to see growth this year, and we are
being very conservative," he said.

Bashir also said that four international airports in Malaysia being managed
by MAHB have achieved platinum airport status under the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) barcoded boarding passes project.

The airports concerned are the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Penang
International Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport and Kuching
International Airport.

With the platinum status, MAHB is playing a leading role in Asia to improve
the travel experience of passengers, he said.

"We will be ensuring that other airports are barcoded by end-2010 as per
IATA-mandated," he added.

Meanwhile, MAHB will be hosting Check-in Asia, the passenger and baggage
processing forum for Asia Pacific travel industry stakeholders from Nov 24 to 26
this year.

The event is expected to attract more than 250 attendees and 20 exhibitors.

"MAHB values the opportunity to provide the platform for the region's air
travel industry stakeholders to discuss and decide the best possible solutions
regarding the evolution of their passenger and baggage processing methods and
other potential systems," Bashir said.

He said with the check-in process embarking on a new era of methods, the
forum will be beneficial to all industry players.

-- BERNAMA