MORE TALKS OF INDIA-MALAYSIA AIRSPACE LIBERALISATION

By P.Vijian

NEW DELHI, July 3 (Bernama) -- India and Malaysia have initiated talks to
liberalise more of their airspace to capitalise on the burgeoning aviation
industry in both countries.

Visiting Malaysian Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha, who held talks
with India's Civil Aviation Minister Friday, said there was a need for
further liberalisation of air traffic rights to accommodate future growth.

"Now we are quite comfortable with the rights but we have to go forward.
There are opportunities in other Indian cities where our airlines can operate.

"At the same time we are here to also invite more Indian airlines to fly to
Malaysia, they have not fully utilised their landing rights and in bringing the
number of passengers to Malaysia," Kong told Malaysian media in Delhi Saturday.

He is in Delhi to attend the inauguration of the Indira Gandhi International
(IGI) Airport's newly constructed international terminal or T3.

Currently, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flies to major cities -- Bangalore,
Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai -- while AirAsia had also started its
operations to several Indian cities.

The decision had come at an opportune time, when both traditional trading
partners are accelerating their bilateral relations and two-way trade is on a
healthy trajectory, hitting almost US$7 billion (RM24.5 billion) last year.

Tourism is also at its zenith, with an all time high of nearly 580,000
Indians visiting Malaysia, while over 150,000 Malaysians toured India in 2009.

Besides, increasing cash-rich Indian entrepreneurs are eyeing Malaysia to
shift their business operations, adding to the more than 100 Indian companies
already operating in Malaysia.

At present, India and Malaysia are in the process of shaping a Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) - which would further enhance trade - and
an event that is likely to augur well for the air travel sector.

--BERNAMA



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