NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO INCREASE FLIGHTS, SAYS MALAYSIA AIRLINES UNIONS

KUCHING (Malaysia), Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Several Malaysia Airlines
employees' unions said Sunday that asking the national airline to increase
frequencies to certain destinations at this juncture may not be appropriate due
to a number of reasons.

This was especially so amid the slowing down of demand in air travel due to
the global economic turmoil and the fluctuating fuel prices, the unions said in
a joint statement to Bernama.

The unions said despite the drop in fuel prices, the average fuel price
paid
by airlines was still 30-40 per cent higher than a year ago due to the high
fluctuation rate.

The unions include the Malaysian Airline System Employees' Union Peninsular
Malaysia (MASEU), Airlines Workers Unions' Sarawak (AWUS) and Air Transport
Workers Sabah (ATWUS).

Malaysia Airlines Graded Tripartite Unions secretary-general Abdul Malek
Ariff, who represented some 14,000 union members, today said asking Malaysia
Airlines to increase flights at this time was totally unrealistic.

"All of us in Malaysia Airlines have been working very hard to ensure that
we survive this crisis. We are doing our level best to improve the standard of
services and products and we, the employees, are committed to be among the
world's best airlines, not just for today but also for the future.

"The prime minister told us to be profitable and not to expect any
bailouts," he said.

Abdul Malek disclosed that more than 25 airlines had gone bankrupt since
the
fuel crisis and to survive the crisis, many major airlines such as Singapore
Airlines, Thai Airways and Qantas had reduced flight frequencies and even axed
routes.

Singapore Airlines was cutting back on services to Seoul, Osaka and Penang
while Thai Airways had stopped direct flights from Bangkok to New York and
Auckland, he said.

Abdul Malek said Malaysia Airlines employees should also work together to
attract more tourists into Malaysia and strengthen the airlines' position as the
preferred airline.

Recently Tourism Minister Azalina Othman Said had asked Malaysia
Airlines to increase flight frequencies between Kuala Lumpur and London.


Kuching is the capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak.

-- BERNAMA