SIA Supports Any Move To Ensure KLIA Retains Competitive Edge

By Massita Ahmad SINGAPORE, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- Singapore Airlines (SIA) will support any action that will ensure the Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) retains its competitive edge. SIA was asked to respond to the recent call by the International Air Travel Association (IATA), urging the Malaysian government to remove the differential in the passenger service charge (PSC) between KLIA and klia2. In an email reply to Bernama, SIA's spokesperson said: "We welcome any move by the Malaysian government that will ensure that Kuala Lumpur International Airport retains its competitive edge." Charges for international passengers at KLIA are at RM33 (US$8.25) more per person than they are at klia2. IATA and several other international aviation agencies such as ICAO had concurred with the call for charges to be the same at KLIA and klia2 as the current charges were totally anti-competitive. In fact IATA had written to both the Ministry of Transport and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) to urge the government to remove the differential in the passenger service charge at both airports. IATA is the Geneva-based trade association for the world's airlines with 265 members accounting for 83 per cent of global air traffic. It was reported that Malaysia Airlines Bhd was considering moving some of its flights to klia2 to offset the higher PSC at KLIA as it had to pay more than US$24.9 million (RM100 million) extra annually. --BERNAMA