ID :
68945
Fri, 07/03/2009 - 21:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/68945
The shortlink copeid
FIREFLY SEES GROWTH FROM ROUTES TO SINGAPORE
From Nurul Jannah Kamaruddin
SINGAPORE, July 3 (Bernama) -- Community airline Firefly, which launched its
Subang-Singapore flight this week, is confident of growth from all its routes to
Singapore based on a 70 to 75 percent load factor target set for each route.
"This year we are not projecting extraordinary profit or unusually high
growth. I can say it will be in line with what we plan for," said managing
director Eddy Leong.
"And it's a positive number and I think the fact that we are being allowed
to continue taking new aircraft next year is a strong sign of how strong our
business model is," he said at a press conference in conjunction with the launch
of Firefly's flight from Subang to Singapore.
The airline, with four daily flights to Singapore, planned to increase the
frequency to six by end of this year due to the encouraging response, Leong
said.
"Sometimes it's good to operate routes that people don't do. We like this
kind of route," he said.
Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS),
will focus on expanding the frequency of existing routes rather than look for
new routes, Leong said.
He said the airline will launch its Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan to
Singapore routes later this month, followed by Melaka in September and Alor
Setar and Kota Baharu in October.
On the code-share partnership with MAS, Leong said it could help the airline
to further strengthen its position in the lucrative Malaysia-Singapore route.
"International travellers, be it business or leisure from all states in
Malaysia, will now have the convenience of point-to-point connection into
Singapore," he said.
At the press conference, Tourism Malaysia's acting director-general
Amirrudin Abu said the number of tourists coming to Malaysia is expected to grow
steadily this year with the launch of Firefly's Malaysia-Singapore route.
Last year, 11 million Singaporeans came to Malaysia, with only three percent
of them using air transport, he said.
"For this year, we expect to see 20 million Singaporeans coming to our
country. Firefly's efforts will help increase the number of air passengers to
Malaysia," Amirrudin said.
He said for the first six months of this year, more than nine million
Singaporean visited Malaysia despite the H1N1 flu outbreak and economic
downturn.
Changi Airport Group's chief executive officer Lee Seow Hiang said between
January and May 2009, the total passenger movement between both countries at
Changi Airport stood at 1.3 million, a 20 percent growth compared to the same
period last year.
"Given the strong traffic potential on the Singapore-Malaysia routes and the
extensive air network of Changi Airport, I am confident Firefly will find many
new business opportunities at Changi," Lee said.
"I therefore encourage Firefly to further expand its operation at Changi
Airport, and add new services from other Malaysian cities to Singapore," he
said.
-- BERNAMA
SINGAPORE, July 3 (Bernama) -- Community airline Firefly, which launched its
Subang-Singapore flight this week, is confident of growth from all its routes to
Singapore based on a 70 to 75 percent load factor target set for each route.
"This year we are not projecting extraordinary profit or unusually high
growth. I can say it will be in line with what we plan for," said managing
director Eddy Leong.
"And it's a positive number and I think the fact that we are being allowed
to continue taking new aircraft next year is a strong sign of how strong our
business model is," he said at a press conference in conjunction with the launch
of Firefly's flight from Subang to Singapore.
The airline, with four daily flights to Singapore, planned to increase the
frequency to six by end of this year due to the encouraging response, Leong
said.
"Sometimes it's good to operate routes that people don't do. We like this
kind of route," he said.
Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS),
will focus on expanding the frequency of existing routes rather than look for
new routes, Leong said.
He said the airline will launch its Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan to
Singapore routes later this month, followed by Melaka in September and Alor
Setar and Kota Baharu in October.
On the code-share partnership with MAS, Leong said it could help the airline
to further strengthen its position in the lucrative Malaysia-Singapore route.
"International travellers, be it business or leisure from all states in
Malaysia, will now have the convenience of point-to-point connection into
Singapore," he said.
At the press conference, Tourism Malaysia's acting director-general
Amirrudin Abu said the number of tourists coming to Malaysia is expected to grow
steadily this year with the launch of Firefly's Malaysia-Singapore route.
Last year, 11 million Singaporeans came to Malaysia, with only three percent
of them using air transport, he said.
"For this year, we expect to see 20 million Singaporeans coming to our
country. Firefly's efforts will help increase the number of air passengers to
Malaysia," Amirrudin said.
He said for the first six months of this year, more than nine million
Singaporean visited Malaysia despite the H1N1 flu outbreak and economic
downturn.
Changi Airport Group's chief executive officer Lee Seow Hiang said between
January and May 2009, the total passenger movement between both countries at
Changi Airport stood at 1.3 million, a 20 percent growth compared to the same
period last year.
"Given the strong traffic potential on the Singapore-Malaysia routes and the
extensive air network of Changi Airport, I am confident Firefly will find many
new business opportunities at Changi," Lee said.
"I therefore encourage Firefly to further expand its operation at Changi
Airport, and add new services from other Malaysian cities to Singapore," he
said.
-- BERNAMA
