AIR ASTANA TO FLY DIRECT TO KL END OCT

From SHARIFAH NUR SHAHRIZAD SY MOHAMED SHARER

ALMATY (KAZAKHSTAN), Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Air Astana, Kazakhstan's national
airline, will introduce its maiden direct flight from Astana to Kuala Lumpur
end-October.

The airline's Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Ibrahim Canliel said the
airline would begin with a once weekly flight to test the market.

He said the company has been looking at the potential of developing the
Kuala Lumpur sector especially during the country's cool winter in December.

" We will develop the route at first for winter where we target tourism
flights but we are going to develop it all-year round and increase frequencies
as well just like we started with Bangkok, which had similar a pattern," he
told reporters after a dinner hosted by Malaysia Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen,
who is leading a tourism sales mission to Kazakhstan.

Also present was Malaysian Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan Saw
Ching Hong.

Ibrahim said Malaysia's relaxed ruling on visa coupled with the increasing
number of Kazakhstan students studying in Malaysia were among the main factors
that prompted the airline to introduce the route.

Ibrahim also said both two countries were now linked by connecting flights
via Bangkok.

On the target load, he said the airline was looking at a load factor of 67
per cent and, during the peak period around New Year, it could increase up to up
75 per cent.

Meanwhile, Dr Ng commented that direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and
Kazakhstan would not only boost the tourism industry of both countries but also
other sectors such as business, education and culture.

She also met with Kazakhstan tour operators and the trade fraternity here to
enlighten them on the tourism potential waiting to be tapped in Malaysia.
-- BERNAMA