MALAYSIA SIGNS POLICY STATEMENT TO LIBERALISE CIVIL AVIATION INDUSTRY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is among the seven countries and
the European Union (EU) which have signed a multilateral statement of policy
principles to liberalise the civil aviation industry.

The non-binding statement is related to the implementation of bilateral air
service agreements, the Transport Ministry said Tuesday.

Besides Malaysia and the EU, the other signatories were Chile, Panama,
Switzerland, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States,
it said in a statement.

The policy principles concerned the freedom to access capital market,
freedom to do business, freedom to price services, and fair competition, the
ministry said.

This was the result from the conference held in Montabello in Quebec,
Canada, from Nov 14 to 16, by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
to discuss efforts to further liberalise the industry.

The Malaysian delegation to the conference was led by the ministry's
secretary-general Datuk Seri Zakaria Bahari and included Malaysia's permanent
representative to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO),
Kok Soo Chon.

Participants at the conference agreed that liberalisation efforts should be
stepped up to promote a more efficient and systematic air transport system.

They said that such measures were necessary due to the current economic
challenges such as fuel price increase and economic downturn which affected the
financial position of airlines.

The airlines were also hampered by the regulations and restrictions placed
by governments on the industry, they added.

According to Zakaria, the document on policy principles was in line with
Malaysia's existing policy to promote a more liberal civil aviation sector.

He said Malaysia's participation at the conference and signing of the
document also showed the country's proactive approach as an ICAO council member.

Malaysia, he added, intended to retain its seat in the ICAO council and
would contest again in the election scheduled next year.

-- BERNAMA