Malaysia announces new airline 'Flymojo'

Taking flight: Flymojo, the new airline in Malaysia. Photo: Supplied

LANGKAWI: In a positive step for Malaysian aviation, a new airline, "flymojo", has been launched.

Malaysian private company, Fly Mojo Sdn Bhd, will operate the airline which will provide "value" flights in Southeast Asia. 

The Malaysian government launched the airline with Flymojo chairman, Alies Anor Abdul at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace show on Tuesday.

The airline will begin flying in the first quarter of 2016 and focus on regional routes, Flymojo managing director Janardhanan Gopala Krishnan said.

Flymojo has also signed a letter of intent to buy up to 40 Bombardier CSeries aircraft from Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Bombadier worth $US2.9 billion. 

Bombardier confirmed the new airline planned to purchase 20 CS100 aircraft with options for an additional 20 CS100 aircrafts.

Flymojo will be based out of a primary hub at Johor Bahru's Senai airport and a secondary hub at Sabah's Kota Kinabalu.

"With Flymojo's primary hub at Senai International Airport, Johor and secondary hub in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, the airline's ultra-modern fleet of CS100 aircraft will play a key role in improving connectivity between the Peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak, as well as other parts of the region," Deputy Minister of Transport, Aziz Kaprawi, said. 

Johor Bahru is the closest Malaysian city to Singapore. Many Singaporeans live and own properties there due to the cheaper cost of living. 

Montreal-based Bombardier is under pressure to bring the CSeries into service after years of delays and cost overruns. The smaller CS100 started test flights in 2013.

The company has tried to sell the CSeries to Southeast Asian airlines such as Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd and Indonesia's Lion Air, but it has been unsuccessful in the face of competition from Boeing and Airbus.

"Upon execution of a firm purchase agreement, Flymojo is expected to become the first customer and operator of the CS100 aircraft in the region," the company said in a press release.

The CSeries aircraft seat up to 149 passengers and are single-aisle aeroplanes. Malaysia's aviation industry was under pressure last year after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370 and MH17 which was shot down over Ukraine.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald | 17 March 2015