Firefly diminta perkenal laluan Kota Bharu - Melaka

KOTA BHARU: Syarikat penerbangan Firefly melalui hab sekundernya di Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra Kota Bharu (LTSIP) diminta memperkenalkan laluan Kota Bharu - Melaka dengan kekerapan tiga kali seminggu. 

Penerbangan tiga kali seminggu paling sesuai ditawarkan pada hari Selasa, Khamis, dan Sabtu berbanding penerbangan harian yang pernah ditawarkan syarikat penerbangan Malindo Air sebelum ini. 

Perjalanan dengan bas ekspres dari Kota Bharu ke Bandar Raya Melaka dan sebaliknya mengambil masa kira-kira 10 jam berbanding hanya sejam lebih dengan pengangkutan udara. 

Penerbangan pada sebelah tengah hari atau lewat petang merupakan jadual penerbangan yang paling sesuai bagi laluan ini dengan mengambil kira penduduk Terengganu dan Narathiwat di Selatan Thailand yang turut dapat memanfaatkan perkhidmatan penerbangan terus ini. 

Pembukaan laluan ini kelak pastinya akan dapat mengukuhkan hab sekunder Firefly di LTSIP sekali gus mengukuhkan kedudukan LTSIP sebagai hab penerbangan utama di Wilayah Ekonomi Pantai Timur (ECER). 

Selain laluan Kota Bharu - Melaka, Firefly juga boleh menawarkan beberapa lagi laluan dari Melaka seperti Melaka - Ipoh dan Melaka - Pulau Pinang bagi menyokong operasi Firefly dari Lapangan Terbang Melaka (LTM). 

Sumber: Blog Kota Bharu Airport | www.kotabharuairport.blogspot.my 

RMK11: RM500 juta diperuntukkan untuk naik taraf dan pembesaran LTSIP

Landasan LTSIP dijangka dipanjangkan daripada 2,400 meter kepada 3,800 meter untuk membolehkan lapangan terbang ini mengendalikan pesawat berbadan lebar seperti A330-300 dan A350-900.

KOTA BHARU: Sejumlah RM500 juta diperuntukkan Kerajaan Persekutuan melalui Kementerian Pengangkutan Malaysia (MOT) untuk projek naik taraf dan pembesaran Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra Kota Bharu (LTSIP) di bawah Rancangan Malaysia Kesebelas (RMK11). 

Perkara ini disahkan Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakob yang juga Timbalan Pengerusi Umno Kelantan yang meminta rakyat di negeri ini menilai sendiri antara projek mega yang diluluskan Kerajaan Persekutuan di bawah RMK11. 

“Kalaulah kita menganaktirikan, meminggirkan tidak pedulikan rakyat Kelantan, mana mungkin kelulusan besar diberikan oleh Perdana Menteri kepada Kelantan." - katanya yang merujuk kepada kelulusan RM500 juta untuk naik taraf dan pembesaran LTSIP yang akan bermula tidak lama lagi. 

Projek naik taraf dan pembesaran LTSIP ini dibahagikan kepada beberapa fasa yang melibatkan pembesaran bangunan terminal, pembinaan menara kawalan trafik dan balai bomba lapangan terbang baharu, kompleks parkir kereta bertingkat, kerja-kerja naik taraf landasan dan laluan rayap (taxiway), serta pemanjangan landasan sedia ada.

Kerja-kerja pembesaran bangunan terminal sedia ada, pembinaan kompleks parkir kereta bertingkat, balai bomba dan menara kawalan baharu dijangka menelan kos antara RM200 juta sehingga RM250 juta, manakala pemanjangan landasan untuk pendaratan pesawat berbadan lebar seperti A330-300, B777-200ER, dan A350-900 dijangka menelan kos antara RM200 juta sehingga RM250 juta termasuk pemasangan peralatan navigasi baharu untuk lapangan terbang ini. 

Sumber: Kota Bharu Airport Blog | www.kotabharuairport.blogspot.my

LTSIP dihubungkan dengan kesemua lapangan terbang antarabangsa di Malaysia

Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra Kota Bharu 

PEMBUKAAN laluan Kota Bharu – Pulau Langkawi oleh syarikat penerbangan Firefly pada 27 Oktober lalu telah menjadikan Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra Kota Bharu (LTSIP) sebagai sebuah lapangan terbang yang mempunyai rangkaian laluan penerbangan dengan kesemua lapangan terbang antarabangsa di Malaysia. 

Terdapat enam buah lapangan terbang antarabangsa di Malaysia yang diiktiraf oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan, iaitu Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA), Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kota Kinabalu (KKIA), Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang (PIA), Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuching (KIA), Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Senai Johor Bahru (SIA), dan Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Langkawi (LIA). 

Selain LTSIP, lapangan terbang lain di Malaysia yang mempunyai rangkaian laluan penerbangan dengan kesemua lapangan terbang antarabangsa di Malaysia ialah KLIA dan PIA. 

Malaysia Airlines dan Malindo Air menawarkan perkhidmatan dari LTSIP ke KLIA, manakala AirAsia bukan sahaja menawarkan perkhidmatan dari LTSIP ke KLIA tetapi juga KKIA dan KIA. Firefly pula menawarkan perkhidmatan dari LTSIP ke PIA, SIA, dan LIA.

Sumber: Kota Bharu Airport Blog | www.kotabharuairport.blogspot.my

Malaysia Airlines Mueller puts last touches to Asean hub

Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller

LONDON: Malaysia Airlines said a network restructuring aimed at establishing its base in Kuala Lumpur as a hub for travel to fast-growing regional economies including China and Vietnam is 90 percent complete.

“We’re fine-tuning with regard to the frequency pattern, but the capacity-per-destination is fixed,” Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller said Wednesday in an interview in London. “The network design was 15 years old and largely driven by traffic from Europe to Australasia.”

Mueller took over in March, tasked with reviving a carrier that was racking up losses even before before the deaths of hundreds of people in two crashes last year led to a plunge in traffic. After cutting 6,000 jobs, slashing pay and trimming capacity by 30 percent the CEO said he's done with major changes and ready to target markets also including Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

“I tried to front-load the restructuring exercise because the consequences of capacity cuts are you have to release employees and if you do that over time, it's like having the flu for weeks,” Mueller said. “You want to have that all in the front so there is no further bad news for employees.”

Malaysian Air is shifting to smaller jets as part of the revamp, seeking a buyer for two of its six Airbus Group SE A380. Mueller said five superjumbos are deployed on its London route, with the other used for charter trips, including flying the Real Madrid soccer team on an Asian tour and taking Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. The rollout plan for four A350s due in 2017 will be decided next year.

The airline has amassed more than 4.9 billion ringgit ($1.2 billion) in losses since the start of 2011 and was taken private by Khazanah Nasional Bhd in a 1.38 billion ringgit buyout. The sovereign wealth fund has committed to invest 6 billion ringgit in the restructuring plan.

Source: Bloomberg | 5 Nov. 2015

Terminal KLIA 2 gets fire safety certificate

PUTRAJAYA: The Terminal KLIA 2 (KLIA 2), Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), the world's largest purpose-built terminal dedicated to low-cost carriers, on Wednesday received its Fire Certificate from the Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia (JBPM).

In a statement, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) Chief Operating Officer Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohd Ali said the certification shows the airport operator's seriousness and commitment to ensuring the terminal's operational safety.

"The certification also confirms KLIA 2's compliance with all safety guidelines of local and international enforcement and monitoring agencies," he said.

The department, which issued the certificate on June 3 following its inspection on KLIA 2's Main Terminal and Satellite Building on April 27, was satisfied that KLIA 2's fire safety system complied with the standards outlined in the Fire Sevices Act 1988 and Uniform Building By-Laws 1984, he added.

Source: Bernama | 4 Nov. 2015

AirAsia to launch Penang - Ho Chi Minh flights

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd will launch four weekly flights from Penang to Ho Chi Minh City from Jan 25, 2016.

AirAsia Head of Commercial Spencer Lee said all-in-fares from as low as RM99 one way for the Penang - Ho Chi Minh City (PEN-SGN) flight are being offered on airasia.com from today until Nov 8 in conjunction with the inaugural flight.

He said the promotional fares are for the travel period from Jan 25 to 29, 2016, he said in a statement Tuesday.

Intended travellers can also book their seats via AirAsia's mobile app on iPhone and Android devices, as well as the mobile site mobile.airasia.com.

BIG members also will be able to redeem their flights for the Penang-Ho Chi Minh route at airasiabig.com.

Lee said AirAsia strived to bring Malaysian cities closer to its neighbouring cities by connecting more cities within Asia.

"Penang is one of our important hubs, and we recognised its great tourism potential.

This new direct flight signifies our commitment in establishing enhanced connectivity for the people from both cities," he added.

AirAsia, the world's best low-cost airline for seven consecutive years, also flies direct to Ho Chi Minh City from Kuala Lumpur with five daily flights and Johor Bahru with three weekly flights.

 

Source: Bernama | 3 Nov. 2015

MAB unveils new A330-300 business class seats

Malaysia Airlines A330-300 aircraft.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) on Monday unveiled its new A330-300 business class seats at the World Travel Market in London.

In a statement, MAB said the new seats would be introduced in April 2016 and would see all its 15 A330-300 aircraft fitted with the new configuration by September 2016.

MAB Group Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller said the new seats and configuration were designed to give a superb space for work, play or sleep.

"All of our A330 business class seats will now feature fully flat beds allowing our guests the ultimate in comfort and versatility," he said, adding the product would make MAB more competitive against other full-service carriers.

"It is also part of the airline's push to be more customer centric," he added. Currently, MAB A330-300 has 27 business class seats and 263 economy class seats.

 

Source: Bernama | 3 Nov. 2015