Japan announces priorities for "open skies"

A 17 December 2011 story from AFP carried by channelnewsasia.com reported that Japan was giving priority to negotiating "open skies" agreements with South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. Interesting is Japan's new willingness to cover access to Narita (NRT) in these agreements.

AirAsia X to operate to Christchurch

On 29 October 2010 Christchurch Airport (CHC) announced that it has signed a deal that will see Malaysian airline AirAsia X (D7) commence operations from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to New Zealand (subject to regulatory approvals). Whether this new direct route will be non stop or via Australia has yet to be announced. The Wings Down Under blog has a post on the story dated 29 October 2010.

New Zealand has a 1998 bilateral 'open skies' air services agreement with Malaysia (see media statement).

There has been speculation that the Malaysia government would not permit AirAsia X to compete directly with the Malaysia Airlines (MH) operations to Auckland (AKL). Singapore Airlines (SQ) already operates from South East Asia to Christchurch and is about to face competition to its Singapore-Auckland non-stop operations from Jetstar Asia (3K)(again subject to regulatory approvals)(see previous post).

Malaysia to gain rights from France for air services to Orly

On 8 October 2009 the New Straits Times reported that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib, on a four-day visit to Paris, had raised with Prime Minister Fillon of France granting access rights to Paris for Air Asia X.

In doing so Najib made a link with the large order of Airbus aircraft made by Air Asia.

President Sarkozy personally gave a positive reply, agreeing that access to Paris Orly airport would be granted. Officials are to work out the details.

Papua New Guinea signs first air services agreement with Malaysia

On 24 July 2009 Business Times from Malaysia reported that Papua New Guinea and Malaysia had signed an Air Services Agreement and related Memorandum of Understanding. There are no frequency limits.

Singapore and Malaysia agree on new air routes and increased capacity

On 14 April 2009 the Singapore Ministry of Transport announced that Malaysia and Singapore had agreed to new routes and increased frequency of air services opportunities for the airlines of their two countries under their bilateral air services agreement.

This followed an earlier 6 October 2008 announcement about the outcome of negotiations that created opportunities for the low-cost carriers of the two countries on three East Malaysia-Singapore routes.

Rise in piracy

This year has seen increasing news reports of piracy, particularly off the coast of Somalia.

An excellent source of data for this growing problem is the International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau which operates a Piracy Reporting Centre based in Malaysia. The Centre maintains a live piracy map of all such incidents around the world.

Airline seat capacity reducing from East Asia to New Zealand but trans-Tasman competition increasing

Thai Airways was reported in the Wall Street Journal to be considering routing its non-stop Bangkok-Auckland operations via Australia.

On 26 July 2008 the Star reported that Malaysia Airlines plans to use smaller aircraft on its services to Australia and New Zealand. It is temporarily reducing capacity to Auckland by one flight per week for a month.

On 7 August 2008 the China Post reported that EVA Airways would be suspending its operations to Auckland from 1 September 2008 and Tourism New Zealand would be closing its Taipei office.

By way of background, in 2006 Garuda ceased services from Denpasar to Auckland, and Air New Zealand ceased operations to Singapore when it extended its Hong Kong services to London and commenced services to Shanghai.

On a more positive note for seat capacity to New Zealand, on 18 July 2008 Air New Zealand commenced non-stop operations to Beijing, and Pacific Blue has announced that it will be commencing trans-Tasman services on both the Melbourne-Auckland (from 22 September 2008) and Sydney-Auckland (from 14 October 2008) routes. Emirates is reported in the NZ Herald on 8 August 2008 to be planning to introduce the A380 on services to Auckland from 1 February 2009 and increase the size of aircraft it operates to Christchurch. Royal Brunei has started operating daily to Auckland via Brisbane.

It would be hard to find many examples around the world where so many airlines are competing as on the main trans-Tasman routes.

Australia and Malaysia expand available capacity for their airlines

The Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Hon Anthony Albanese, announced on 7 March 2008 that Australia has negotiated a phased increase in seat capacity with Malaysia.

One beneficiary of this should be Air Asia X, which commenced services to the Gold Coast (OOL) on 2 November 2007, and is understood to be planning to serve additional points in Australia.

New Zealand has had a bilateral "open skies" agreement with Malaysia since 1998.

Malaysia and Singapore negotiate to allow LCCs on Singapore - Kuala Lumpur route

On 21 November 2007 Bernama reported that Malaysia and Singapore were about to negotiate new air services arrangements that would allow their low-cost carriers (LCCs) to start serving the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore air route for the first time.

India and Malaysia liberalise air services arrangements

On 16 July 2007 the official Government of India Press Information Bureau announced that air services negotiations held between India and Malaysia on 12-13 July 2007 had lead to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that provides for a major opening up of air routes between the two countries, cargo services, code sharing and multiple designation.

A 19 July 2007 report in the International Herald Tribune provides background.

ASEAN Secretary General says progress towards regional "open skies" is slow

On 24 June 2007 Bloomberg reported comments by Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary General Ong Keng Yong to a World Economic Forum meeting that progress on reaching a limited "open skies" air transport agreement covering routes between ASEAN capitals by 2008 was proving to be slow.

Extension of South East Asian fifth freedom exchange announced

On 24 April 2007 the Office of the President of the Philippines announced that the number of points available for fifth freedom air transport operations in the Brunei Darussalam/Indonesia/Malaysia/the Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) has been extended.

Government support for South African Airways

A 4 April 2007 article in Business Day, quoting Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin, reports that there are limits to the South African Government's support for its loss-making airline, South African Airways.

On 29 March 2007 Star Alliance member South African Airways announced that it is entering into a code-share arrangement with non-Star Malaysia Airlines.

Malaysia seeking to liberalise air services arrangements with Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei

Bernama, the Malaysian national news agency, has a 9 February 2007 article reporting that Malaysia is to renegotiate its air services arrangements with Vietnam. This news comes out of bilateral discussions held during the ASEAN transport ministers meeting this week. Currently services between Malaysia and Ho Chi Minh City are capacity restricted with Malaysia using its full allocation of 14 flights per week.

The article also reports on a ministerial commitment to renegotiate the 34-year old Malaysia-Singapore air services arrangements. Currently the number of Singaporean and Malaysian airlines that can fly between Singapore and KL is restricted, thereby excluding the new low-cost carriers. A separate article reports that these negotiations will start in March.

Malaysia is also planning to negotiate with Brunei.

New Zealand has "open skies" arrangements in place with Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, the latter two through the MALIAT.