Business

Tuesday June 23, 2009

MAS plans more airfare promotions

By EDY SARIF


PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) plans to launch more airfare promotion campaigns as the national carrier’s load factor has begun to improve on the back of such promotions, said managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

“With the airline industry facing an economic slowdown and the H1N1 flu affecting the business, we need to do more attractive promotions to boost sales,” he said here yesterday after the launch of the Malaysian Airlines Travel Fair (MATF) and a global low fares campaign.

According to MAS, its load factor in the second quarter rose to 66% as at June 21 from 56% in the first quarter.

“We will continue to push sales aggressively and we are planning to offer more than 70 travel fairs globally until 2010,” he said, adding that the low fare promotions were only for non-peak flights.

Nevertheless, Jala acknowledged that MAS was facing tough operating conditions and that it would be a strong challenge for them to surpass the RM15.5bil revenue posted in 2008.

Meanwhile, MAS chairman Tan Sri Munir Majid said the national carrier currently had no intention to lay off workers.

“We value our workers who have been contributing a lot to this company. We have mentioned it before and today that there will be no lay-offs. We are still at the consultation stage and discussing the best solutions for the company and the staff. We are not in a hurry to decide.”

The company had also not made a decision regarding pay cuts, he added.

The all-inclusive one-way fare promotion under MATF began yesterday and will last until July 5, with prices ranging from RM118 to Singapore, RM198 to Asean countries, RM428 to South Asia, RM488 to Australia and RM898 to Europe.

MAS is also offering promotional deals globally until June 26, with flights to Asean, South Asia, North Asia, Australia, Middle-East, US and South Africa.

nbsp;
MAS : [Stock Watch] [News]


For latest Bursa Malaysia indices, charts and other information click here

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story