Its CEO Peter Bellew said the airline had flights between Malaysia and five Indian cities – Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.
“All our existing permissions to the main cities in India are currently filled but we look forward to future cooperation with Indian carriers to ensure additional tourists to Malaysia,” he said in a statement.
“The recent equalisation of passenger service charges for Asean customers had led to a 15% increase in customers on those routes.”
“We look forward to the further equalisation on Indian and other international routes which will assist the 51 airlines at KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) operate on an equal basis with the carriers at KLIA2 (Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2).”
Bellew said MAS was grateful for the continued assistance by Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz and Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai in helping all airlines in Malaysia gain additional seat rights to operate in India.
Nazri had yesterday said in the Dewan Rakyat that MAS’ connections to India were restricted to the cities of Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai, thereby not allowing the high potential of the vast Indian market to be fully exploited.
The Padang Rengas MP had said this in responding to a question from V Sivakumar (DAP-Batu Gajah) on challenges faced in attracting Indian nationals.
Nazri said the problem was compounded by Indian airline companies not taking up Malaysia’s offer of slots to Kuala Lumpur.
He said Malaysia faced competition in luring the lucrative Indian market from other Asean countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia which offered Indians visa-free entry to their countries.
He also said to overcome the shortcomings his ministry was relying on AirAsia, Malindo Air and Singapore Airlines to draw tourists from India.