ASEAN Nations To Consider Fast-Tracking Open Skies Pact
Josephine Roque - All Headline News Staff Writer Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (AHN) - According to Malaysian Trade Minister Chan Kong Choy some Southeast Asian countries are calling for the earlier push of the open-skies agreement scheduled to be implemented in the region by 2008. "We are open (to the idea). Some countries say yes, some are very concerned and some say no. So it is mixed feelings among ASEAN members," Chan told AFP. "We will look into it," he added. Chan added that Singapore, was "pushing" for the deadline to be hastened. The minister said other representatives from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had consented to free passage of capital-to-capital flights among member countries by the end of 2008. The open skies policy will allow a foreign airline to operate unlimited services to another country. "So we are just merely talking about bringing forward that arrangement, either bilaterally or multilaterally," Chan told AFP. "But since we have a message that (Singapore-based) Tiger Air is keen to operate to Kuala Lumpur and of course AirAsia has also told us that they do not mind flying to Singapore ... we are prepared to look into it," Chan said. Chan said the committee led by Malaysian transport ministry secretary-general Muhamad Safaruddin will consider into the effects of early implementation. Airline carrier AirAsia's chief executive Tony Fernandes prai |
