Airport operator in talks to woo more global carriers

ISTANBUL: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is in talks with three airlines to fly to Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (ISG) next year.

“We have ongoing negotiations with several airlines from Western Europe, Middle East, Russia and Ukraine,” ISG chief executive officer Ersel Goral told the Malaysian media, here, on Monday.

“We have also shaken hands with Emirates and they will start launching their flights in April or in summer next year, with daily flights out of Dubai on Boeing 777s.”

He said so far this year, the airport had started to serve Air Baghdad from Iraq, Utair from Ukraine, Air Mediterranean from Greece and an airline from Saudi Arabia.

Turkey’s biggest low-cost airline, Pegasus Hava Tasimaciligi AS, uses ISG as its main hub. Pegasus and national carrier Turkish Airlines are the airport’s main users.

ISG said it plans to increase international airlines’ participation to 40 per cent by 2021.

“Turkish Airline and Pegasus are doing well in ISG and the overall Turkish aviation market. Turkish Airlines has around 340 aircraft while Pegasus has 80 aircraft. Turkish Airlines has signed a deal with Boeing for new generation Dreamliners to be delivered no later that 2020, which means Pegasus and Turkish Airlines will have continual growth as ISG is the base airport for Pegasus and the second airport for Turkish Airlines. The growth of their fleet will definitely reflect the growth of ISG as well,” Goral said.

Last week, MAHB reported a sevenfold jump in net profit to RM79.69 million for the third quarter ended September 30, from RM10.68 million a year ago, on strong revenue growth driven by airport and nonairport operations.

Revenue for the quarter under review grew 12.7 per cent to RM1.2 billion compared with RM1.08 billion in the same quarter last year. For its nine months, net profit rose more than five times to RM208.63 million from RM37.07 million a year ago, while revenue for the financial period-to-date under review grew 10.1 per cent to RM3.41 billion from RM3.09 billion previously. Zarina Zakariah

Turkish Airline and Pegasus are doing well in ISG and the overall Turkish aviation market.

ERSEL GORAL Sabiha Gokcen International Airport chief executive officer