Malaysia Airlines, Japan Airlines To Begin Code-Share Cooperation

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Japan Airlines (JAL) will start a code-share cooperation from July 1, 2012 covering up to 347 weekly flights of 51 sectors including the Malaysia–Japan trunk routes. In a statement Monday, MAS said the cooperation would also include selected domestic and international flights operated by both carriers. Sales for this code-share would commence June 12, it said. "This is part of MAS' strategy to develop commercial cooperation with oneworld alliance members as it prepares towards becoming a full member of the alliance before end-2012. "It is also part of MAS' initiative towards enhancing air connectivity with key priority markets overseas for increased tourist arrivals into Malaysia as required by the government's Economic Transformation Programme," it said. MAS group chief executive officer, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, said the agreement would give the airline an excellent opportunity to expand its reach without having to mount its own flights to cities in Japan and beyond in North Asia and the US. "This cooperation is expected to greatly contribute towards increased tourist arrivals into Malaysia. "As one of the most affordable tourist destinations in the Asia-Pacific, we are confident that more tourists from other parts of Japan will take the opportunity to use this code-share and visit Malaysia," he said. The code-share on the Malaysia–Japan trunk route covers MAS' 11 times weekly Kuala Lumpur (KL)–Tokyo return flights and the six times weekly KL–Osaka return flights as well as JAL's daily Tokyo-KL return flights. JAL's domestic return daily flights covered in the code share agreement are Tokyo–Nagoya, Tokyo–Fukuoka and Tokyo–Sapporo while MAS's daily domestic return flights included in this arrangement are KL–Kota Kinabalu, KL–Penang, KL–Langkawi, KL–Kuantan and KL–Kuching. On the international front, daily return flights operated by JAL which will be code-shared are Tokyo–Hong Kong, Tokyo–Seoul and Tokyo–Taipei. JAL flights between Tokyo and the US will also be included in this agreement. These include daily return routes like Tokyo–Guam, and Tokyo–Honolulu as well as one-way flights from Tokyo to Boston, Tokyo to Chicago and Tokyo to New York. JAL customers in return will benefit from this code-share with MAS on its South Asian return flights like KL–Delhi and the daily flights between KL and the cities of Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Colombo and Male. --BERNAMA