Loke: We are ready to control our airspace
SEPANG: Malaysia is ready and well prepared to take back control of its airspace, which has been delegated, to Singapore since 1974, said Anthony Loke.
The Transport Minister said it was Malaysia’s sovereign right to manage its own airspace.
He said after 45 years of delegating that airspace to Singapore, it was high time for Malaysia to review the agreement.
“We are prepared in terms of technical readiness. We have invested over the years a lot of money on technical equipment and air traffic control readiness.
“We are building the new KL ATCC (Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre) in Sepang, and with the equipment and expertise we think we are ready to manage our own airspace.
“That’s why reviewing the 1974 agreement is our top priority,” Loke told a joint press conference with his Singaporean counterpart Khaw Boon Wan here.
The two ministers had a bilateral meeting at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, ahead of the Malaysian-Singapore leaders’ annual retreat in Putrajaya today.
Under the terms of the Operational Letter of Agreement between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore Area Control Centres Concerning Singapore Arrivals, Departures and Overflights 1974, the airspace in southern Peninsular Malaysia has been managed by Singapore.
A high-level committee, to be co-chaired by Malaysia’s Transport Ministry secretary-general and Singapore’s Transport Ministry permanent secretary, has been set up to review the agreement.
Loke also said Firefly would resume flying into Singapore on April 21, following Singapore’s withdrawal of its Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures for Seletar Airport.
Loke said besides Firefly, the other interested airline was Malindo, which had already applied to airport authorities in Singapore to fly to Seletar.
Firefly had suspended its operations to Singapore on Dec 1 last year, following Malaysia’s protest of the ILS procedures for Seletar Airport.
On the six-month suspension of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, which connects Johor Baru to Woodlands in Singapore via rail, Loke said both governments are working to review the proposed passenger fare.
“Under the current agreement, the proposed fare is a bit on the high side. Both countries have agreed to work on lowering the ticket price,” said Loke.
Malaysia had requested a six-month suspension of the RTS Link project to review certain terms of the agreement.
Source : TheStar
