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Malaysia Airlines and Virgin Blue team up
Malaysia Airlines and Virgin Blue today announced a comprehensive interline agreement which will provide travellers with seamless connectivity between 22 Australian cities and centres to Malaysia Airlines’ international flights departing and arriving Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane in Phase 1, followed by Adelaide and Perth.
The new partnership, effective from 1 September 2006 was unveiled today by Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, and Malaysia Airlines’ Managing Director, Idris Jala, who flew to Australia for the announcement.
Both Chief Executives reinforced the partnership as a unique teaming of like-minded airlines.
Idris Jala said, “We are truly delighted with this partnership as it is testimony that full-frill and low-fare airlines can indeed team up for seamless passenger connectivity. It means our passengers can now travel to and from many parts of the world to many parts of Australia on a single ticket issued by Malaysia Airlines.
“This partnership is in line with our hub-and-spoke strategy. It is a significant development of the ‘winning coalitions’ thrust of our Business Turnaround plan. Through this partnership we can now expand our market base without the need to increase point to point operations,” Idris said.
“This partnership has come at a perfect time as the Year 2007 is ‘Visit Malaysia Year’ in line with the Malaysian Government’s objective and our collaboration with Virgin Blue will increase tourists from Australia to Malaysia,” he said.
Brett Godfrey said, “Our partner Malaysia Airlines has been progressive and instrumental in this project and has helped achieve an exceptionally complex integration of vastly different reservations systems and processes.Bookings for seamless travel to and throughout Australia will be accepted through Malaysia Airlines appointed travel agents in the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia.
Graham Muldoon
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