The government has slashed landing and parking charges at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) by half to help ease airlines' burden as the aviation industry is hit by Sars.

Transport Minister Dr Ling Liong Sik said eight mainly small carriers had stopped flying to KLIA since last week, among them Air Mauritius, Yemen Air and Air Mekong.

But he said o­ne of the region's leading airlines, Cathay Pacific, o­n Wednesday resumed flying to the airport after Malaysia lifted travel restrictions for visitors from Hong Kong late last week.

Ling said the KLIA recorded some 100 flight cancellations each week, or about 11 percent of the total 1,002 flights.

Discount for a year

Passenger arrivals at the airport south of the capital have dropped 30 percent in the past seven weeks due to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) which has killed at least 234 people worldwide, he said.

The discounted parking and landing charges are valid for a year and will benefit 36 airlines, Ling said.

"This will help airlines to overcome difficulties because almost all airlines are suffering. Some airlines o­nly have 20 or 30 passengers o­n a flight," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

To tighten screening procedures, Ling said the cabinet has agreed to install a high-tech scanner at the airport.

Malaysia has reported two Sars deaths and more than 70 suspected and probable cases. AFP