The government today said it will extend a five-year waiver of landing and parking charges for new flights, offered at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) last year, to all international airports nationwide.

Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said the move would benefit the aviation industry and airlines badly hit by the recent outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) outbreak in the region.

It would also encourage international carriers to operate more charter services to Malaysia, he said.

"Previously, those incentives were granted only for airlines who came to KLIA but now we've decided to extend it to other international airports in Malaysia," Chan was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

Aviation hub

It will now be applicable to airports at Penang and Langkawi, and Kuching and Kota Kinabalu on Borneo island but only for new flights and chartered services, he added.

Malaysia has been searching for ways to attract more airlines to the airport so it can compete with the nearby aviation hub of Singapore.

It has in April slashed by half landing and parking charges for all airlines operating into KLIA for a year to help ease airlines' burden as the aviation industry is hit by Sars.

The KLIA, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur, now charges the lowest rate among key Asian airports, beating Singapore's Changi Airport.

According to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), KLIA charged the lowest fees at US$581.71 on the basis of a Boeing 747-400 with a three-hour turnaround time and Japan's Narita airport the highest fees at US$9,689.14. - AFP