Airport operator, Malaysia Airports Holding hopes to woo carriers from China and Middle East by waiving parking and landing charges in an effort to make Kuala Lumpur International Airport a regional hub, a report said today.

"We will continue with our efforts to get more airlines to fly into Malaysia besides getting the existing ones to increase their frequencies," Bashir Ahmad, Malaysia Airports managing director, was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.

The RM9 billion airport was opened in June 1998 some 50 kilometres south of the capital with the aim of making Malaysia a regional hub to rival neighbouring Singapore. Currently 46 carriers fly into KLIA.

The airport operator is in talks with Air New Zealand, Shenzhen Airlines, Shandong Airlines and Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to fly to Malaysia, the Star said.

It is also trying to convince British Airways, Qantas, Pakistan International Airlines, Aeroflot, Royal Jordanian Airlines and Turkish Airlines to resume flights to KLIA.

Roadshow in China

The latest carrier to come into KLIA is China's Hainan Airlines which would begin its inaugural flight from Haikou shortly.

"There is a possibility of one or two more airlines from China flying into KLIA by year end," Bashir said.

Last month Malaysia Airports conducted a roadshow in six cities in China and held talks with officials from Shenzen Airlines, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Hainan Airlines to either fly to Malaysia or increase their frequencies.