Low-cost carrier Tiger Airways said Thursday it wants to fly the route between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as soon as possible.

The Singapore-based carrier, was commenting after Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said AirAsia has won a battle to fly the lucrative Singapore-Kuala Lumpur sector, breaking the national carriers' monopoly.

Tiger said it approached the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore on Thursday to advise them "of its desire to operate this route at the earliest opportunity."

The airline is 49 percent owned by national carrier Singapore Airlines.

"We have made a decision, the cabinet has approved," Abdullah told reporters in Malaysia when asked if Malaysia-based AirAsia had been given the go-ahead to fly between the neighbouring capitals.

Newspaper reports said the Malaysian cabinet had given approval Wednesday for AirAsia and Tiger Airways to operate the leg, setting the stage for a price war.

Tiger issued its statement in response to the press reports.

"Liberalising air rights on this major commercial route to allow low-fare carriers like Tiger Airways to operate on it would benefit commercial and recreational travellers as well as the economies of the two countries," the statement said.

Departing from Singapore, a round-trip ticket on the route, which takes less than an hour, currently costs around 450 Singapore dollars (298 US) including taxes. AirAsia is proposing one-way tickets from 60 dollars.