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SINGAPORE : Transport officials from Singapore and Malaysia met on Tuesday to discuss the Singapore-Malaysia Air Services Agreement.
Calling it a fruitful preliminary meeting, Singapore's Transport Ministry said officials would meet for formal discussions soon.
Travellers from both countries now pay a high return fare of over S$400, including taxes, for a confirmed flight of just under an hour.
This is because the national carriers dominate the route under the terms of this restrictive 34-year-old agreement.
Low-cost carriers, such as Air Asia and Tiger Airways, who want in, have urged for the Singapore-Malaysia air route to be liberalised earlier rather than later.
Singapore and Malaysia are members of ASEAN, which has pledged to open up all "capital city-to-capital city" flights by end-2008.
Separately, when asked if Malaysia was in favour of opening the route this year, Malaysia's Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said while liberalising the lucrative air route would encourage air travel, the interests of other parties like the Kuala Lumpur International Airport had to be taken into consideration.
Meanwhile, both sides also agreed to work closely to manage the proposed temporary diversion of heavy vehicles from the Causeway to the Second Link, so as to minimise disruption to travellers.
A joint working group involving multiple agencies on both sides is being looked into. - CNA/ms
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