The Malaysian government, seeking answers to three aviation disasters, is planning to create a new airline, called flymojo.
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The launch of the new airline was announced at the biennial Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition, where flymojo Sdn Bhd signed a Letter of Intent with Canadian plane-maker Bombardier Inc for the purchase of 20 CS100 jetliner worth $1.47 billion.
Flymojo Managing Director Janardhanan Gopala Krishnan and Bombardier Regional Vice President, Sales, Asia-Pacific, Frank Baistrocchi signed the LoI in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The deal could increase to $2.94 billion if flymojo exercise its option to buy an additional 20 CS100 aircraft, Bombardier said.
Upon execution of the firm purchase agreement, flymojo is expected to become the first customer and operator of the CS100 aircraft in South Asia, it added.
Bombardier says it has already received orders and commitments for more than 600 CSeries aircraft.
The new air carrier would be based at Senai International Airport in the southern city of Johor Bahru, while the secondary hub will be in Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia. The airline's ultra-modern fleet of CS100 aircraft will play a key role in improving connectivity between the Peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak, as well as other parts of the region, said Aziz Kaprawi, Deputy Minister of Transport.
He added that as the only airline utilizing the Southern Corridor as its headquarters, Flymojo is expected to transform Senai into a key regional aviation and logistics hub - augmenting the government's initiatives in developing Iskandar Malaysia and the Southern Corridor.
Flymojo Chairman Alies Anor Abdul expressed confidence that the use of the technologically advanced CSeries aircraft will transform the aviation industry in Malaysia and the region.
Flymojo says it hopes to start flying as soon as possible, but no fixed date has been set for the deliveries, according to Bombardier's vice president of sales in China and Asia-Pacific, Andy Solem.
Local reports said the airline is scheduled to start operating from October this year. ■