Singapore rejects Qantas reports

The Singapore government said Qantas does not have a license to run a
low cost airline out of the city-state, contrary to Australian media
reports last week.

"No, they don't have the licence at the present moment," Transport
Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said when he was asked if the Australian
carrier had been given the go-ahead more than 10 years ago as was
reported.

Melbourne's Herald-Sun said Qantas already had a licence to operate a
discount airline from Singapore that was granted more than 10 years
ago after negotiations on access to Australian airports.

The newspaper said Qantas had already completed a feasibility study on
running a low-cost airline from the Asian city-state.

Australian media reports also said the carrier was considering teaming
up with Malaysia's AirAsia to form a low-cost airline to be based in
Singapore to serve the lucrative Southeast Asian market with a
population base of more than 500 million people.

It was reported the move was a back-up plan for Qantas if regulators
blocked the carrier's proposed tie-up with Air New Zealand.

AirAsia has confirmed Qantas is among the carriers it is in talks with
for possible joint ventures to expand its regional presence but
executive director Kamarudin Meranun declined to comment on the
Australian media reports.

The Malaysian budget carrier has applied for an air operator's license
from the Singapore government to operate from the city-state but this
has not yet been approved.

It has already roped in at least one Singaporean partner for the
proposed carrier to be based in the city-state, AirAsia officials said
recently here. ####
--multiplaza.nl.nu--