Anyone can start a new airline now.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that despite Malaysia Airlines’ current lacklustre performance, he hopes that it will one day be the flag carrier Malaysians can be proud of worldwide.
He said it was “sad” to see the poor state of the airline that was delisted in 2014 despite making several cutbacks on operational expenses in recent years.
“Malaysia Airlines used to be a full-fledged global player. It is sad that we have come to this stage, where the airline has had to cut back on a lot of destinations.
“We want to see it as our flag carrier at the global stage, but that depends on commercial considerations and whether it will be practical at that point of time,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with The Sunday Star.
He also said the federal government would not stop anyone from starting a new airline and joining in the local aviation industry that is currently dominated by Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Malindo Air.
“I don’t think three is a magic number. If an entrepreneur is willing to take risks and start a new airline, it can be done.
“I do not want to put a cap on entrepreneurship. If anyone wants to take that risk, it’s not the government’s role to limit them but to facilitate them,” he said.