16 Jan, 2008

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is targeting to achieve RM580mil in commercial revenue this year as part of the company's goal of growing its non-aeronautical revenue to 50% by 2010, said managing director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad.

Bashir said the company was beefing up its facilities at KL International Airport (KLIA) in its efforts to boost commercial revenue.

"We are doing some renovation, which is expected to be completed this year," he said after the launch of the Food Garden@LCCT-KLIA yesterday.

MAHB's aeronautical operations are complemented by its commercial services division (CSD), which includes the management of commercial space for retail, food and beverage (F&B) outlets, lounges, offices, service areas, hotel, car park facilities and advertising and promotional activities.

For the year ended Dec 31, 2006, commercial services generated revenue of RM439mil.

MAHB plans to develop the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport in Subang, which it had leased from the Federal Lands Commissioner for 60 years, into the MIAC.

"There is a programme that encourages foreign companies to set up MRO facilities at MIAC. We have 17 companies on the waiting list and we are allocating space one by one," he said, adding that most were foreign companies from the aerospace industry.

Chairman Tan Sri Dr Aris Othman said the development of local small and medium enterprises would be part of the company's ongoing corporate social responsibility efforts.

"Today's launch (of the Food Garden) demonstrates our commitment to a memorandum of understanding we signed with the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry in August last year," he said.

This article is a verbatim copy of the original article from The Star.