On the 25th of June 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, representing the Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Manetelo, formally signed the Air Services Agreement (ASA) with the Malaysian Government, enhancing air transport connectivity between the two countries. 

The agreement was signed by Minister Bendito Freitas and the Malaysian Minister of Transport, Yang Berhormat Loke Siew Fook, during Minister Bendito Freitas’s official visit to the country.

The Minister stated that with the formal signing of the Air Services Agreement, in the future, technicians from Timor-Leste and Malaysia will be better prepared to facilitate the operation of flights between Dili and Kuala Lumpur, and vice versa.

This agreement is of great importance as it will contribute to the development of Timor-Leste’s air connectivity sector and enable the sharing of technical experience with civil aviation professionals. 

Present at the signing ceremony were the Commercial Secretary of the Timor-Leste Embassy in Malaysia, Adelina Martins, the President of the Civil Aviation Authority of Timor-Leste, among others.