KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Foreign aircraft on aid missions to tsunami-ravaged Asian countries have begun using Langkawi International Airport in north Malaysia for stopovers.

    A total of seven transporter aircraft have landed and taken offat the airport at Padang Mat Sirat, Langkawi, since Sunday.

    Five C-130 aircraft from the United States Air Force stopped over after sending humanitarian aid to Phuket in Thailand and Acheh in Indonesia en route to the US air base in Okinawa, Japan, Langkawi Airport Manager Shuhaimi Mubin told reporters at the airport Monday.

    Two other aircraft, landing for stopover, were specially chartered Russian Antonov 124s which had also completed relief missions.

    "The flights stopped over to allow the air crew to rest and conduct technical checks on the planes," Shuhaimi explained.

    The Malaysian government approved an American request Sunday touse the country's airspace and Langkawi airport as a base for humanitarian missions to several Asian countries which were badly affected by the tsunami tragedy on Dec. 26. Enditem