Tag Archives: Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines starts direct flights between Ahmedabad & Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Airlines has commenced operations between Ahmedabad and Kuala Lumpur on December 1.

The inaugural flight departing from Kuala Lumpur via MH106 was welcomed upon arrival at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD) at 9:40 pm local time, before continuing its journey back to Kuala Lumpur at 10:40 pm local time via flight MH107.

This development follows the commencement of Malaysia Airlines’ direct operations from Amritsar and Trivandrum last month. With the addition of direct services from Ahmedabad, the airline will be operating 65 weekly flights to India from nine key hubs. Presently, the airline operates flights from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Amritsar, and Trivandrum. In addition, the airline also recently announced that beginning January 15, 2024, it will be increasing its frequency to Amritsar from two times weekly to four times weekly following strong demands and load factor performance.

Commenting on the development, Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer, Airlines, Malaysia Aviation Group, said, “India presents a tremendous opportunity, given the burgeoning demand and passenger traffic in the recent past. The launch of direct flights between Ahmedabad and Kuala Lumpur not only reaffirms our commitment to providing seamless travel experiences but also underscores the pivotal role India plays in the ever-evolving landscape of air travel. In addition, with the commencement of 30-day visa-free entry for visitors from India into Malaysia, we look forward to providing travellers with more options for connectivity and convenience as they embark on their journeys onboard Malaysian Hospitality.”

A spokesperson from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, said, “Ahmedabad remains the cultural and commercial epicentre of Gujarat and a significant part of western India. We extend our heartiest congratulations to Malaysia Airlines and hope that the new services will help bolster connectivity, fostering cultural and economic ties between these two vibrant regions.”

Malaysia Airlines starts Trivandrum – Kuala Lumpur Direct Flight

Following the successful launch of a direct service from Kuala Lumpur to Amritsar on November 8, 2023, Malaysia Airlines expanded connectivity between Malaysia and India by introducing a new direct flight connecting Trivandrum and Kuala Lumpur.

The inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur, bearing the flight number MH0116, received a warm welcome with a water salute upon its arrival at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV) at 11:00am local time. Subsequently, the flight departed TRV at 12:01am on 10 November 2023 en route to Kuala Lumpur.

With this development, the airline becomes the first full-service premium carrier to offer flights to South Asia and the Pacific from Amritsar and Trivandrum. This expansion has strengthened the airline’s Indian network to eight (8) key hubs, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Amritsar.

Announcing the commencement of direct flights from Trivandrum, Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said, “We are delighted to commence operations from Trivandrum, providing travellers with enhanced options for seamless travel to and from Malaysia. The launch of three new routes within a span of one month is a testament to our steadfast commitment towards India, our leading international market. Further, we have also expanded the scope of our hyper-personalised offerings and would encourage our Indian customers to take advantage of the same.”

The airline is scheduled to commence operations to another Indian route, Ahmedabad, starting from 1 December 2023. With these additions, the airline will be operating 65 weekly flights to India, raising the count of its services in the country to nine (9) key hubs.

Malaysia Airlines meets trade partners in India as the airline charts out expansion plans

In a bid to promote its new routes to India, Malaysia Airlines organized networking events in Jalandhar, Trivandrum, and Ahmedabad with its regional trade partners. Last month, the airline announced the commencement of three new services between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Amritsar (ATQ), Trivandrum (TRV) and Ahmedabad (AMD) effective 8 November, 9 November, and 1 December 2023 respectively.

The networking events attracted more than 200 trade partners, providing an opportunity for agents to discuss the airline’s latest plans and products. These events fostered better communication and understanding among participants.

Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer of Airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), commented, “India, a key international market for Malaysia Airlines, occupies a pivotal position in our strategic initiatives. The introduction of new routes underscores our steadfast commitment to serving the Indian market with excellence. We deeply value the instrumental role played by our travel trade partners in India, who have contributed to our success, and through these engagements, we aim to strengthen our partnerships and express our sincere gratitude for their unwavering support.”

Malaysia Airlines launches three new routes to India

Malaysia Airlines sets forward a new Commercial Elevation journey to expand its footprint to India with the commencement of three new services between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Amritsar (ATQ), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) and Ahmedabad (AMD) effective 8 November, 9 November and 1 December 2023 respectively.

The expansion will bring Malaysia Airlines’ point-to-point connectivity from Kuala Lumpur to India to nine (9) key hubs, thereby providing passengers with enhanced options and flexibility for travel between the two countries. The airline currently operates direct flights to New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi. The new routes will be operated by the Boeing 737-800NG aircraft, equipped with 160 seats, comprising 16 seats in Business Class and 144 seats in Economy Class.

As part of this endeavour, Malaysia Airlines is to offer introductory fares with all-in return tickets starting from INR 16,899 on Economy Class and from INR 59,099 on Business Class, available for purchase from today until 15 September 2023, for travel beginning 8 November 2023 to 31 March 2024. Additionally, customers who book during this period will enjoy up to 50% Bonus Enrich Points.

Commenting on this, Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) said, “India remains a key market for Malaysia Airlines, hence we are delighted to introduce three new routes into our Indian network, which will provide added convenience for travellers, strengthen our presence in this core market and extend our Malaysian Hospitality service even further.
Currently, our average load factor on this route is at 81% YTD July 2023 signifying the growth and confidence for travel between the two markets. We are looking at restoring our pre-COVID-19 capacity back in the Indian market by the end of this year and will also look to increase flight frequencies to other destinations as we support seamless travels in Malaysia and beyond.”

With increasing demands for travel, the airline will also enhance its frequencies to build dominance in other key markets including Australia, China and ASEAN. Beginning December 2023, the airline will boost its weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Melbourne (MEL) and Sydney (SYD) from 14 flights a week to 15 and 16 flights a week respectively.

In addition to the new routes and increased frequencies, the airline has also launched its new product offerings MHsports and MHcruise to further enhance the overall traveller experience while further enhancing a suit of their existing commercial products.

Malaysia Airlines implements full suite of Sabre Network Planning and Optimisation technology

Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, announced the successful implementation of a full suite of Sabre Network Planning and Optimization solutions for Malaysia Airlines. The carrier has already started using these advanced Sabre solutions to optimise schedules, evaluate existing and future routes and partnerships, and make network planning decisions.

This milestone marks the completion of the second phase of the Sabre solutions implementation with Malaysia Airlines. Earlier this year, Sabre Schedule Manager, Codeshare Manager, and Slot Manager solutions were completed, and the carrier is now also able to utilise Sabre Profit Manager, Fleet Manager, and Network Manager. Together, these solutions give Malaysia Airlines enhanced decision support tools to further improve schedule profitability, and optimise capacity with demand, aircraft utilisation and network connectivity.

“We’re thrilled that we can now take full advantage of a wide range of Sabre solutions as we move forward with ambitious plan to capture, and create, growth in the Malaysian travel ecosystem and post pandemic travel recovery” said Bryan Foong, Group Chief Strategy Officer, Malaysia Airlines. He also said, “We’re seeing the value these solutions are bringing us in making timely schedule changes operationally and profitably to respond to dynamic travel market condition changes as we continue to grow and optimize capacity to meet strong travel demand post pandemic.”

Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, and part of the wider Malaysian Airlines Group, Malaysia Airlines flies an extensive global network with its own aircraft and through its codeshare partners. The carrier is now focused on ramping up capacity to pre-pandemic levels, and further optimizing its network and looking at future routes using these enhanced decision support tools by Sabre solutions, including the regeneration plan for Subang Airport, which will be transformed into a city airport hub.

“Having worked together for more than two decades, we’re thrilled to have strengthened our long-standing, and valued, relationship with this important new milestone,” said Rakesh Narayanan, Vice President, Regional General Manager, Asia Pacific, Travel Solutions, Airline Sales. “For airlines to gain a competitive advantage in today’s complex travel market, it is vital that they have the right tools to transition from making decisions based upon historic behaviours and can, instead, create schedules based on advanced analytics. Malaysia Airlines now has an extensive suite of best-in-class network planning tools that will provide them with invaluable decision-making support in their network and fleet management strategies.”

Malaysia Airlines promotes Amit Mehta as Regional Manager- South Asia, Middle East, and Africa

Amit Mehta has been appointed as Malaysia Airlines’ Regional Manager for South Asia, Middle East, and Africa effective immediately where he is responsible for augmenting the airline’s operation in the three key markets. Previously, he was the Country Manager for South Asia.

Mehta has been working with Malaysia Airlines since 2007 and brings over 20+ years of extensive managerial and commercial experience in the aviation industry. He has successfully managed diverse portfolios, including profit centre operations, sales, marketing, and revenue management, equipping him to excel in this new role.

Commenting on his new appointment, Mehta, said, “I am excited to continue my journey with Malaysia Airlines in this new role, where my primary focus will be on fostering new opportunities and strategic alliances to bolster the business in these pivotal regions. Additionally, I aim to prioritise augmenting customer relationships and loyalty to deliver an exceptional travel experience to our customers.”

Mehta will continue providing leadership and mentoring team members in these crucial regions, ensuring the successful implementation of both commercial and operational action plans, while enhancing the airline’s brand presence in the key regions by providing memorable experiences onboard Malaysian Hospitality.