Malaysia Airlines is introducing three new services connecting Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Amritsar (ATQ), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) and Ahmedabad (AMD) from November 8, 9, and December 1 respectively, expanding its presence in India. Captain Izham Ismail, the group managing director of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), expressed that the expansion will increase Malaysia Airlines' point-to-point connectivity from Kuala Lumpur to nine major cities in India, offering passengers more travel options and flexibility between the two countries.
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The airline currently operates direct flights to six Indian cities, including New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi. The new routes will be serviced by the Boeing 737-800NG aircraft, equipped with 160 seats, including 16 seats in Business Class and 144 seats in Economy Class. To mark the occasion, Malaysia Airlines is offering introductory fares starting from RM999 for Economy Class and from RM2,999 (US$ 645) for Business Class, available for purchase from today until September 9, for travel beginning November 8, to March 31 next year.
Customers who book during this period will receive up to 50 percent Bonus Enrich Points. "India is an important market for Malaysia Airlines. The three new routes to our Indian network will provide added convenience for travelers, strengthen our presence in this core market, and extend our Malaysian Hospitality service even further," said Izham at a press conference held in conjunction with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair from Sept 1-3. The airline reported an average load factor of 81 percent YTD as of last month for this route, indicating the growth and confidence for travel between the two markets.
"We aim to restore our pre-COVID-19 capacity in the Indian market by the end of this year and increase flight frequencies to other destinations to support seamless travels in Malaysia and beyond," Izham added. Malaysia Airlines also plans to enhance its frequency to strengthen its presence in other key markets, including Australia, China, and ASEAN. From December onwards, the airline will increase its weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne (MEL) and Sydney (SYD) from 14 flights a week to 15 and 16 flights a week, respectively. The airline also launched MHsports and MHcruise, two new products that offer special fares and benefits for groups of five or more people traveling for sporting events and for selected travel trades to integrate with their cruise packages. Additionally, AMAL by Malaysia Airlines, the dedicated Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage arm of Malaysia Airlines, will introduce Umrah Plus in a few months, providing free return tickets to selected domestic destinations to international customers during their pilgrimage journey.