Malaysia

The Transport Minister said the government agreed “in principle” to accept Ocean Infinity’s no-find-no-fee proposal to continue with MH370’s wreckage based on a new lead, 10 years after its disappearance

Santan, the inflight catering and F&B subsidiary of Capital A will collaborate with Soft Space Sdn Bhd (Soft Space), fintech-as-a-service company to offer its in-flight retail solution, Fasspos

The Transport Minister asked Malaysia Airlines to boost performance as it received its first Airbus A330neo. He said the arrival of Airbus A330neo is a transformative moment for Malaysia’s aviation sector. He criticised Firefly’s performance and said, “There are ways and there are things that need to improve. There are challenges that we have to overcome. There are weaknesses that we have to admit, and have to fix it together”

Malaysia Airports Holding Bhd (MAHB) will add manpower to improve operations to ensure smooth passenger flows and reduce waiting times at key touchpoints in conjunction with school holidays, Christmas, and New Year Celebrations. MAHB advised the passengers to utilise smart airport facilities from 20 Dec 2024-5 Jan 2025. Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is expected to record daily 104,000 at Terminal 1 and 98,000 passengers in T2. Airlines operating at KLIA have scheduled about 30-35 additional flights daily bringing the total flight movements to 1,085 per day

Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) signed an MoU with Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) to safeguard the welfare of aviation workers and ensure aviation companies comply with the Employee Social Security Act. PERKESO assisted more than 800 aviation workers from losing their jobs by granting RM13 million through the Wage Subsidy Program. The cooperation also involves the National Career Exploration Centre (NPCEC) to offer placement of skilled local workers in critical roles

Shanghai Airlines launched direct flights between Changchun-Kuala Lumpur from 16 Dec. The airline operates daily flights to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, and 3 flights per week to Penang. From Jan-Oct 2024, Malaysia welcomed 2,822,247 Chinese tourists, +139% YoY

Malaysia Airlines will add 112 additional red-eye flights between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and East Malaysia from 19 Dec 2024-1 Jan 2025 to improve its services for the peak travel period. The additional service includes 66 extra services to and from Sabah, covering Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, and Tawau; 46 additional flights to and from Sarawak including Kuching and Miri. Malaysia Airlines will operate 596 flights between Kuala Lumpur and East Malaysia during this period. Malaysia Airlines will offer fixed fares for the Chinese New Year period starting from RM349. The airline will operate 102 additional red-eye flights between 24 Jan-4 Feb 2024 and a total of 219 flights per week between Kuala Lumpur and East Malaysia. The airline will add a 7th daily flight to Jakarta from 28 Jan 2025

Malaysian Aviation Commission said Malaysia is on track to meet 95.4 million-97.6 million passengers by the end of 2024. Malaysia’s passenger traffic from Jan-Oct 2024 reached 80.3 million. The outlook in 2025 for Malaysia’s aviation industry remains positive with robust growth expected, with airlines expanding domestic and international routes. AirAsia added 2,000 weekly flights and 150,000 seats across 40 key routes by the end of 2024 and introduced 39 new routes across ASEAN and Central Asia. Thai VietJet and 9 Air will start operations in Kuala Lumpur by the end of 2024. Kuala Lumpur International Airport serves 70 airlines surpassing pre-pandemic levels of 69 airlines

Malaysia Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) said Malaysia’s aviation workers who have not received their salaries or found employers failing to pay Employees Provident Fund (EPF) or Social Security Organisations (SOCSO) can file a complaint via its whistleblower platform

AirAsia MOVE announced a partnership with China-based Tongcheng Travel to improve travel experiences, offer greater convenience, and deliver more value to customers

Batik Air launched the Kuala Lumpur-Alor Setar route with daily flights

Malaysia Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways will reinstate the codesharing agreement to boost connectivity. Malaysia Airlines “MH” code will be introduced on the Tashkent-Kuala Lumpur route operated by Uzbekistan Airways. Uzbekistan Airways’ “HY” code will be placed in routes like Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu from Kuala Lumpur

Transport Minister said the flight ticket subsidy under FLYsiswa will be increased from RM300 to RM400 per person annually from 1 Jan 2025, benefiting over 50,000 students studying in the Public Institutions of Higher Education (IPTA), an allocation of RM20 million. He said the state governments of Sabah and Sarawak are offering an extra RM600 for the students. 35,000 students around 70% of those eligible students have claimed the subsidy

The Transport Minister said Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) is planning to add a 4th runway and new terminals including Terminal 3 (T3) at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) as part of its long-term plan. This will increase KLIA T1 capacity from 30 million passengers per annum (mppa) to 59 mppa and KLIA T2 from 45 mppa to 67 mppa. The long-term plans include a Private Premium Terminal dedicated to passengers who want to get premium service. MAHB also plans to build a dedicated Haj and Umrah Terminal with a 5 mppa capacity for Muslim pilgrims which will allow immigration clearance by Saudi Arabia at KLIA. He said this is subject to approval by the Saudi Arab government

AirAsia is looking to order around 100 regional jets and is in talks with Airbus, Embraer, and COMAC. AirAsia Aviation Group CEO said they want to scale its operations to meet the increasing demand across Asia and Africa. AirAsia Group has 221 aircraft as of 30 Sep with 181 aircraft available for operations. He said the active fleet will increase to 205 aircraft by the end of 2024

Tabung Haji (TH) and Malaysia Airlines signed an MoU to improve the collaboration on air disaster management during Haj to strengthen the preparedness of both parties

Sultan Abdul Halim Airport reopened for operations on 9 Dec after being closed for a week due to floods. The airport manager announced 14 flights between Kuala Lumpur and Subang have resumed with no damage found to the runway or taxiway

The Transport Minister (MOT) will continue to offer subsidies for one-way flight tickets above RM499 from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan during the major festival season in 2024 and 2025. The maximum price of RM499 was reduced from the previous threshold price of RM599. The subsidy will be offered for Christmas 2024 from 21-24 Dec, and Chinese New Year (25-28 Jan 2025), Hari Raya Aidilfitri (27-30 Mar 2025), Kaamatan (26-29 May 2025) and Gawai (28-31 May 2025) festivals, and Christmas in 2025

The Tourism Minister said 10 new international flight routes including a rental flight route will be launched in Dec 2024, offering over 3,100 weekly flights Indigo will launch 3 routes between Malaysia-India such as daily flights from Bengaluru to Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi, and Chennai-Penang Batik Air’s daily flights between Bangkok-Johor Bahru AirAsia, Saigon-Kota Kinabalu with 3 flights per week Malaysia Airlines flight between Kolkata, India to Kuala Lumpur with 5 flights per week Shanghai Airlines flight between Yuncheng, China-Kuala Lumpur with 3 flights per week He said the Nanchang, China-Kuala Lumpur route with 2 flights per week will be announced later. Jeju Air will introduce 2 per week rental flights between Muan, South Korea and Kota Kinabalu on 10 Dec. He said with these 10 routes there will be an additional 50 international flights a week to Malaysia and passenger capacity will increase from 612,423 to almost 620,000 weekly

AirAsia launched 27,000 fixed one-way tickets from Peninsular to Sabah and Sarawak for the Chinese New Year celebrations. The fare is set at RM328 for the Sarawak route and RM388 for the Sabah route

AirAsia Brand Co (ABC) CEO said they have reached out to Ernest Zacharevic, the artist behind a popular mural in Penang, who alleged the airline used his artwork without his consent

Roscongress Foundation CEO said it is important to reinstate the direct flight between Russia-Malaysia to boost tourism and business. He said trade between both countries reached $3 billion USD in 2023, +11% YoY

Sarawak Premier said Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jakarta and Frankfurt are among the destinations Sarawak’s airline is looking to fly to once the sale and purchase agreement for MASwings has been finalised

AirAsia will offer 22 additional flights between Singapore and East Malaysia during the Chinese New Year holidays between 24 Jan-5 Feb 2025. AirAsia will operate 43 flights with 7,900 seats

AirAsia X has reported an increase in net profit in Q3 2024 at RM121.64 million, 22X Q3 2023. Revenue increased 23% YoY to RM795.03 million based on higher ticket sales and ancillary revenue. The average passenger fare decreased 14% YoY. Its load factor increased to 84% from 80%. It expects the momentum to continue in Q4 2024 off the back of strong travel demand. Its Jan-Oct 2024 net profit was RM206.58 million, -39% YoY due to aircraft fuel cost increases and other operating expenses, which was up 39% YoY. Its fleet is now 17 strong out of 18 planes, with the final plane expected to be reactivated by Q1 2025

Malaysia Airlines' first plane of its 20 A330neo aircraft leased from Avolon arrived on 29 Nov. The aircraft was escorted by a Malaysian Airforce jet and received a water cannon salute. The aircraft will be used for long-haul routes in Asia, Australia, and selected Middle Eastern destinations

Penang EXCO said Penang International Airport (PIA) will double its capacity to 12 million passengers per annum with its expansion project. It has 6.5 million passengers per annum capacity. From Jan-Sep 2024, PIA recorded 2.73 million passengers, including 1.39 million international and 1.34 million domestic passengers. There are 19 direct flights to PIA from Singapore, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Middle East. The expansion costs RM1.55 billion

Capital A said it aims to exit PN17 status by Jan 2025, later than the Dec 2024 originally planned for

Capital A Berhad announced its unaudited financial results for Q3 2024. Capital A reported RM2.01 billion net profit in Q3 2024 and RM2 billion foreign exchange gain. The group recorded a net operating profit of RM9.9 million, supported by RM4.9 billion in revenue and RM640 million EBITDA, +17% YoY and +43% YoY respectively. The airline business delivered RM4.5 billion in revenue, +15% YoY with RM577 EBITDA, +50% YoY and achieving a 13% EBITDA margin The fleet reached 221 aircraft with 181 aircraft available for operations including spares. Once reactivated, the total fleet will reach 205 aircraft by the end of 2024 Capacity growth and passengers increased by 8% YoY The load factor recorded at 90% throughout 2024 Average fares increased by 7% YoY to RM231, -4% QoQ due to seasonal factors Ancillary revenue recorded RM52 per passenger, +4% YoY and contributed to overall ancillary revenue of RM824 million Other Capital A companies recorded; ADE revenue recorded RM184 million, +12% YoY, with RM29.6 million EBITDA with a 16% margin AirAsia Move reported RM128 million, -25% YoY decline due to recorded AirAsia flight ticket sales. Hotel revenue increased by 6% YoY due to +35%. Rewards recorded 29% YoY revenue growth. AirAsia MOVE’s EBITDA increased to RM19 million, +65% YoY Strong travel demand, favourable fuel prices, and a strong RM against the USD help drive this positive performance. The group used preferential deals, including selling inventories to other online travel agents, as they recovered from the financial impact of the pandemic. The deal will end by the end of 2024. AirAsia MOVE CEO said they only contribute to 40% of AirAsia’s bookings and they aim to improve this to 60% by mid-2025. She said they want to improve their conversion rate of 0.75% by refining pricing strategies and leveraging AI to improve the user experience and streamline the booking process. She said the Hotels and SNAP segment in AirAsia MOVE recorded a 4.2% conversion rate

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) Managing Director said Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) development with the cost of RM442.3 million to increase its capacity to 12 million passengers per annum (mmpa) is expected to be completed in mid-2028. KKIA recorded 9.4 mppa in 2019. He said an RM45 million optimisation program is being carried out to improve the terminal and airside area infrastructure

Plantation and Commodities Minister said Malaysia plans to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in 2027. He said the production capacity will gradually be increased based on factory output and feedstock availability. The National Energy Transition Roadmap published in 2023 outlined the SAF blending will start with 1% and aim for 47% blend by 2050. He said EcoCeres Renewable Fuels Sdn Bhd and Petronas are constructing a SAF refinery and production plant with a capacity of 350,000 and 650,000 metric tons respectively in partnership with Enilive and Euglena

Sarawak Premier said the state will finalise the sale and purchase agreement for MASwings by Dec 2024

Ernest Zacharevic, the artist behind the popular mural art in Penang has alleged that AirAsia is using his artwork without his consent. He said he is willing “to go as far as it takes” to solve this issue. He earlier shared a photo of an AirAsia aeroplane with his artwork and tagged AirAsia’s founder with a caption calling for a discussion

Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) and Langkawi International Airport (LIA) have received Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Level 1 Mapping from Airports Council International (ACI) as recognition for their commitment to environmental sustainability. Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has been accredited since 2015. Managing Director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said they are working to certify Penang and Kuching airports, and their entire airport network. He said with energy efficiency, advanced waste management, and community engagement initiatives, they aim to minimise environmental impact while raising the important role sustainability plays in airport management. KKIA recorded 6.6 million passengers YTD, +13% YoY. The airport has installed solar panels with 3.8MW of capacity. LIA recorded 2.1 million passengers YTD and operates solar panels with 1.1MW of capacity. In Oct 2024, MAHB recorded 7.7 million passenger movements in its Malaysian airports including 4.1 million international and 3.6 million domestic passengers

AirAsia Founder aims to create a hub in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, emulating the successes of Dubai and Qatar, but in a “low-cost” format

The Transport Minister said Southeast Asian airline operators will be able to make stopovers in other ASEAN member countries soon. Protocol 5 on Own Stopover Rights between Points within the Territory of an ASEAN Member State will be implemented to allow airlines to make stopovers

Malaysia Aviation Group’s (MAG) first A330neo will be delivered soon after it was delayed for 2 months. Airbus Asia Pacific President acknowledged the delay and said they are working closely with Malaysia Airlines to address the issues causing the delay