Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has announced plans to boost capacity across a series of Asian routes this summer, with the addition of extra flights and the deployment of larger aircraft.
From the start of the northern summer season on 31 March 2013, MAS will increase the frequency of flights to several Asia Pacific cities, including Manila, Yangon, Colombo, Dhaka and Brisbane.
The number of flights offered between Kuala Lumpur and Manila will rise from 25 to 28 per week, with extra Boeing 737-800 services on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, while the routes from KL to Yangon and Colombo will both rise from daily services to 10 flights per week. New B737 services will be offered to Myanmar’s largest city on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, while the Sri Lankan capital will see extra flights on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, using the same aircraft type.
Then from 1 April 2013, a new daily B777-200 service will be introduced to the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, taking the route’s total frequency to two daily flights, both using the twin-aisle aircraft. Finally from 17 June 2013, the existing five weekly flights to Brisbane will be increased to daily, using an Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
Also this summer, MAS will increase capacity on routes to Bali and Bandar Seri Begawan. One of the daily B737 flights to Bali will be upgraded to a B777 from April, and then in August the existing B737-400 flights to Brunei’s capital will be upgraded to a larger B737-800.
“This [expansion] is an integral aspect of our business plan and our continued commitment to improve air connectivity within Malaysia as well as leverage on the Asia Pacific region where the demand outlook is strong,” said Malaysia Airlines’ Group CEO, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya. “We are confident that our improving fleet size, with the addition of new aircraft featuring state-of-the-art passenger amenities, will continue to drive revenue and loads, and our return to profitability.”
On the domestic front, MAS will increase the frequency of a series of routes this summer, including KL-Langkawi (from 42 to 49 per week), KL-Johor Bahru (27 to 32), KL-Kuching (49 to 77) and KL-Kota Kinabalu (68 to 82).
To facilitate this expansion, MAS will take delivery of an average one 160-seat B737-800 aircraft per month for the rest of the year, along with two more 494-seat A380s and four 283-seat A330-300s.
