One for the album: (From left) Malaysia Airlines cabin crew, former Manchester United star Luis Nani, Dersenish, Manchester United chief business officer Marc Armstrong, Capt Izham, MAG chief operating officer Nasaruddin A Bakar, former Manchester United stars Nemanja Vidic and Dimitar Berbatov, and cabin crew. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS) is set to increase its presence in the Australian market by reinstating direct flights to Brisbane and ramping up flight frequencies to major cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
The national carrier will resume its Kuala Lumpur–Brisbane route from Nov 29 and progressively increase capacity to other key Australian cities.
It also plans to operate three flights daily to both Sydney and Melbourne by November this year, up from twice daily now.
Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd (MAG) group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said the expansion was driven by demand for travel to and from Australia, which has become one of the airline’s critical international markets.
MAG is the parent company of MAS.
Capt Izham said the Australian market was very important as the load factor there had averaged 85% over the last two and a half years.
“During peak season, it surpasses 90% load factor,” he said at the unveiling of a special aircraft livery in collaboration with English football club Manchester United.
Capt Izham explained that demand from Australia is not just about point-to-point travel, but rather a “network flow” that feeds into Europe and the broader Asia-Pacific, including the Asean region.
“By increasing the capacities, it becomes credible to fast-track our entry into another European market.”
MAS recently returned to Paris, with its inaugural flight landing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport at the end of March. The airline now operates four weekly flights to the French capital.
While Paris is the only new European destination for 2025, Capt Izham hinted that further European routes are on the horizon.
MAG chief commercial officer Dersenish Aresandiran said the group has, over the past year, launched new routes to Bali, Danang, Chiang Mai and Paris – “each selected to support the airline’s network growth strategy”.
“These routes have shown encouraging performance. In the first quarter of 2025 (1Q25), Bali and Chiang Mai recorded a load factor exceeding 85%, while Danang achieved close to 90%,” he said.
“Our return to Paris also saw load reaching above 90% load in our inaugural month.”
The collaboration with Manchester United is another way in which MAS is working to elevate its global brand presence.
The new Manchester United livery, which was sketched by Capt Izham himself, will be featured on the group’s flagship Airbus A330ceo aircraft.
“It’s very important that we select the right metal,” Capt Izham said, referring to the aircraft chosen to carry the branding.
The tie-up, Dersenish said, is not focused on jerseys or traditional sponsorship visibility.
“This partnership is very different. We want to work with their database and fan base to cultivate more people to fly with us.”
He said more than half of Manchester United’s over one billion global fan base – or 577 million people – are located in markets served by Malaysia Airlines.
“We look forward to flying this new livery across the world, carrying with it the energy of our partnership and the pride of the nation,” he said.
