Going beyond: Capt Izham (centre) flanked by Capt Nasaruddin (left) and Dersenish at the MAG Network Expansion press conference in Kuala Lumpur. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Fasten your seatbelts and get ready to explore new horizons in China and South-East Asia destinations as Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) expands its wings to four new destinations.
Beginning Jan 9 next year, Malaysia Airlines will commence daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport.
The expansion reinforces the airline’s presence in one of the region’s fastest-growing markets for both business and leisure travel, further supported by the recent introduction of reciprocal visa-free entry between Malaysia and China.
It also adds to the airline’s network in Greater China, which already comprises flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Taipei.
Meanwhile, Firefly is set to launch a new jet service to Krabi, Siem Reap, and Cebu from the KL International Airport’s (KLIA) Terminal 1 beginning this November.
“With these new routes and expanded frequencies, MAG is strengthening its role as the gateway to Asia and beyond, making it easier for travellers to discover top destinations across the region and further afield.
“At the same time, we remain focused on delivering a premium in-flight experience that reflects our commitment to Malaysian hospitality,” said MAG group managing director Datuk Capt Izham Ismail when making the announcement here yesterday.
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu will operate at a frequency of seven times weekly, while flights to Krabi, Siem Reap, and Cebu will operate at a frequency of seven, three and five times a week, respectively,
To support this growth, he said MAG’s fleet strategy is already advancing in tandem with the delivery of six A330neos and 14 Boeing 737-8s, part of the fleet’s modernisation programme.
“These aircraft not only strengthen our competitiveness but also deliver a more consistent and comfortable experience for our customers,” he said.
In addition to new routes, both Malaysia Airlines and Firefly will also increase frequencies across their network beginning next month, with Malaysia Airlines adding more services to Australia, New Zealand, China, India, the Maldives and Bangladesh.
Firefly will also be boosting domestic and regional connectivity to Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang and Johor Baru.
MAG chief commercial officer of airlines Dersenish Aresandiran said Malaysia Airlines has launched nine new routes in just 24 months, reflecting a clear signal of its determination to grow and strengthen regional connectivity.
Direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chengdu, he said, opens up new opportunities for businesses, leisure and strengthening people-to-people ties with one of China’s fastest growing hubs.
“Firefly will also expand its reach to Asean’s most sought after destinations. Firefly’s jet operations at KLIA’s Terminal 1 also makes it easier for international passengers to connect onto Firefly’s regional network, broadening our footprint and strengthening our role as the gateway to Asia and beyond.”
On another matter, Malaysia Airlines chief operating officer Capt Nasaruddin A. Bakar said several initiatives have been taken to strengthen its network resilience and schedule integrity.
According to him, its current On-Time Performance is at 87.3%, with this positive trend also translating into fewer operational disruptions such as air turn backs, diversions, and aircraft-on-ground events.
Customer experience, he said, also remains at the heart of their strategy.
“We closed 2024 with a Customer Satisfaction Index of 80%, and as of July 2025, this has risen to 83%. This reflects the positive response from our passengers to the initiatives we have introduced,” he said.
Capt Nasaruddin also revealed that the regulator has also reinstated the airline’s three-year air operator certificate (AOC).
In August last year, the airline’s AOC was cut from three-years to one, following a probe into technical issues faced by the carrier.
“We just completed our audit recently. Lots of improvements have been carried out across the group in the past 12 months.
“The exercise was completed about two months ago, and an announcement was made to us about the three-year AOC,” he added.
