Malaysia Airlines says it has “thanked travel agents” for contributing to the high demand that led the carrier to add extra flights from Australia later this year, despite slashing agent commissions from 1 July 2022.
Malaysia Airlines will introduce additional seasonal services from Melbourne and Sydney to Kuala Lumpur over the summer holiday period, with Melbourne receiving two extra flights per week and Sydney one extra flight.
Despite cutting back agent commissions from 1 July 2022, Malaysia Airlines Australia & New Zealand Regional Manager Giles Gilbert said, “Our trade relationships are vitally important to us, and I appreciate our trade partners’ continued support.”
“The massive increase in bookings in the last six months is definitely a testament to this.”
Melbourne’s extra services will run from 8 December to 3 February 2023, boosting the number of flights between Tullamarine and Kuala Lumpur to 16 per week.
Currently operating twice-daily flights on the route, the carrier will utilise its A350-900 aircraft for additional services.
Sydney’s extra service to Kuala Lumpur will operate from 30 December to 3 February 2023, adding to the twice-daily flights the airline currently runs from the NSW capital.
The additional flights can be booked via Global Distribution Systems (GDS).
Pre-pandemic levels in sight
With 38 flights currently operating between Malaysia and Australia, and New Zealand, Malaysia Airlines says it is on track to surpass pre-COVID capacity by December 2022, when it aims to have 54 weekly flights in operation.
“With summer holidays just around the corner, the demand for leisure travel is at its peak,” Mr Gilbert said.
“The enthusiasm for international travel is driving bookings, and these additional 24 flights from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne and Sydney have been introduced to meet the surge in demand during the year-end holiday season.”
“We look forward to having more Australian travellers onboard to experience our Malaysian Hospitality in the months ahead.”
MH7040 and MH7040 are scheduled to operate from MEL as follows:
| KUL – MEL | DAY | DEPARTURE | ARRIVAL |
| MH7041 | THU, FRI | 2300hrs | 0955hrs + 1 |
| MEL – KUL | DAY | DEPARTURE | ARRIVAL |
| MH7040 | FRI, SAT | 1145hrs | 1700hrs |
MH7031 and MH7030 are scheduled to operate from SYD as follows:
| KUL – SYD | DAY | DEPARTURE | ARRIVAL |
| MH7031 | FRI | 2235hrs | 0955hrs + 1 |
| SYD – KUL | DAY | DEPARTURE | ARRIVAL |
| MH7030 | SAT | 1140hrs | 1715hrs |
For more info, visit Malaysia Airlines here.
