Brisbane Airport Corporation and Malaysia Airlines celebrated the relaunch of direct BNE-KL flights from 30 November 2025 at an exclusive trade event on 8 October, marking the route’s highly anticipated return to the River City.
The trade event showed off a balmy spring evening atop the pool deck at Lina Rooftop in South Brisbane with around 70 travel advisors and key partners in attendance.
Against a day-to-night backdrop of the Brisbane River and glittering cityscape, advisors heard the latest news from Malaysia Airlines, including new aircraft and routes with sister airline Firefly, reconnecting South-East Queensland to Kuala Lumpur and beyond.
Route return
Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) Head of Aviation Business Development Anthony Cicuttini underlined the importance of Malaysia as a market and a hub for South-East Asia and India.
“Malaysia as a country, as a market is close to my heart. I lived in Kuala Lumpur for three years from 2009 to mid-2011 and it just captured my imagination – fantastic food, fantastic people, a fantastic, vibrant, cosmopolitan city,” he said.
“Malaysia is an important market for Brisbane Airport as a hub. The connections to the rest of South-East Asia and India are immeasurable in terms of their benefit and to the wider economy of South-East Queensland overall.”
Neo aircraft
Malaysia Airlines Country Manager – Australia Tim Shepherd shared his excitement about the flag carrier’s return to Brisbane after the suspension of flights in March 2023 and the new Airbus A330neo aircraft, making MH one of the youngest fleets in the sky.
“I’m super excited with what we have in store, and we have launched in the last 24 months,” he said, spotlighting sharp introductory airfares for the relaunched route.
“We’re bringing the A330neo to Brisbane, so you can rest assured that our product is up to scratch and we’re so excited to bring it here.”
Codeshare and connectivity
Malaysia Airlines Regional Senior Vice President ANZ Lee Poh Kait (PK) highlighted the new Qantas codeshare alliance and new destinations for its low-cost carrier, Firefly, increasing access from Brisbane to Kuala Lumpur and beyond.
The LCC will fly to three new destinations from Kuala Lumpur International Airport: Krabi from 17 November, Siem Reap from 27 November and Cebu from 2 December.
In addition, Malaysia Airlines will partner with Visit Malaysia in 2026, offering a program of complimentary bonus side trips to eight destinations within the South-East Asian nation for MH customers.
“It’s time for Brissie,” Lee said. “It is not just connecting the people and the culture between Malaysia and Queensland, but to stimulate the economic activities between these two great territories.”
“Malaysia has so much to offer, and next year the bonus side trip completes the whole equation of showcasing Malaysia as a preferred destination.
“Working with Qantas as a codeshare partner will open up more opportunities for your consumers to have a seamless booking experience between Malaysia Airlines and Qantas. We look forward to continuing to grow our market here in Australia, especially for Brisbane,” he said.
For more info, visit malaysiaairlines.com
