Malaysia Airlines has announced that it will be slashing frequencies across its network as it grapples with what it calls severe delays and operational issues. Its latest move will reduce capacity primarily on its domestic network, with international flights also affected but to a more limited extent. The airline says that the measures will be in place until December as it reprioritizes safety.
“Fleet reliability and operational resilience” to come first
Malaysia Aviation Group released a statement on Saturday from Managing Director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail. In it, he acknowledged the “disruption” and cited the reasons as “supply chain constraints, manpower challenges, and other external factors as part of the continuing normalisation of global aviation operations post-pandemic.” Some, including Sebastian Powell from Loyalty Lobby believe that COVID-19 is no longer a very credible reason in 2024.
MAG has also been impacted by delays in aircraft deliveries, which means that its fleet is more stressed as the airline attempts to maintain the anticipated schedule. It is now speaking to aircraft and engine manufacturers to find solutions.
“As this takes place, MAG will need to temporarily reduce its network between now to December 2024, to execute corrective measures where needed. This is to ensure the longterm reliability of our fleet and robustness of our operations and enhance our ability to ensure our customers on Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and Amal services face minimal disruptions and have the best experience possible flying with us.”
Photo: Airbus
Aeroroutes reports that 13 international routes from its Kuala Lumpur (KUL) hub will be affected by the changes. They are listed below.
| Destination | Frequency change |
|---|---|
| Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) | 42 to 37 weekly |
| Denpasar (DPS) | 22 to 18 weekly |
| Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) | 20 to 19 weekly |
| Jakarta (CGK) | 42 to 40 weekly |
| Jeddah (JED) | 9 to 7 weekly |
| Medan Kualanamu (KNO) | 15 to 12 weekly |
| Mumbai (BOM) | 10 to 9 weekly |
| Osaka Kansai (KIX) | 7 to 6 weekly |
| Seoul Incheon (ICN) | 13 to 8 weekly |
| Shanghai Pu Dong (PVG) | 10 to 9 weekly |
| Singapore (SIN) | 68 to 66 weekly |
| Tokyo Narita (NRT) | 12 to 10 weekly |
| Yangon (RGN) | 6 to 4 weekly |
This represents a capacity cut of about 20%, according to analyst Shukor Yusof. Yusof also noted the financial impact this is likely to have, with the significant operational downsizing resulting in MAG ending “its financial year deep in the red, despite having been cash positive for much of this year.”
Deep-routed safety issues
Malaysia Airlines’ safety record recently has left much to desire. In fact, according to Malaysian Minister of Transport Wee Ka Siong, a number of incidents have taken place in recent months. These have served the weaken the company’s reputation, he says. The incidents were as follows:
| Date | Aircraft | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2023 | A330 | A fuel system issue during a flight from KUL to Melbourne (MEL) resulted in an emergency landing. |
| April 3, 2023 | / | A Malaysia Airlines flight forced to turn back to KUL due to a technical issue shortly after takeoff. |
| July 10, 2023 | A flight to Kuching had to abort takeoff due to technical problems. | |
| September 14, 2023 | Boeing 737-800 | Runway excursion during takeoff at Melbourne Airport. |
| June 20, 2024 | Boeing 737-800 | A flight from India was forced to make an emergency landing at Hyderabad Airport due to engine issues. |
| June 24, 2024 | A330-300 | A flight to Bangkok returned to KUL due to cabin pressurisation concerns. |
| August 4, 2024 | A330-200 | Aircraft returned to KUL due to a “technical” issue after takeoff. |
| August 19, 2024 | A330-300 | Engine issues provoked an emergency landing in Alice Springs. |
| August 20, 2024 | A330-300 | A cabin pressure issue meant the Shanghai-bound A330 returned back to KUL. |
| August 22, 2024 | A330-200 | A pressurisation issue on a forced the A330 to return to KUL. |
Photo: alphonsusjimos | Shutterstock
The string of the more recent incidents prompted the airline to make cuts to its operation.
Source: Simple Flying
