Malaysia Airlines adds capacity for summer, expands fleet

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will add frequencies to Jakarta, Bangkok, Saigon and Bangalore from March 28 as part of its expanded northern summer schedule.Additional flights are also planned for Perth, Auckland, Paris and Johannesburg but dates have yet to be confirmed. MAS Managing Director and CEO, Tengku Azmil Zahruddin, said the airline is also evaluating the feasibility of introducing new destinations and assessing route profitability. The airline is focusing on fleet modernisation and network expansion this year. It will take delivery of three B737-800s this year and will complete its fleet expansion programme by 2015. MAS' new fuel efficient and environmentally friendly fleet will comprise up to 17 ATR72-500s, 55 B737-800s, 25 A330-300s and six A380s. The A380s will serve key longhaul destinations such as London and Sydney, the A330s will ply medium-haul routes, while the B737-800s will be deployed on domestic and regional services. MAS reported an operating profit of RM3.8 million (US$1,115,023) for the last quarter of 2009, with its traffic increasing by 12 per cent.
Source: TTG Asia