Malaysia Airlines Eyes 5 Per Cent Annual Growth Revenue From Charter Services

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) expects a five per cent annual growth in revenue from charter services due to high demand and the availability of resources, its Head of Hajj and Charter Department, Captain Nik Ahmad Huzlan Nik Hussain said. Last year, MAS recorded about RM200 million in revenue from its charter flights, including hajj services. "The charter flight business is very much a side business for MAS. We only pursue it whenever there is a request," he told reporters on the sidelines after a signing ceremony between MAS and travel agency, Apple Vacations & Conventions, here Wednesday.

Under a RM2.0 million contract, Apple Vacations would use MAS' A330-300 aircraft to facilitate three direct charter flights between Kuala Lumpur and Hokkaido, Japan, in December this year. Nik Ahmad Huzlan said the national airline saw increasing demand for charter services, especially, for high-end travelers and special initiatives like peacekeeping missions and critical auto parts freight. "The charter services are not exclusive to any individual. We also cater to corporate customers. We have received a lot of applications from inviduals as well as organisations. "Our charter flights are especially for places that are difficult to get to and which other airlines refuse to service," he explained. He said MAS' charter services for both passenger and freight movement is well known and much sought after by the government, associations and world renowned sports bodies like the English Premier League (EPL) and Formula One (F1).

MAS handles about 300 charter flights for hajj services annually and between 500 and 600 flights for the same period for other travellers and on special request. On the deal with Apple Vacations, Nik Ahmad Huzlan said MAS is looking forward to working closely with the company and hoped the relationship will continue into the future. "This is our first charter service with a travel agency and we are looking to collaborate with others as well," he added. He noted that the collaboration with Apple Vacations would enable MAS to attract tourists from Hokkaido to Malaysia, as currently there is no direct service between the city and Kuala Lumpur. The direct charter flights on MAS would help reduce travel time by a whopping 60 per cent. This leaves holiday-makers with more time to spend in Malaysia.