MAS to do away with four regional routes

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines will be suspending four routes on its regional network early next year. The routes will be the twice-weekly Kota Kinabalu-Osaka return B737 route (effective Jan 6), the thrice-weekly Kota Kinabalu-Perth B737 return route (Jan 31), the four times weekly Kota Kinabalu-Haneda (Tokyo) return B737 route (Feb 1) and the four times weekly Kota Kinabalu-Seoul-return B737 route (Feb 21).

“The suspension is part of our regional network consolidation involving single aisle aircraft operations,” said MAS group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya. “We will be reviewing this situation in about three months and will decide further by early April,” he added.

Ahmad Jauhari said MAS would take advantage of its existing code-share operations with Korean Air to provide direct connectivity between Sabah and Korea. The national carrier will continue offering direct international connectivity to Kota Kinabalu through its existing daily B737 flights from Hong Kong and Taipei.

“In addition, we will also use our existing 86 weekly flights between Sabah and KLIA for passengers who prefer full service flights between Sabah and Perth, Tokyo and Osaka,” Ahmad Jauhari said.

As for the Sandakan-Kuala Lumpur operations, Ahmad Jauhari said MAS would continue to offer this connectivity via Kota Kinabalu, 22 times weekly from Sandakan and 25 times weekly from Kuala Lumpur. “MAS regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of these route suspensions and assures it will honour all forward bookings ticketed to date on the effected routes,” he said. “Where necessary, we will make alternative carrier arrangements, at our own costs, to ensure minimum discomfort to passengers.”

-thestar online.