MAHB targets 80 airlines to fly to Malaysia by end-2024

 

LANGKAWI: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is targeting close to 80 airlines to fly to the country by end-2024 as the country gears up towards Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

MAHB senior general manager for strategy Megat Ardian Wira Mohd Aminuddin said these carriers include new airlines and airlines that will reinstate Malaysia into their network by fourth quarter of this year or first quarter of 2025.

"These airlines are primarily from North Asia, Mainland China, South Korea, Asia Pacific and India. (There are) new routes coming in from various points of India (to Malaysia)," he told reporters at the Routes Asia hosted by MAHB and Tourism Malaysia. 

Megat Ardian said MAHB offers airlines with some incentives for their expenses including operational and marketing in order to welcome them to fly to Malaysia. 

"Normally on the airport side, we help them with their operational costs, (which are) landing waiver, parking fee waiver and we also help them with their marketing expenditures," he said, adding that MAHB also works closely with its internal and external stakeholders, including Tourism Malaysia to make the country as an attractive destination to foreign carriers. 

At the Routes Asia 2024, Megat Ardian said MAHB has held discussions with various international airlines to operate into Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi.

There was also high interest between the airlines to either start flying to Malaysia or re-starting their operations in Malaysia.

There are some 110 airlines represented at the event including 10 largest Chinese carriers including China Eastern Airlines, Air China and China Southern Airlines. 

From January to February this year, MAHB welcomed five airlines to Malaysia including Air Macau, Loong Air, flydubai, AirAsia Indonesia and Turkmenistan Airlines.

MAHB is keen to host the Routes World again in the next two to three years 

"With Routes World, there are a lot more airlines coming in; a lot more airports coming in; a lot more ground handlers are also coming in, so it will be almost double or triple the participation that we see here," Megat Ardian said. 

Malaysia hosted its first Routes World in 2008. 

The country has also hosted Routes Asia in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2014.

-nst online.