Malaysia Airlines returns to Busan after 28 years, Firefly enters China

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Bhd will resume flights to Busan on Dec 2 after a 28-year absence, while sister airline FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd (Firefly) will make its first foray into China with direct services to Kunming. 

Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) president and group chief executive officer Captain Nasaruddin A Bakar said the new routes reflected the group's focus on markets with sustainable demand and opportunities to support tourism, trade and connectivity. 

"These new routes reflect our focus on markets where we see sustainable demand and opportunities to support tourism, trade and people-to-people connections," he said at the MATTA Fair today. 

Malaysia Airlines will operate four weekly Kuala Lumpur-Busan flights using Boeing B737-8 aircraft, marking its return to South Korea's second-largest city after last serving the route between 1996 and 1998. 

Upon resumption, Malaysia Airlines will be the only carrier offering non-stop flights between Kuala Lumpur and Busan. The service will complement its existing flights to Seoul. 

The Busan flights will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with introductory return fares starting from RM2,139 for Economy Class and RM4,999 for Business Class.

Meanwhile, Firefly will launch direct flights to Kunming in southwest China using B737-800 aircraft, marking the airline's first route into the country. 

"This will open a new connection to an important regional centre, while complementing Malaysia Airlines' network in China, which now serves nine key hubs," Nasaruddin said. 

MAG has yet to announce the commencement date or ticket sales for the Kunming service. 

Malaysia Airlines will also increase its Kuala Lumpur-Fukuoka services from five times weekly to daily from Dec 1, following the route's resumption on Sept 2. 

Brisbane services will increase from six times weekly to daily from Oct 25, with the airline deploying its Airbus A330neo aircraft on the route. 

Flights to Surabaya will increase from 14 to 16 times weekly from Nov 1. 

Nasaruddin said Malaysia Airlines is also exploring another destination in South Asia, subject to regulatory approvals, with details to be announced in due course. 

Separately, MAG is building its own in-flight catering facility near Kuala Lumpur International Airport through MAG Culinary Solutions (MAGCS). 

Nasaruddin said groundworks began in July, with the facility targeted for completion in the fourth quarter of 2028 and operations expected to begin in the second quarter of 2029. 

The facility is expected to produce about 50,000 meals a day, almost double MAG's current handling capacity, and will cater to the group's airlines and third-party carriers. 

MAGCS was established as a MAG subsidiary in September 2025 following the insourcing of Malaysia Airlines' catering operations in 2023. 

MAG said customer satisfaction with in-flight dining has increased to 78 per cent from 72 per cent, while catering on-time performance now consistently stands at 99.9 per cent. 

The catering unit has secured a Ground Handling Licence and Technical Approval Certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, as well as an interim Manufacturing Licence from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.

-nst online.