Malaysia Airlines is all set for a strong return to international flying by the end of 2021, with plans to significantly ramp up its long-distance flight network to destinations in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
With simply two return flights per week to Australia at current, that’s set to climb to 39 weekly return flights serving Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth by late December, Malaysia Airlines additionally plans a New Zealand return from late March, with flights then steadily growing throughout the year.
Finally, London will ramp up from one flight a week to one flight a day by mid-year, with connections possible from Australia and New Zealand through Kuala Lumpur.
Though schedules are always topic to change – and could also be impacted if the journey and movement restrictions in Australia, New Zealand and the UK stay in force – right here’s what Malaysia Airlines currently has planned for 2021.
Right now, Malaysia Airlines is serving Sydney just once per week, though international travel restrictions and inbound flight passenger caps stay in place, the service is conservatively doubling Sydney to 2 return flights per week from April, that is still the plan till August when that’s additionally tripled to 6 return flights per week – climbing to day by day flights from September, 10 return flights every week from November, after which 13 return flights per week from December, continuing into 2022.
All Sydney flights are presently scheduled with the airline’s Airbus A330-300s, providing Malaysia Airlines’ acquainted flatbed seating in business class:
Services between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur are presently paused, however, Malaysia Airlines presently expects these to restart in March, with two return flights per week, Past, there’s a sluggish however regular climb because the months move.
From April, Melbourne will see three weekly return flights – climbing to 5 from May, and day by day from July, Quick-forward to August and Malaysia Airlines is planning (and promoting) 10 weekly return flights between the 2 cities, rising additional to 12 return services every week from September, and double-daily flying from December.
As with Sydney, Melbourne can be served by the Airbus A330-300.
Beyond Sydney, Adelaide is the one different Australian metropolis presently hosting Malaysia Airlines flights, with one return service per week, However, as flights to different Australian cities improve from March, that may find all Adelaide-Kuala Lumpur services paused – set to return later within the yr, with 4 weekly return flights from October 31.
From December, that’s boosted to 5 return flights per week: all once more served by Airbus A330-300s.
Throughout between March and late October, Adelaide travelers who wanted to venture to Kuala Lumpur or beyond can connect through one other Australian metropolis, flying Qantas – an Oneworld associate of Malaysia Airlines – on the domestic leg as a part of the same itinerary.
Perth is about to return to Malaysia Airlines’ route map in June, with the resumption of two return flights per week to Kuala Lumpur, operated by Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 jets, business class passengers will discover domestic-style reclining seats aboard these single-aisle planes versus the A330’s flatbeds – though, with a flight time akin to Perth-Brisbane, the journey might feel more like a domestic flight.
Current plans present these flights doubling to 4 weekly return services from August and 5 weekly return flights from September, all utilizing the Boeing 737, Coming December, the Boeing 737 continues to fly 5 times per week, however with the addition of two weekly return Airbus A330 flights.
Passengers will discover comfort within the A330’s far superior business class, significantly on the overnight legs it can function from Perth to Kuala Lumpur, albeit the ex-Airberlin A330-200, as may also fly to Auckland,
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia Airlines had been serving Brisbane often, with continuous Airbus A330 flights to its Kuala Lumpur hub, These services had been paused from October 2020 as worldwide journey restrictions – together with the requirement to achieve government permission to leave Australia – continued to ship demand downward.
Schedules present that Brisbane will not be presently expected to return to Malaysia Airlines’ network in 2021.
Throughout the ditch, New Zealand is presently anticipated to return to Malaysia Airlines’ network from late March, starting at two return flights per week from Kuala Lumpur, that’s set to climb to 4 weekly returns from July, then 5 weekly returns from August, and 6 weekly return flights from early December.
By the end of December 2021, Malaysia Airlines will as soon as again supply a day by day return flight, In contrast to the Airbus A330-300s usually seen flying to Australia’s east coast, Auckland will get Malaysia Airlines A330-200s as an alternative.
These aircraft had been inherited from the now-defunct Airberlin and supply a distinct business class experience, with Malaysia Airlines continuing to fly the ex-Airberlin seats, albeit now tweaked with Malaysia Airlines’ logo and branding.
Passengers have long been capable of making a one-stop journey between Australia and London through Kuala Lumpur – the Malaysia Airlines version of the Kangaroo Route – and that may proceed as soon as worldwide journey restrictions ease, with one return flight per week between KL and London, that’s doubled come February, with three weekly returns from March.
In Could, that grows additional to 5 return flights per week, earlier than touchdown at a day by day return service from July.
These flights will all be served to utilize Malaysia Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 plane, fitted with the same business class seating as on the airline’s A330-300s, however with the addition of 4 distinct ‘Business Suites’, located on the very front of the cabin, these pods had been formerly sold as first-class, however, had been rebranded to better-align with firm journey policies that always prohibited the first-class journey.
These Business Suites supply added privacy within the air because of a closing door, upgraded lounge entry in Kuala Lumpur, and inflight service more akin to first-class standards.
As with all route schedules, modifications always remain attainable, though all flights listed above at the moment are out there on the market.
