Malaysia Airlines is set to expand its network across India’s non-metropolitan cities and plans to double the number of flights to Ahmedabad and Trivandrum, a senior airline official announced on Friday. Currently, the airline operates 71 weekly flights to India, connecting nine Indian cities with Kuala Lumpur as part of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG).
Dersenish Aresandiran, MAG’s Chief Commercial Officer for Airline Business, stated that the airline aims to increase flight frequencies to Trivandrum and Ahmedabad. Speaking at a press briefing, Aresandiran also highlighted the airline’s intention to operate more services to non-metro cities in India, taking advantage of the absence of restrictions due to bilateral flying rights.
Most bilateral flying rights between Malaysia and India are utilized for metro routes, limiting seat availability. However, Malaysia Airlines can expand its services to non-metro cities without these constraints.
Currently, Malaysia Airlines offers regular flights to major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Amritsar, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kochi. The airline operates four weekly flights to both Trivandrum and Ahmedabad. Notably, its Amritsar route was recently increased to daily flights in August.
Although MAG announced a temporary reduction in its global network until December due to operational challenges, such as supply chain limitations and labour shortages, Group Managing Director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail assured that the India operations will remain largely unaffected by this cutback.
Additionally, Malaysia Airlines plans to launch flights from Kuala Lumpur to Paris starting on March 22, 2025, further expanding its international reach.
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) consists of three core businesses: airlines, loyalty and travel solutions, and aviation services. The airline segment includes Malaysia Airlines, regional carriers Firefly and MASwings, as well as AMAL, which provides Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage services.