Malaysia Airlines cuts flights by 20% after plane problems continue, says safety comes first

Malaysia Airlines announces 20% flight reduction after aircraft issues and multiple disruptions, admits passengers are affected on multiple flights but insists safety is the top priority

September 13, 2567, Nikkei Asia reported that Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) The operator of Malaysia Airlines has announced a 20% reduction in flight operations until December 2567. With multiple operational issues affecting both domestic and international routes, this has been a major hurdle for Malaysia Airlines, which is starting to recover from its long-standing difficulties.

The flight cuts, which will start in September, will affect key routes including China, Japan and Australia. For example, flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo in Japan have been reduced from seven weekly flights to three, while flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney in Australia currently operate just five weekly flights.

The flight reductions come after a series of service disruptions since August that raised safety concerns, such as:

• On August 4, a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, had to turn back to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) due to a technical issue.
• Between August 20 and August 22, flights to Shanghai, China and Medina, Saudi Arabia also had to return to KLIA due to cabin pressure issues.
•  A flight from Melbourne, Australia, had to make an emergency landing in Alice Springs, Australia, due to an engine problem.

Mr. Isam Ismail, Managing Director of MAG The company said on September 6 that it had to reduce flight capacity to address operational issues, stressing that the airline's primary goal was to maintain a safe and reliable service. It acknowledged that the decision would affect passengers' travel plans, but that safety remained the airline's top priority.

Mr. Isham also pointed out that delays in aircraft and parts procurement have meant MAG is not operating at full capacity, reflecting the challenges facing the aviation industry, and that the cuts are part of a larger plan to address the impact of supply chain issues on the global aviation industry.

Although MAG expected to receive 17 new aircraft this year, it has so far received only four due to global parts shortages.

refer : asia.nikkei.com

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