Malaysia Airlines adds frequency to Yangon and Auckland

SUBANG, Malaysia – Malaysia Airlines continues its expansion mode with the announcement of additional frequencies to two of its current destinations, Auckland and Yangon, as well as a new codeshare with Xiamen Airlines into Xiamen and Fuzhou. Only last week, the Malaysian national carrier announced its entry into Dubai, Darwin and Kochi.

Starting 1 August 2013, Malaysia Airlines is increasing its frequency from Kuala Lumpur into Yangon, Myanmar, from ten times weekly to 14 times weekly or twice daily. Meanwhile, services on Kuala Lumpur – Auckland, New Zealand, will be increased from six times weekly to daily services effective 24 November 2013.

On the Yangon route, starting 1 August 2013, MH742 will depart every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday in addition to Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Kuala Lumpur. This additional frequency will depart Kuala Lumpur at 1.30pm and arrive Yangon at 2.40 pm on the same day. The return service MH743 will depart from Yangon on the same days at 3.45pm and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 8.00pm. The existing frequency on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays depart Kuala Lumpur at 2.45pm and arrive at Yangon at 3.55pm on the same day.

Meanwhile, flight MH740 remains unchanged and will depart Kuala Lumpur daily at 10.05am and arrive at Yangon at 11.15am while the return service via MH741 will depart Yangon daily at 12.15pm and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 4.30pm.

For the additional new frequency to Auckland, starting 24 November 2013, MH131 will depart every Sunday in addition to Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Kuala Lumpur at 9.50pm and arrive Auckland the following day at 1.05pm. The return additional daytime service MH130 will depart every Monday from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur in addition to Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 2.30pm and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 8.20pm.

Existing flight MH133 departs Kuala Lumpur every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 8.50am and arrives in Auckland at 12.05 midnight the following day and MH132, the night service departs every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 1.35am and arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 7.25am.

Another positive update is the codeshare with Xiamen Airlines which will be operated for two routes, namely the Xiamen route which will be operated by Malaysia Airlines and Xiamen Airlines and the Fuzhou route which will be operated solely by Xiamen Airlines.

Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said, “The codeshare with Xiamen Airlines is part of our strategy to develop commercial cooperation with key airlines of the world to expand our network offering. With 55 destinations, Xiamen Airlines is an established airline that holds a major market-share of travelers travelling between Fuzhou and Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia Airlines can leverage on this codeshare to give our guests more options between Xiamen and Kuala Lumpur”.

“The codeshare is also part of Malaysia Airlines’ initiatives towards enhancing air connectivity with key priority markets overseas to increase tourist arrivals into Malaysia to support the Government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP),” he added further.

Malaysia Airlines has been steadily growing its reach and capacity recently. With the additional service to New Zealand, the airline will now fly 65 times weekly to 6 main cities in Australia and to Auckland direct from Malaysia with onward connections to over 60 destinations around the world. The airline also increased it regional footprint in destinations such as Phuket, Bali, Kathmandu and Mumbai in addition to Yangon in the past 6 months.