Having added four flights from Mumbai and Chennai and three from Bengaluru in 2012, followed by three additional flights from Chennai and one additional flight from Mumbai in the month of January and June, 2013 respectively, it is little surprise that Malaysia Airlines (MAS) considers India a priority market. Furthermore, the airline added Kochi as a new destination on the India route in the month of September 2013, along with two additional flights from Delhi and Bengaluru in October 2013.
“India is a key market for MAS. We have seen 18 per cent growth YoY in India. Our average SLF this year has been over 80 per cent. Whilst we see competition intensifying further next year with new capacity injection from existing as well as new players in the industry, this is a market where we believe demand growth will match the capacity. The focus for MAS next year will be to strengthen the current network and provide enhanced connectivity to destinations within and beyond Malaysia,” said Azahar Hamid, Regional Senior Vice President South Asia & Middle East, MAS.
Speaking about the most recent increased light frequency from Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, Hamid stated that the airline has received great response for these additional flights. “Being a priority market, we are always looking at more connectivity to strengthen our presence in India in response to the current market needs. We have received tremendous response to all additional frequencies including Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur. We have seen a steady increase in passenger traffic matching the added capacity and frequency, and have been garnering an average SLF over 85 per cent on this additional flight,” he concluded.
