Malaysia Airlines cargo operation took delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 Freighter on March 20, 2006. The airplane is the first of two 747-400Fs that Malaysia Airline’s cargo division will receive this year with the second Freighter due for delivery in May 2006.  Malaysia Airlines operates eight 747-200 cargo aircraft.  The addition of the two 747-400 Freighters will allow Malaysia Airlines’ cargo operations to maintain its key cargo destinations in the United Kingdom, Europe, Orient, Australia, Middle East, South Africa and the United States. The air cargo division expects to remain in a competitive position despite reductions in some passenger routes that will begin in April 2006.

Malaysia Airlines recently completed a major route profitability analysis on all its international routes. Malaysia Airlines plans to move to a `hub-and-spoke’ approach beginning on April 1, 2006. As part of that plan, Malaysia Airlines will withdraw from current unprofitable routes, reduce frequency on selected routes, and will increase direct connectivity between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and international destinations.

Flights between Kuala Lumpur and Ahmedabad and Kolkata in India, Xian, China, Padang, Kuching and Pontianak in Indonesia, Manchester, England, and Vienna, Austria, will be discontinued over the next three months. The number of flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, Shanghai, Penang, Singapore, Sandakan, Nagoya, Frankfurt and Auckland will be gradually reduced.

Effective 15 May 2006, as part of its continued efforts to enhance KLIA as a regional hub, Malaysia Airlines will realign some of its weekly Kuala Lumpur/Kota Kinabalu/Tokyo, Tokyo/Kota Kinabalu/Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur/Kota Kinabalu/Osaka services to operate direct between KLIA and the Japanese cities. This move is also expected to further improve connectivity between Malaysia Airlines’ international and domestic network.

Malaysia Airlines is a major carrier serving southeastern Asia with a fleet of 112 aircraft (including the newest 747-400 Freighter).  The airline’s fleet includes 17 747-400 passenger aircraft, eight 474-200 (freighters), 17 777-200, five A330-200, 11 A330-300, 39 737-400, nine Fokker F50, and five DHC6 Twin Otters.

Source: Boeing and Malaysia Airlines, Kuala Lumpur
Text and picture provided by William Folsom
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