Malaysia Airlines Downsizes – Frequencies Reduced & Routes Cut

Malaysia Airlines A380

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Malaysia Airlines has been in trouble for a long time. The disasters involving MH370 and MH17 didn’t exactly help but they weren’t the beginning of the airline’s problems. Not by a long stretch.

In May, Malaysia appointed former Aer Lingus boss (and well known airline-rescue guru) Christoph Mueller as it’s new CEO and it didn’t take long for the changes to come. It was announced that, as a company, Malaysia Airlines would cease to exist (although, as an airline the planes would continue to fly) and a new company would emerge – leaner and, hopefully, stronger.

Malaysia Airlines A380

Image courtesy of Mark Harkin via Flickr

As part of the reconstruction work being carried out on the operations of Malaysia Airlines  20,000 staff were let go and planes were put up for sale or lease – including a number of the airline’s A380 super-jumbos. Al this meant that routes would have to be cut and, sure enough, cuts have been made.

If you are booked on a Malaysia Airlines flight between Kuala Lumpur and any of these cities you should check your flight details and contact the airline if necessary.

Here’s a list, by country, of routes, from Kuala Lumpur, which have seen frequencies reduced or that have been eliminated altogether:

Australia

Brisbane: The only daily service, MH134/135 is to be cancelled from 9 August

Perth: Service will be reduced from 12 flights/week to 7 from 15 August. MH127/126 service has been cancelled.

Cambodia

Siem Reap: Service (MH764/765) to be reduced from a daily service to five times a week from 17 August.

China

Guangzhou: Services will be reduce from twice daily to once daily from 15 August. MH380/381 has been cancelled.

Hong Kong: MH72/73 will be downsized from a 777 to a 737 between 1-14 August. In addition, from 15 August the service will be reduced to a thrice daily service with the cancellation of MH448/449.

Shanghai: Service will be reduced from twice daily to once daily with the cancellation of MH386/387 from 18 August.

France

Paris: MH20/21 will be downsized form an A380 to a 777-200ER resulting in a loss of first class from this route.

Indonesia

Bali – Denpasar: MH851/850 will be downsized form a 777 to a 737 from 15 August.MH715/714 will also be downsized to a 737 from 1 September.

Maldives

Male: Existing once daily service (MH176/177) to be cancelled from 23 August.

Myanmar (Buma)

Yangon: Service reduced from fourteen weekly flights to eleven weekly flights. MH740/741 are the flights that see a reduction in service.

Philippines

Manila: Service reduced from five times daily to four times daily with the cancellation of MH708/709 from 15 August.

Taiwan

Taipei: Service reduced from twice daily to once daily with the cancellation of MH408/409 from 15 August.

Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City: Service will be reduce to thrice daily with the cancellation of MH760/761 from 15 August.

Hat-Tip to Business Traveller for alerting me to these changes