With the reopening of borders in 2022, Malaysia Airlines has since emerged on a stable footing financially and operationally, with parent company Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) having achieved three consecutive quarters of financial profitability since 3Q 2022. Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi, Chief Executive Officer-Airlines, MAG, says that now the airline is aggressively investing in their customers by elevating their products and offerings – from fleet modernisation to enhancing the overall cabin experience.
– Prashant Nayak
With significant growth and achievement in the Indian domestic aviation sector, the potential of Indian market remains highly promising for international carriers such as Malaysia Airlines. The airline has closely monitored the upsurge in demand that has transcended their expectations, prompting them to enhance services by increasing frequencies and upgrading to wide-body aircraft on select flights and sectors.
“India continues to be one of our determinant factors and a key market. We have since expanded connectivity from India to Malaysia and are now operating 55 weekly flights compared to the previous 52, with the introduction of three new flights from Bengaluru which commenced in April 2023. We are looking to return to pre-pandemic levels in the Indian market by the end of this year. Healthy competition among airlines bodes well for the Indian aviation market, as it creates ample opportunities and potential for both domestic and foreign carriers to explore and capitalise on,” says Mohd Azmi.
To support the rising travel demand, and address the diverse needs of flyers, Malaysia Airlines continues to empower its customers by providing them with the power of personalisation through the right products and services. “Since customers are our centre of gravity, their feedback is exceedingly valuable and significant, and we are constantly enhancing our product offerings meticulously to cater to their growing requirements. We are dedicated to ensuring that our customers feel acknowledged and always supported. To achieve this, we prioritise hyper-personalisation, which involves segmenting customers, developing tailored products, crafting marketing messages for relevant channels, and utilising suitable communication tools and platforms. This enables us to efficaciously engage with our customers at the right time and in the right place,” assures Mohd Azmi.
The airline firmly believes in circumventing a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, they have punctiliously designed their products and services considering the diverse preferences of their clients. This empowers fliers with the flexibility to choose from options that best suit their regard. By diligently conforming to their customer’s wants and incorporating their feedback into the development of the products and services, they can create a more personalised and customer-centric travel experience suitable across different segments of their market and passenger profiles. Special attention is bestowed on their employees, who inherently remain the organisation’s driving force so that their workforce remains agile to withstand any economic shock and can continue to render inimitable and distinctive Malaysian Hospitality service to their guests.
Mohd Azmi also shares, “Our customers hold a position of paramount importance to us, and their feedback plays a significant role in shaping and formulating our actions. Comprehending and acknowledging their points of discomfort has always been advantageous and expedient for us, as it confers the possibility to transform customers into loyal advocates. We are committed to delivering the best possible experience to all passengers, whether travelling for leisure or business. One notable initiative in this regard is our MHfriends programme, a platform through which we ardently engage with our frequent and loyal passengers. We conduct surveys and encourage them to provide constructive feedback, which helps us identify areas and scope for improvement. Their inputs are vitally important and invaluable since they are first-hand users of our products and services. Engaging in this two-way conversation reaps immense benefit in the fullness of time.”
As a member of the One world alliance, Malaysia Airlines connects to more than 900 destinations in over 170 territories by leveraging member airlines. Their network recovery continues to be led by the domestic market, UK, ASEAN, and South Asia, and for the Indian market in particular they proximate return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. “In terms of network expansion, we have increased our connectivity from India to Malaysia from 52 weekly flights to 55 weekly flights. We are continuously reviewing opportunities in the Indian market and will graduate to adding new routes, increasing frequencies, or upgrading aircraft to meet the increased travel demand. We are also exploring routes to cities like Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram, and Pondicherry,” states Mohd Azmi.
The airline’s recent partnership with Acumen Overseas for air travel management is another initiative to strengthen its customer base across the Indian network. The collaboration will further bolster and fortify the airline’s presence and enhance services for the Indian market, by leveraging on its experience and capabilities.
