Tag Archives: Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines sign wide-ranging partnership agreement

The two airlines issued this statement:

Revenue sharing on flights between Singapore and Malaysia, subject to regulatory approval

Significant expansion of regional and long-haul codeshare routes

Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have signed a wide-ranging commercial agreement that will significantly strengthen the long-standing partnership between the two airline groups. Subject to regulatory approvals from the relevant competition authorities, the national carriers propose to share revenue on flights between Singapore and Malaysia, expand codeshare routes, and participate in joint marketing activities to develop tourism.

The new agreement also includes SIA’s subsidiaries SilkAir and Scoot, as well as Firefly, the sister airline of MAB. It follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding in June 2019, which aimed to provide new customer benefits as well as new business opportunities.

Flights between Singapore and Malaysia will operate under a joint business arrangement. MAB and SIA intend to coordinate flight schedules to provide customers with more flight choices and frequencies for passenger convenience. As part of the agreement, the two airline groups also plan to offer joint fare products, align corporate programmes to enhance the value proposition to customers, and explore tie-ups between their frequent-flyer programmes.

The two airline groups will also expand their codeshare arrangements to include more destinations on each other’s networks. Today, the airlines codeshare on flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang.

With the expansion, SIA and SilkAir plan to codeshare on MAB’s domestic flights and as such serve a total of 16 destinations¹ in Malaysia.

In turn, MAB will progressively codeshare on flights between Singapore and Malaysia, Europe, South Africa and other destinations once necessary approvals are granted. This will be implemented in phases. It represents a significant expansion of the existing codeshare agreement and will provide MAB with more opportunities to expand connectivity to and from Malaysia.

In addition, MAB and SIA have agreed to work on joint marketing activities to boost long-haul tourism to Malaysia and Singapore. Both airlines will also explore the potential development of airpasses, which will enable customers travelling to Malaysia through the Kuala Lumpur and Singapore hubs more choices to visit other parts of the country such as Kuantan, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu on a single ticket. Travellers can expect a seamless experience of convenience and flexibility while enjoying multi-stop itineraries.

“We are very pleased to take our partnership with Malaysia Airlines to a new level. This will be a win-win for both our airline groups, and provide new benefits for our customers. In particular, the expanded scope of our partnership has the potential to provide a significant boost to the tourism industries in both Malaysia and Singapore, as well as the wider Southeast Asia region,” said SIA CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong.

MAB CEO, Captain Izham Ismail said, “We are honoured to collaborate alongside SIA in providing our customers a more competitive product between Malaysia and Singapore and the opportunity to travel to more global destinations. This is in line with Malaysia Airlines’ long-term business plan goal of engaging in deep partnerships to extend our reach and presence globally. This partnership is more than a conventional partnership and we believe in the mutual benefits for both airline groups and countries.”

Subject to regulatory approvals, the codeshare flights will be progressively made available for sale through the airlines’ respective booking channels in key markets around the world.

_________________________

¹Alor Setar, Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kota Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi, Miri, Penang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tawau

BBC: MH17: Four charged with shooting down plane over Ukraine

From BBC:

“Three Russians and a Ukrainian have been charged with bringing a missile into the area in eastern Ukraine and with murdering 298 passengers and crew.”

Read the full story.

Boeing 747-400 TF-AAA is sunk to be part of Dive Bahrain’s underwater scuba park

Boeing 747-236B (F) TF-AAA (msn 22442) is becoming part of Dive Bahrain’s new underwater dive site off the coast of Bahrain.

TF-AAA is the first Boeing 747 to be used as an artificial reef.

The underwater site will have a 70-meter long decommissioned Boeing 747 as its centerpiece, the largest aircraft ever to be submerged.

The site will provide an exceptional dive experience. Phase 1 of the project includes submerging the aircraft, a replica of a pearl merchant’s house and sail structures. Future phases of the project are still being studied but could include reef balls, ships and sculptures.

All photos by Dive Bahrain.

This Boeing 747 was originally delivered to Malaysia Airlines as 9M-MHJ on April 8, 1982 (later as MASkargo).

Above Copyright Photo: Malaysia Airlines Boeing 747-236B 9M-MHJ (msn 22442) CDG (Christian Volpati). Image: 940078.

The airframe would then be sold to Focus Air Cargo as N361FC on August 5, 2005.

Above Copyright Photo: Focus Air Cargo Boeing 747-236B (F) N361FC (msn 22442) CDG (Christian Volpati). Image: 944630.

Finally the airframe would migrate to Air Atlanta Icelandic on June 17, 2008 which would then operate the airliner for several carrier including MASkargo.

Above Copyright Photo: MASkargo (Malaysia Airlines)-Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747-236B (F) TF-AAA (msn 22442) SYD (John Adlard). Image: 902843.

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Malay Mail: Malaysia Airlines CEO objects to shutting down the airline

Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail is pleading with investors to invest in the airline rather than shutting down the flag carrier according to Malay Mail.

Read the full story.

Image: Boeing.

Malaysia Airlines reinstates Kochi, India

Malaysia Airlines has announced its return to Kochi with its inaugural flight on March 31, 2019.

The airline will be flying daily Kochi via MH108, serviced by the Boeing 737-800, which will depart Kuala Lumpur at 10.40 pm and arrive Kochi at 12.01 am the following day. The return flight, MH109 will depart Kochi at 1 am and will arrive Kuala Lumpur at 7.50 am the same day.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airline): Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-8H6 WL 9M-MXE (msn 40132) DPS (Pascal Simon). Image: 943656.

Malaysia Airlines aircraft slide show:

Malaysia Airlines sees a stable situation despite a challenging environment

Malaysia Airlines issued this statement for the third quarter:

Malaysia Airlines experienced a challenging third quarter with stiff competition, rising fuel prices and adverse foreign exchange movements, further exacerbated by crew shortages, especially in July and August.

Yield came under pressure in quarter three. This was in part due to the inability to deploy planned peak up-grading of aircraft to a widebody during the period, as a result of crew shortages which impacted revenue. The airline has since activated an extensive recruitment exercise, supported by an aggressive cadet enlistment and training programme to build a strong pipeline of crew and is confident that the situation will be stabilised by early 2019.

Notwithstanding the challenging operating environment, total Revenue Average Seat per Kilometer (RASK) remained resilient with an increase of 1.4% year-on-year (YoY). This was mainly driven by higher cargo revenue, up 29% YoY. On-time performance (OTP) also increased during the quarter, up by 8% YoY, as a result of improved operational efficiencies in engineering and ground handling.

Continued focus on improving customer experience and enhancing the product offering has seen an overall improvement in Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), which was up 7% YoY, with the airline’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) increasing by a significant 21 points in the period. This was, in part, driven by improvements to the airline’s call centre which introduced an ‘After-Call Survey’ to obtain immediate customer feedback. Call centre satisfaction ratings are up 7% to 74%.

Malaysia Airlines became the first airline in Malaysia, and amongst only a small number globally, to launch on WhatsApp. Customers can now receive their booking confirmation and flight status via the messaging app, with a view to expand the range of notifications delivered in 2019. The airline also launched MHchat, a new feature designed to help travellers book flights, retrieve bookings and ask questions round the clock via Facebook Messenger.

Passenger load factors also increased in the quarter up by 3% with Malaysia Airlines. Recovery in international business continued in the quarter with a load factor of 81.7% in 2018 versus 78.4% in 2017.

Fleet developments during the period include the addition of the airline’s sixth A330-200 to its fleet of 21 A330s deployed on higher density regional routes across Asia Pacific. The B737-800s continue to provide domestic and regional connectivity while the airline prepares for delivery of 10 B737 MAX8 in 2020.

Malaysia Airlines’ A380-800s continue to service Project Amal, a division within Malaysia Airlines dedicated to Hajj and Umrah traffic. The division successfully transported more than 15,000 pilgrims during Hajj on over 80 flights between Kuala Lumpur, Jeddah and Madinah throughout July and September 2018. The airline’s A380s are also deployed to key markets, such as Sydney and Seoul, during peak times.

Group CEO Izham Ismail said: “The third quarter continued to be challenging with volatile fuel prices, unfavourable foreign exchange movements, as well as overcapacity in key markets compounded by the pilot shortage. Nevertheless, in line with our emphasis on customer experience, I believe our efforts in that area continue to show positive traction as evidenced by the improvements in our CSI and NPS ratings.

We are maintaining a strong focus on cost management and will continue to invest in aspects of the customer experience that deliver a competitive edge. Our pioneering digital initiatives, including the recently launched WhatsApp Business solution, exemplify this.

We have seen good quarterly traction in the year and we are expecting to finish 2018 by reducing the losses of the previous year. Moving forward, 2019 looks similarly challenging but we remain committed to improving performance and reducing costs whilst managing external factors beyond our control.”

Q3 performance

	Actual Q3 2018	Actual Q3 2017
Passengers (m)	3.47	3.40
Passenger Load Factor (%)	80.5%	77.5%
Passenger Yield (sen)	21.5	22.6
On-Time Performance (%)	74.9%	69.5%
Total RASK (sen)	21.2	20.9

Malaysia Airlines launches a Business Suite

Malaysia Airlines has announced the rebrand of its First Class cabin to Business Suite offering passengers new levels of luxury with ample cabin space and privacy. Starting 12 December 2018, the Business Suite will be available on all of the airline’s A350-900 and A380-800s.

The Business Suite is in response to the high traffic of business travelers on Malaysia Airlines, a product that offers an enhanced Business Class service at an attractive price point for passengers. The suite comes with a dedicated check-in counter, access to Malaysia Airlines premium First Class Lounge, 50kg baggage allowance as well as fine-dining experience onboard.

Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer, Captain Izham Ismail said, “The new Business Suite was introduced in response to the growing demand of our guests. Our target is to enable the frequent flyer, looking for enhanced comfort, to now be able to enjoy a premium experience at competitive prices. We are confident that our new Business Suite will change the way people travel in business class.”

The Business Suite cabin will be available on the London, Tokyo, Osaka route and on the Sydney and Seoul route during the winter season.

Product details: Business Suite on A380-800

Located on the main deck with 1-2-1 seat formation
Total of 8 seats with enclosed monument (4 individual seats and 2 double seats)
Seat pitch of 89 inches and bed width of 40 inches
Full flat-bed length of 87 inches • Individual 23-inch IFE screen with widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9
Each seat comes with its personal closet and stowage for coat, luggage, laptop and personal belongings A350-900

Business Suite on A350-900

1-2-1 seat formation with direct aisle access
Total of 4 seats with enclosed monument and retractable privacy door (2 individual seats and 2 double seats)
Seat pitch of 83 inches and width of 23 inches
Full-flat bed length of 83 inches
Capacitive seat control offering personalised lounge position, independent adjustable leg rest, and massage and lumbar system
Individual 24-inch IFE with capacitive touchscreen and multi-touch gesture, video handset, widescreen, High-Definition clarity (1080p) with LED backlighting
Each seat comes with meal and cocktail table, feature light, vanity mirror, console stowage and magazine rack

Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways expand their codeshare partnership

Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways have announced the expansion of their codeshare partnership, allowing passengers to travel to more destinations in Malaysia, Qatar, Indonesia, Australia and the United States of America. Sale and travel under the expanded agreement commenced on September 18, 2018.

Under the new codeshare agreement, Qatar Airways code will be placed on 19 of Malaysia Airlines flights. Qatar Airways customers can now fly seamlessly on one booking reference to new Malaysian cities such as Kuantan, Kota Bharu, Miri and 10 other domestic cities in Malaysia. Besides seamless connectivity, passengers will also benefit from through baggage check-in and other benefits such as frequent flier miles accrual.

Malaysia Airlines passengers can also take advantage of Qatar Airways presence in the Americas, with the new codeshare extending to cities such as New York City, Miami, and Boston among others. Malaysia Airlines will place its MH code on 10 new destinations served by Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways currently offers a triple-daily direct service to Kuala Lumpur and a nonstop four-times-weekly flight to Penang.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar, Qatar Airways is one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines. Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA) to more than 150 destinations worldwide. Earlier this year, Qatar Airways revealed a host of forthcoming global destinations in line with its expedited expansion plans, including Gothenburg, Sweden; Da Nang, Vietnam and Mombasa, Kenya.

Top Copyright Photo: Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-8H6 WL 9M-MXP (msn 40153) DPS (Pascal Simon). Image: 943657.

Malaysia Airlines aircraft slide show:

Malaysia Airlines implements SkyBreathe® to reduce its carbon emissions and improve fuel savings

Malaysia Airlines, the country’s national carrier, in collaboration with OpenAirlines, announced the successful implementation of SkyBreathe® Fuel Efficiency, an advanced system to reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions of their fleet.

The cost of fuel is the arch enemy of the airline industry and since last summer, crude oil prices have gone up. The spike in fuel prices, generally airlines’ biggest cost, is quickly eroding carriers’ profits and jeopardizing their development.

For this reason, Malaysia Airlines has chosen to adopt the latest digital technology with SkyBreathe® to monitor the fuel efficiency of their operations and improve both economic and environmental performance.

Every day, the fuel management software will automatically collect and analyze the massive quantity of data from the 79+ aircraft operated by the airline and combine them with data from other sources including payload, weather conditions, flight path and ATC constraints.

Using this solution, Malaysia Airlines will benefit from a thorough understanding of its fuel efficiency through all phases of a flight to identify the most relevant saving opportunities. Based on this information they will be able to implement the most efficient procedures on ground (pushback, taxi, takeoff, APU, etc.) and during flight (climb, cruise, approach, landing, etc.) without compromising safety.

Malaysia Airlines joins more than 28 other airlines across the world using SkyBreathe®, including Norwegian, Cebu Pacific, Atlas Air, flydubai, Royal Brunei Airlines and Atlas Air.

About OpenAirlines:

OpenAirlines is an international software company based in Toulouse, with offices in Hong Kong, and Miami. It provides consulting and software solutions for airlines flight operations. Since 2006, OpenAirlines help airlines to save fuel and CO2 emissions (SkyBreathe®), manage crews (CrewIntelligence™ and CrewPad™) and fleet (OptiFleet™).

Today, 28 airlines all over the world use OpenAirlines’ software. In 2017, their customers saved more than 50 million USD and 300,000 tons of CO2.

Malaysia Airlines reports its financial progress in the first quarter

Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) issued this financial report on the first quarter:

Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) reported a year-on-year (YoY) yield improvement of 6.6% in the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 despite the significant competition in both international and domestic sectors. Revenue per Available Seat Kilometre (RASK) also followed suit, showing healthy growth of 3.5% YoY with overall total revenue also growing by 2% YoY.

Malaysia Airlines Group (MAG) Chief Executive Officer Izham Ismail (GCEO) said, “Our performance is on budget for quarter one and the concerted focus on yield, which began in the second half of the previous year, continues to see results with an overall improvement in yield and RASK.

I am heartened by the relatively encouraging first quarter of 2018, especially after a challenging FY2017 which saw the company underperform against budget. Our performance last year was hampered by an adverse exchange rate swing which saw the depreciation of the Malaysian Ringgit (RM) against the US dollar (USD). With more than 50% of our cost structure in USD, the depreciation had a significant impact on the company’s overall financial performance. Nevertheless, taken on aggregate, the company has made progress on the execution of the Malaysian Airlines Recovery Plan (MRP). This includes an improved cost base for the airline, bringing it in line with its peer network airlines.

Despite improvements in the quarter, the airline is preparing itself for a tough year ahead with competition and exchange rate volatility. Escalating fuel prices remain a particular concern, up almost 100% from early 2016. Moving forward we will continue to drive yield by focussing on the premium segment to cushion the airline from rising costs. Overall, we expect to see improvements in our performance in the later part of this year and against this backdrop, we are working hard to deliver sustained profitability in 2019,” he added.

Q1 performance YoY

	Actual Q1 2018	Actual Q1 2017
Passengers (m)	3.2	3.6
Passenger Load Factor (%)	75.4%	79.4%
Passenger Yield (sen)	22.6	21.2
On-Time Performance (%)	76%	78%
Total RASK (sen)	20.5	19.8

Passenger Load factor

	Load % Q1 2018	Load % Q1 2017
International	77.2%	81.1%
Domestic	64.1%	70.8%

Malaysia Airlines saw an encouraging trend of yield improvement continue for both international and domestic sectors due to a concerted focus on premium segments of business class seats and corporate sales. This comes on the back of sustained RASK and yield improvement over several preceding quarters. Yield in the quarter was up 6.6% YoY. The increase in yield offset the reduction in load factor and also resulted in RASK improvement of 3.5% YoY. The growth was on the back of improved yield management and pricing segmentation.

Though overall, the quarter was a positive one, looking forward, the second quarter is expected to be weaker and more challenging due to the soft demand during Ramadan.

Investing in the Customer

Above Copyright Photo: Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380-841 9M-MNC (msn 084) LHR (Rolf Wallner). Image: 942665.

The quarter saw Malaysia Airlines replace our Airbus A380 (above) operations with the Airbus A350-900 aircraft on the London route. The new aircraft, offering the latest in technology, provides unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions and lower maintenance costs. The aircraft also offers an improved experience on board.

The flagship A350 aircraft is equipped with Wifi on-board, the first for Malaysia Airlines, and includes new in-flight entertainment systems with modern and improved functionality. It has also refreshed its first and business class amenities and offers better comfort in Economy.

The airline’s satellite Golden Lounge in KLIA reopened in Febuary 2018 with a new look and upgraded facilities. The lounge design reflects the rich heritage of Malaysia alongside modern facilities which includes amongst others, more charging stations, plug points and seating areas. The satellite Golden Lounge is the latest lounge to have undergone renovation since the last quarter of 2017, following upgrades to regional and domestic Golden Lounges.

Alongside this, the ‘Best of Malaysia’ range of dishes was introduced at the Golden Lounges in January 2018. Through this initiative, Malaysian favourites such as Rojak Buah, Chicken Kurma with Nasi Hujan Panas and Jelatah and Ayam Perchik with Nasi Ulam, were introduced and incorporated into the airlines’ in-flight menu. A specially designed Chinese New Year festive menu on selected routes featuring Yee Sang and other symbolic dishes were also offered in First, Business and Economy classes in Q1 2018.

A Customer Experience Task Force was set up in November 2017 to address the gaps across all customer touch points based on customer feedback. A Delay Handling Lab was also organized in this quarter as part of the airline’s ongoing efforts to provide customers with a more seamless travel experience and to improve disruption handling. These initiatives contributed to a positive improvement in the airline’s overall Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) scores which rose to 74% in this quarter, as compared to 70% in Q4 2017. Concerted efforts will carry on to ensure continued improvements across all customer touchpoints.

The quarter also saw the airline introduce its new brand campaign anchored around Malaysian Hospitality. The aim of this campaign is to re-emphasise the truly Malaysian experience that encompasses all aspects of the airline’s customer experience, reflected in its products and services. The campaign will be rolled out in the next quarter via the release of a new TV commercial across all platforms.

Technology driven company

In its continuous journey towards becoming a digital airline, Malaysia Airlines rolled out several key technological enhancements in the quarter. The airline recently unveiled an enhanced MHupgrade which provides a quicker and more seamless bidding system for customers to upgrade flights. Also introduced in the quarter was the Amadeus Anytime Merchandise initiative to boost ancillary revenue whilst offering customers more convenience in purchasing travel insurance and pre-booked seats. The airline also rolled out its Multi-Currency Platform enabling a more stable currency conversion for the airline whilst allowing customers the flexibility of paying for flights in their preferred currency.

Other initiatives introduced in the quarter include the iCrewHack which was launched to simplify and improve cabin crew reporting and work processes. The airline also held a Digital IT Junior Disruptor Programme, a collaborative programme with children and teens between the ages of 12 and 17, aimed at exploring and understanding the needs of the traveller of tomorrow. In addition to this, a series of technology talks and collaborations with Microsoft was also carried out in the first quarter, with the aim of saving time, travel and cost for employees. These programmes will continue throughout the year in line with the airline’s aim of providing its employees with collaborative tools and technology to boost productivity and reduce operational costs.

Above Copyright Photo: Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-8H6 WL 9M-MLT (msn 39334) DPS (Pascal Simon). Image: 942667.

Fleet

The Malaysia Airlines fleet has undergone a transformation since the start of the MRP, in line with the airline’s core focus of Asia Pacific.

Whilst the Boeing 737-800s continue to provide domestic and regional connectivity, the widebody technology has now been streamlined and rightsized to a simpler model of Airbus A350-900s and the A330s, to suit scheduled operations.

The Airbus A380s will be used for the Hajj and Umrah business and deployed during peak and high demand periods.

The A350s, equipped with a First Class offering and the capacity to serve longer haul routes, is mobilized on the London and Japan routes, where there is higher demand for the premium cabin.

The quarter saw the arrival of an additional two of the airline’s six A350-900s, bringing the total of A350-900 aircraft to four in the first quarter.

The A330s (top) will be deployed on higher density regional routes across Asia Pacific, significantly improving the customer experience whilst also generating better revenue. The airline received the first two of the six A330-200s in the quarter.

The airline is undergoing an extensive process in selecting the next generation widebody fleet for future growth and replacement for ageing and end of lease aircraft. Several vendors have been engaged to provide information on new technologies that would best suit the Group’s network and expansion plans. This would also take into consideration fuel efficiency and passenger requirements.

Project Amal

MAB recently signed a three-year agreement with Andalusia Travel & Tours Sdn. Bhd., to transport Malaysian pilgrims to Madinah and Jeddah during the Umrah season beginning October this year until 2021. The agreement will see Malaysia Airlines providing up to 200 charter flights over the three years. The agreement will eventually be novated from Malaysia Airlines to Project Amal once the new airline meets all regulatory and licensing requirements in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Operations

A higher OTP of 76% was registered for Q1 2018 as compared to the previous quarter, which was at 73%. Despite the significant improvement from the last quarter, the OTP registered was still lower than the overall target of 82% mainly due to consequential and technical delays and aircraft limitations. External factors, which included weather-related delays and air traffic congestion, also impacted the OTP. Disruptions were kept to a minimum, however, through stringent monitoring and activation of various contingency plans conducted by an internally set up OTP task force.

The total number of mishandled baggage showed a significant reduction of 44% as compared to Q4 2017. Mishandled baggage per 1,000 passengers also showed a positive reduction to 7.96 cases compared to 14.28 cases per 1,000 passengers in the previous quarter. The positive results recorded in terms of mishandled baggage are the direct result of various process improvement initiatives that the airline has undertaken. The quarter also saw the airline collaborate with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) in a joint effort to identify and rectify baggage discrepancies.

Fuel Efficiency

A total of 43 fuel initiatives, with target savings set at RM220 million, were registered in this quarter and will be tracked for 2018. In the current environment of escalating fuel prices, MAB will leverage on technology and digitization to minimise volatility effects. This quarter saw the introduction of the MH Fuel Messenger and MH Ops applications which are set to increase operational efficiency.

In all of the initiatives rolled out group-wide to drive operational excellence, safety continues to be the top priority.

Ethics and Governance

The Code of Practice and EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) was introduced and rolled out across the group in this quarter. The initiatives under this code include training and readiness assessments for all frontline staff, ahead of the implementation of this legislation. To date, a total of 5500 employees across the group have been trained and equipped with knowledge on EU GDPR. The quarter also saw MAG collaborating with the Anti Trafficking in Persons & Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Council, in setting up a consultative body. This initiative will see employees across the group including ground and flight crew being trained in detecting, reporting and apprehending traffickers as well as providing support to victims of Human Trafficking. Training is expected to commence in the next quarter.

Investing in a talent pipeline and local succession planning

The quarter saw the introduction of a more streamlined and improved recruitment process for pilots, engineers, cabin crew and frontline staff with a total of 11 recruitment drives held between January and May 2018.

An employee referral scheme was unveiled in the quarter to encourage employees to refer deserving candidates to take up positions in key areas such as Flight Operations and Engineering. Apart from this, the Group also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) to help boost the pipeline for pilots. The first group of cadets will be recruited from UniKL Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (MIAT) in Sepang.

Election and polling activities for the appointment of candidates for the MAG Works Council 2018 also took place in Q1 2018. The Works Council was established in 2016 to encourage positive collaboration and discussions between management and employees on important aspects covering work processes, benefits and the general wellbeing of all employees.

Alongside this, various development and leadership programmes continued throughout the quarter, to train and strengthen the internal talent pool. Some of these include the Leadership Talk Series and the General Managers Circle. The aim of these programmes is to inculcate a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing, and enhancing the capabilities of senior-level leaders within the group to develop and nurture their employees.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by Malaysia Airlines): Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-323 9M-MTF (msn 1281) DPS (Pascal Simon). Image: 942670.

Malaysia Airlines aircraft slide show: