Malaysia Airlines is set to resume operations to Paris in 2025, marking an expansion into Europe as it looks to resume growth after a series of high-profile operational snags.
The four weekly flights will commence 22 March, before it will be increased to daily flights a week later.
Speaking in Kuala Lumpur on 6 September, CEO of airline parent Malaysia Aviation Group Izham Ismail says the French capital – the airline’s second European point after London – was chosen as it was “the best candidate in our [network] growth plan”, given the amount of “passenger demand potential”.
It found that there was potential for transfer traffic from Australia and New Zealand, as well as from Paris to other points in Europe and to North America.
Malaysia Airlines began operations to Paris in 1981 but exited the route – along with most of its European network – in 2016 amid restructuring efforts.
Asked about further expansion plans to Europe, Izham says it was “unlikely” the airline would do so in the near term, pointing out that market demand “is not fully settled yet”.
Furthermore, the airline only has a small long-haul fleet – comprising seven Airbus A350s with no new orders – limiting the scale of its expansion.
The Paris flights will be operated by A350s, which will be redeployed from flights to Doha, says Izham.
He adds that Malaysia Airlines is also looking to ramp up operations to Australia and South Asia in 2025, identifying the two regions as network growth areas.
The ramp-up will come as Malaysia Airlines begins taking new A330-900s, with the first to arrive in October. The new widebodies will replace its older -300s on the medium-haul network.
Malaysia Aviation Group in recent weeks suffered a series of operational issues, including pressurisation and engine problems on its A330, forcing the airline to slash 20% from its current capacity through the end of the year.
