Malaysia’s national carrier has opted to reinstate its London pre-pandemic schedule on the back of positive passenger recovery following the pandemic.
The London service has proven to be one of the carrier’s most popular and therefore has become one destination where it is now flying to as much as it did before the pandemic.
More flights to London town
Malaysia Airlines has returned to its pre-COVID schedule to London Heathrow Airport recently following positive trends in traffic following the pandemic.
The carrier will be operating two flights a day from its base at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
This comes as the carrier had been gradually increasing flights to London over time.
Before this announcement, Malaysia Airlines was flying to the capital 11 times a week in total. Now, the carrier has increased the schedule to 14 times a week as demand allowed the increase to be possible.
Business Travel News Europe reported that Daniel Bainbridge, UK and Europe Regional Director at Malaysia Airlines, commented at a recent event that the connecting traffic the airline has been experiencing is “phenomenal” with a “significant proportion” of passengers flying from London to Kuala Lumpur connecting to the carrier’s other flights across South East Asia and with its services to Australia.
On the whole, the London service has brought a pleasurable level of profitability and traffic for Malaysia’s flag carrier.
The oneworld Alliance airline uses its Airbus A350 aircraft to operate the London Heathrow service and has done so since 2018.
Bainbridge commented on Malaysia Airlines’ restoring its service to London to pre-pandemic levels and how demand has returned to normal quicker than anyone had reasonably expected:
“Demand from the UK has been staggering. We’ve seen a mix of leisure and corporate traffic, but corporate has really picked up since Easter. TMC business has gone from almost nothing to very significant in the last month.”
Bainbridge concluded with a heads-up for customers, stating that leaving your booking until late could mean that you will miss out, particularly in July for business class.
Malaysia Airlines aims to break-even in 2023 thanks to these positive signs of recovery. There is no doubt that following the reinstation of its London service to pre-COVID levels, and the hugely beneficial connecting traffic the route offers the carrier, the airline will be able to achieve its goal. Especially as, according to Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Lau Yin May, the carrier has already reached more than 50% of its pre-pandemic flight bookings and projects to reach 70%+ by the end of this year.
Are you happy to see Malaysia Airlines experiencing a positive recovery journey after the pandemic? Perhaps you’ve made use of the London – Kuala Lumpur service? Share all your thoughts in the comments below!
