Malaysia

Aero Dili will increase Dili – Kuala Lumpur services to 3x weekly from 3 Sep 2026, operating via Airbus A319

Batik Air Malaysia in Q4 2026 schedules flights between Penang-Batam from 18 Oct with 4X weekly flights, and from 27 Oct with 3X weekly flights using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft

Capital A posted its Q2 2026 and H1 2026 financial results: For Q2 2026, RM809 million in revenue (+9% YoY), EBITDA of RM108 million and profit after tax (PAT) of RM25 million For H1 2026, revenue reached RM1.58 billion (+4% YoY) with PAT of RM50 million. ADE and Teleport together accounted for over 70% of H1 2026 Group revenue, offsetting softness in AirAsia MOVE, AirAsia Next and Santan AirAsia MOVE Grew Q2 2026 revenue 5% YoY to RM96 million with transactions up 8% YoY to 11.8 million, though flight sales moderated amid an 11% AirAsia seats sold drop B2C flight sales declined by 3% YoY in Q2 2026, Duty-Free GBV increased 36% YoY. Room nights sold declined by 12% YoY Integration of WANO B2B businesses accounted for 11% of total revenue Its Q2 2026 monthly active users were +22% YoY H1 2026 saw MOVE generate RM194 million in revenue, RM14 million in EBITDA and RM4.9 million in NOP Tony Fernandes said Q3 is "generally a lean travel season", and that the groups is “doing everything possible” to keep the FY 2026 results close to those of 2025

AirAsia will take over AirAsia X’s Kuala Lumpur-Seoul Incheon service from 25 Oct using its Airbus A321LR, replacing AirAsia X’s Airbus A330-300

Batik Air Malaysia plans to resume nonstop Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne route from 1 Dec 2026 using an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, 4X weekly and 7X weekly from 13 Dec 2026. The service was suspended in Aug 2025

TransNusa launched its direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Lampung, Indonesia using a C909 aircraft with a 95-seat capacity

Malaysia Airlines has renewed its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registration, with validity until Jul 2028, and its subsidiary Firefly maintains its 7-Star Safety Rating and IOSA registration, with the latter valid until Feb 2028. Malaysia Airlines recorded an average on-time performance (OTP) of 90.8% in H1 2026, exceeding its operational targets and reaching a peak of 93.8% in Apr 2026. Firefly recorded 92.5% of OTP in H1 2026, its highest level in 5 years, and the peak was recorded in Mar 2026 with 94.2%. Malaysia Aviation Group said the improvements in schedule reliability contributed to an almost 50% YoY drop in flight delay-related feedback

AirAsia X cancelled its Kuala Lumpur-Delhi route from 25 Oct. Currently, it operated 4X weekly flights

Malaysia received 88,058 international flights in H1 2026, 3.7% less than the initially scheduled 91,486 flights. A total of 4,111 flights were cancelled due to the Middle East conflict, but there were reported to be 683 new flights. Actual seat capacity dropped to 17.64 million, 3.9% less than the initially projected 18.34 million seats. There were 23 new routes, 12 new flights and 9 charter flights introduced from Jan-Jul 2026. Northeast Asia accounts for the largest capacity increase, with over 500,000 seats (11.9%), followed by ASEAN with 376,423 seats (4.5%). Seat capacity dropped to 806,532 seats in H1 2026 from more than 1 million recorded in H1 2025

AirBorneo targets 14-15 aircraft to reach commercial profitability as the airline is looking to expand its frequencies and destinations over the next 5 years, according to its CEO. The airline plans to operate 17 jet aircraft by the end of 2030. Under the airline’s fleet plan, it will operate wet-leased Boeing 737-800s before introducing dry-leased aircraft from 2028. The CEO said their budget included manageable fuel costs for the turboprop operations

Tourism Malaysia highlighted the need to resume direct flights between Davao City and Malaysia to boost tourist exchange during the Malaysia Sales Mission on 20 Aug, at Dusit Thani Hotels in Davao City, the first roadshow since May 2023

Ascend Airways secured the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia approval to include passenger operations in its Air Operator Certificate. 3 Boeing 737-800s are expected to operate under the new aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance agreements by the end of 2026

AirAsia is boosting its Kuala Lumpur-Perth route to 14X weekly, Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne route to daily flights, and Denpasar-Perth route to 35X weekly. This follows its suspension of the Kuala Lumpur-Sydney route due to cost pressures, soft demand, and strategic alignment of AirAsia’s network. AirAsia X General Manager acknowledged the importance of the Kuala Lumpur-Sydney route for passengers to visit friends and family across ASEAN, but stated that they had to make a difficult decision considering their aircraft and network position

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) saw 8 million passenger movements in Jul 2026, +4.6% MoM but -11% YoY. Domestic traffic in Jul 2026 was at 3.5 million passengers, -1.0% MoM, and -19.8% YoY, with airlines reducing capacity. International traffic was +9.3% MoM at 4.5 million movements, supported by summer season in Europe and Asia. From Jan-Jul 2026, Malaysia had 59 million passengers, approximately the same as 2025. International passengers were +6.1% YoY, whilst domestic passengers were -6.7% YoY. Traffic at Kuala Lumpur International Airport reached 36.7 million passengers from Jan-Jul 2026, +3.4% YoY. Kota Bharu’s airport, Sultan Ismail Petra, saw a 54.1% MoM increase in international traffic, to 6,200. MAHB noted that its focus is on boosting connectivity and improving the passenger experience

Malaysia Airlines to add flights: - Kuala Lumpur-Fukuoka starting 1 Dec 2026 from 5X to 7X weekly, using a Boeing 737 MAX 8 - Kuala Lumpur-Manila starting 25 Oct 2026 from 3X to 4X daily, using a Boeing 737 MAX 8 - Kuala Lumpur-Surabaya starting 25 Oct 2026 from 14X to 16X weekly, using a Boeing 737-800 or MAX 8 - Kuala Lumpur-Xiamen from 4 Jan 2027 from 4X to 5X weekly, using a Boeing 737-800

Singapore is the only international direct scheduled flight to Langkawi after services from Bengaluru and Dubai were suspended. Due to the suspension, Langkawi’s international tourist arrivals dropped by 200,000 YoY in H1 2026. China Southern Airlines will launch 3X weekly service from Guangzhou in Dec 2026. A manager of the Tourism Division at Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) said they are working to diversify air connectivity, including plans to launch 20 direct charter flights from Warsaw between Nov 2026 and Mar 2027, and discussions with Batik Air to operate charters from Central Asia. LADA is offering up to $20,000 USD in marketing support to operators committing to at least 10 flights per season. Discova’s country manager for Malaysia and Singapore said there is strong interest from France, supported by direct flights by Malaysia Airlines between Kuala Lumpur and Paris, as well as Central Europe and the Baltics. Discova is also looking to offer combined itineraries connecting Langkawi with Kuala Lumpur and Penang for southern Chinese tourists. She added that European visitors usually stay 4-5 nights, attracted by good weather and spacious accommodation. Langkawi will see the opening of a 251-room Hilton Burau Bay Langkawi Resort. The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association is organising a fam trip in Oct for Chinese event planners, association leaders, and corporate buyers

AirAsia X announced the cancellation of its Kuala Lumpur-Chongqing service from 24 Oct and Kuala Lumpur-Sydney flights from 25 Oct

Malaysia Airlines expanded its codeshare partnership with Qatar Airways to Brazil on the Doha-Sao Paulo Guarulhos route. The agreement went into effect on 13 Aug

Malaysia Airlines expanded its codeshare partnership with Qatar Airways to Brazil on the Doha-Sao Paulo Guarulhos route. The agreement went into effect on 13 Aug

AirBorneo is looking to launch flights between Kuching and Jeju Island, South Korea, as part of efforts to expand Sarawak’s access to key regional tourism markets. The Sarawak Tourism Minister said AirBorneo is expected to launch flights to Jakarta in Sep, followed by either Bangkok or Jeju Island. He added that South Korea is a good market, and there is interest among Korean families in sending their children to Kuching to study English at international schools. He also noted that Sarawak is facing limitations in direct international connectivity. The PATA CEO said connectivity is among the challenges of bringing international travellers to Sarawak. He also added that PATA took a risk by hosting PATA Travel Mart in Sarawak, where there are fewer direct flights compared with Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Singapore. Despite this, PTM 2026 welcomed 1,100 delegates from 48 countries, including more than 220 buyers representing 215 companies from 29 markets. He added that Sarawak has potential in major markets such as China and India, as well as the untapped ASEAN market

Tawau Airport’s annual capacity will increase from 1.5 million to 2.5 million passengers after the completion of its expansion project by the Transport Ministry

AirBorneo is looking to launch flights between Kuching and Jeju Island, South Korea, as part of efforts to expand Sarawak’s access to key regional tourism markets. The Sarawak Tourism Minister said AirBorneo is expected to launch flights to Jakarta in Sep, followed by either Bangkok or Jeju Island. He added that South Korea is a good market, and there is interest among Korean families in sending their children to Kuching to study English at international schools. He also noted that Sarawak is facing limitations in direct international connectivity. The PATA CEO said connectivity is among the challenges of bringing international travellers to Sarawak. He also added that PATA took a risk by hosting PATA Travel Mart in Sarawak, where there are fewer direct flights compared with Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Singapore. Despite this, PTM 2026 welcomed 1,100 delegates from 48 countries, including more than 220 buyers representing 215 companies from 29 markets. He added that Sarawak has potential in major markets such as China and India, as well as the untapped ASEAN market

Tawau Airport’s annual capacity will increase from 1.5 million to 2.5 million passengers after the completion of its expansion project by the Transport Ministry

AirAsia will return 25 older aircraft to lessors by the end of 2026 to cut its fixed lease costs and reduce capacity in underperforming markets. Its new A220-300 and A321-200XLR aircraft will be delivered from 2028. AirAsia Group’s CEO previously said 12 A320 aircraft will be returned in 2026 from its Indonesia and Philippines operations. AirAsia did not specify the aircraft types and routes involved in the route cuts

Malaysian Aviation Group (MAG) said it has cleared all pilots working for Malaysia Airlines following a mandatory drug screening process after one of its pilots was arrested in Indonesia on trafficking charges on 28 Jul. The second phase of the screening program will be conducted from 18 Aug to 3 Sep involving 2,840 Malaysia Airlines cabin crew members. MAG screened Firefly’s 158 pilots and 163 cabin crew, and the results returned negative. Firefly is scheduled to screen all of its remaining pilots and cabin crew by 25 Aug

AirAsia will return 25 older aircraft to lessors by the end of 2026 to cut its fixed lease costs and reduce capacity in underperforming markets. Its new A220-300 and A321-200XLR aircraft will be delivered from 2028. AirAsia Group’s CEO previously said 12 A320 aircraft will be returned in 2026 from its Indonesia and Philippines operations. AirAsia did not specify the aircraft types and routes involved in the route cuts

Malaysian Aviation Group (MAG) said it has cleared all pilots working for Malaysia Airlines following a mandatory drug screening process after one of its pilots was arrested in Indonesia on trafficking charges on 28 Jul. The second phase of the screening program will be conducted from 18 Aug to 3 Sep involving 2,840 Malaysia Airlines cabin crew members. MAG screened Firefly’s 158 pilots and 163 cabin crew, and the results returned negative. Firefly is scheduled to screen all of its remaining pilots and cabin crew by 25 Aug

The runway at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Subang) near Kuala Lumpur was temporarily closed after a helicopter exploded and caught fire on the runway, causing 8 inbound flights to be diverted to other airports, and 3 departure flights to be delayed. The runway reopened later that afternoon

Vietjet Thailand to launch its daily flight between Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport from 9 Oct. This will be the airline’s first route to Malaysia

Vietjet Thailand to launch its daily flight between Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport from 9 Oct. This will be the airline’s first route to Malaysia

Emirates will launch an Airbus A350-900 aircraft service on its Dubai-Kuala Lumpur route, replacing Boeing 777-300ER with a 298-seat A350-900 from 1 Sep. The airline will deploy a 312-seat A350-900 from 1 Oct on this route. In early 2026, Emirates planned to deploy a 312-seat A350 from 1 Dec

AirAsia Group posted a net loss of RM527.16 million in Q2 2026, due to higher fuel expenses and foreign exchange losses. Revenue reached RM5.08 billion in Q2 2026. Fuel expenses increased to RM2.8 billion after average fuel prices increased by 66% QoQ. Maintenance and overhaul costs reached RM537.34 million, and user charges reached RM506.51 million. The group also posted RM330.97 million in foreign exchange losses. For H1 2026, the group posted a net loss of RM682.04 million on revenue of RM11.03 billion. AirAsia Group plans to cut seat capacity by 20% to 25% YoY in Q3 2026, and speed up its fleet optimisation by returning less fuel-efficient and older than 25-year-old aircraft to lessors

The Penang International Logistics Aeropark (PILA) will boost air cargo facilities and capacity in the northern region, according to the Transport Minister. He added that the construction project by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) in collaboration with Penang Development Corporation (PDC) has started, and the project will be launched soon by the Prime Minister. PILA can accommodate 500,000 tonnes of cargo annually by 2050, with warehouse space exceeding 2 million sq feet

Turkish Airlines will use a Boeing 777-300ER instead of A350-900 for one of its 2X daily Istanbul-Kuala Lumpur routes from 25 Oct to 6 Dec

AirBorneo Airways has joined the FLYsiswa subsidy program under the Transport Ministry, offering a RM400 digital voucher to subsidise domestic economy flight tickets for eligible students travelling between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan

AirAsia MOVE and the Korea Tourism Organisation have partnered to promote travel beyond Seoul and support domestic tourism in South Korea, including Busan, Gyeongju, Jeonju, Gangneung, and Jeju

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has ordered all Malaysian Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders to test their active flight and cabin crew under its approved alcohol and drug testing program. CAAM CEO also asked airlines to review whether their existing alcohol and drug testing programs are effective. CAAM also ordered airlines to conduct random testing during night operations, extended duty periods, public holidays, and other higher-risk operational environments

Japan Airlines (JAL) and Malaysia Airlines plan to expand their codeshare partnership covering routes from Fukuoka from 2 Sep. Malaysia Airlines will operate JAL code flights on the Fukuoka- Kuala Lumpur route, and JAL will operate Malaysia Airlines flights from Fukuoka to Amami, Izumo, Kagoshima, Kochi, Matsuyama, Miyazaki, Osaka Itami, Sapporo New Chitose, Tokushima, Tokyo Haneda, and Yakushima

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) confirmed that a technical issue involving the baggage handling system at Terminal 1 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport was resolved as of 5.30pm on 10 Aug. MAHB didn’t state how long the issue had been ongoing, while on social media some people complained they had to wait at least 2 hours to collect their luggage

Hainan Airlines plans to launch its first Haikou-Penang flight from 11 Oct using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, 2X weekly

Gulf Air will resume its Bahrain-Kuala Lumpur flights from 29 Sep to 23 Oct, 5X weekly, and 3X weekly from 8 Oct. From 25 Oct it will operate a Bahrain-Singapore-Kuala Lumpur flight daily

An Indian passenger onboard Batik Air’s Kuala Lumpur-Kochi, India flight was arrested after he tried to open the exit door. Passengers and crew managed to subdue and restrain him until the plane safely landed at Cochin International Airport around 11.30pm. He also damaged the inner panel of the emergency exit window before trying to open the door

Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 has introduced a new e-hailing pick-up experience with a dedicated waiting lounge, self-service booking kiosks, and live screens showing the passengers of the drivers’ arrivals. The new facilities are located on Level 1 of the Main Terminal Building. All authorised e-hailing vehicles entering the pick-up zone will have to pay an RM3 entry fee, and they will have a maximum of 10 minutes to pick up passengers

Capital A reported a mixed Q2 2026 for its non-aviation businesses, with seasonal weakness and the Middle East conflict weighing on parts of the portfolio, while logistics, digital travel and engineering operations continued to grow: Asia Digital Engineering (ADE) posted a 23% YoY increase in completed component maintenance workshop orders, but base maintenance checks dropped to 13, -32% YoY, due to longer turnaround times for heavy maintenance on ageing aircraft. Under line maintenance, ADE managed 129 AirAsia aircraft and 188 third-party flight transits Logistics unit Teleport carried 85,877 tonnes of cargo, +11% YoY, while parcel volumes increased to 56.5 million, +79% YoY Belly cargo on AirAsia's network increased by 5% YoY to 64,116 tonnes, dedicated freighter volumes increased by 89% YoY to 9,985 tonnes, and third-party cargo volumes increased 7% YoY to 11,776 tonnes Online travel platform AirAsia MOVE recorded monthly active users growing to 16.3 million, +22% YoY, supported by a 14% increase in app journey searches to 33 million Gross booking value on AirAsia MOVE increased to $1.3 billion USD and total platform transactions increased to 11.8 million, both by 8% YoY AirAsia MOVE expanded its FlyBeyond airline network, adding Air China, Shandong Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, TransNusa, VietJet, and IndiGo Brand licensing unit AirAsia Next signed a master brand licensing agreement to expand into healthcare, and is in the final stages of an agreement with a major hotel chain to launch AirAsia Hotels AirAsia Rewards active membership reached over 37.1 million, +3% YoY, with 12-month active members increasing to 6.2 million, +44% YoY Points redemption increased to 930.6 million points, +34% YoY, though points issuance dropped by 4% amid flight and capacity constraints due to geopolitical conflicts Fintech unit BigPay expanded its active user base to 1.7 million, +4% YoY, with average transactions per user increasing to 16.78, +16% YoY F&B business Santan recorded an 855% YoY surge in B2C e-commerce transactions to 23,409, driven by digital campaigns, but inflight transactions dropped by 17% YoY to 1.76 million following airline capacity adjustments and lower passenger volumes; its B2B segment maintained six active corporate clients

The Minister of Finance Inc has extended the contract for the Managing Director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for another 2 years until the end of Jul 2028. MAHB also has allocated RM11.5 billion in capital expenditure from 2026-2030, allowing him to carry out long-delayed upgrades. RM4.1 billion has been allocated to replace assets at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, including critical systems such as the baggage handling system (BHS), escalators, lifts and walkalators. RM1.4 billion will fund the expansion of the Penang International Airport (PIA), and around RM500 million has been allocated to the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA). For KLIA Aeropolis and MAHB’s other subsidiaries, RM500 million has been allocated. The remaining funds will be spent to upgrade airports across its network, including replacing ageing aerobridges. BHS upgrades in KLIA are 60% complete and on track for completion by the end of 2028, and KKIA expansion will increase its capacity from 9 million passengers to 12 million

Air Macau will extend the suspension of its Macau-Kuala Lumpur route for the northern winter 2026/2027 season, with reservations closed between 26 Oct 2026 and 27 Mar 2027. The airline previously scheduled 4X week flights with Airbus A320

Batik Air Malaysia scheduled 2X daily flights on its Kuala Lumpur-Kinmen route under charter using a Boeing 737 Max 8 from 5-10 Nov 2026

AirAsia Group signed a partnership with global eye care nonprofit Orbis International to support eye health systems and more sustainable access to eye care across Asia Pacific. AirAsia will offer $100,000 USD in airfare support annually over the next five years to help Orbis teams work with local hospitals, health ministries, training institutions, and eye care professionals across the region

Flights to Penang from China have fallen from 82 per week earlier in 2026 to 62 by end-May after the Middle East conflict. Penang tourism committee chairman estimates that around 10,000 Chinese tourists arrive into Penang each month on direct flights. HK Express has reported that it has carried more than 250,000 passengers on its Hong Kong-Penang route since its launch in Nov 2024, with more than one third of those passengers coming from mainland China via Hong Kong

Malaysia Airlines has stated that it will cooperate with authorities after reports of one of its pilots being arrested in Jakarta for allegedly smuggling 26kg of drugs into Indonesia, and being under the influence of cocaine and methamphetamine