Chris Tan

This is a real loss to *A. It was one of the better carriers, with a pretty decent FFP. I selfishly hope it doesn't go through...

I'm sure every megahub started with a dream...

I'm sure KUL will revert to CX. There's too much traffic for UO. PEN might be a toss-up but there's a reasonable chance CX will return. There's decent cargo demand and passenger traffic. Perhaps a mixture of the two with narrowbodies? Regardless, probably a long way off before PEN is even restarted.

Until 2015 or so, Enrich offered terrific value. KUL-LHR in Business was only 46.5k, for instance. Availability was rarely an issue as it booked into revenue fare buckets - which in itself came with its own 'perks' . Family of 4 to London and back in J over the Christmas peak? No problem. It was one analogy of how a dysfunctional MH offered great opportunities if you knew where to look. Then the bean counters decided to ruin the fun.

Nothing to lose except for several billion dollars and no hope of profitability for the first half a decade or so at the very least, you mean? And going by how this country works, the new carrier would inevitably succumb to the shackles of government interference. Then we'd be back to square one. I'd rather the devil we know. This is not some Silicon Valley startup in which you take the plunge with a dream and a prayer, and dust yourself off if (or rather, when) it fails and move on with life. There's so much more at stake in starting a new national carrier.

The optics are, of course, awful. Bailouts, layoffs, unrelenting government meddling, directionless management, etc. But would Malaysia really be better off without MH? I'd argue not. While it is unfortunate to have had billions poured into the airline, this is one dysfunctional project that does indirectly benefit Malaysians. Not everyone, I grant you, but the travelling public -- including the demographics of this forum -- can choose to avail themselves to the fruits of MH's misery. In normal times, the value was tough to beat. Want Malaysia to be connected to the world? You'll need a national carrier for that. EK/QR aren't going to fill the void left behind by a defunct MH. Low airport taxes and landing fees aren't going to make the likes of LH/AF/LX/UA/QF/NZ fly here. D7 can't connect Malaysia to the world with their here-today-gone-tomorrow approach to its network. Our tourism market already trails behind neighbouring countries. Slashing international routes leaves potential travellers with one less incentive to visit. FY jet doesn't have the reputation or connections to be a true international carrier. Shut down MH and AK/D7 would have no reason to be competitive. Then Malaysians would truly be worse off - higher fares with budget service. But what about the billions that would be saved from future MH bailouts? Surely the funds will be put to some altruistic project for the benefit of the nation, right? Get real. This is Malaysia. In all likelihood the funds will disappear into some shady project from which you and I will not benefit.

Yes, I hear SQ's profits are through the roof now that they're delivering Dom Perignon to one's doorstep. MH would be foolish not to jump in with a satay delivery service....

Lady owner? Low mileage?

That's a shame. I was rather looking forward to foreign airlines (e.g LH, QF, NZ, AF, etc) filling the void and our trillion-RM debt disappearing overnight.

KUL isn't LHR. Airlines aren't tripping over one another to serve KUL, and no incentive is great enough to change their minds. You want to connect a second-rate market like Malaysia to the world? You're going to need a national carrier.

But it's a better idea to channel that money into some other shady project that in all likelihood will benefit even fewer Malaysians? Is that your idea of taxpayers' money well spent?

Believe govt should just shut down all Malaysian carriers. No chance of failing airlines and draining resources. Much more feasible.

And who gets the last laugh when there's no competition? The Malaysian public? Where do you think all that money would end up if it weren't used for saving the airlines? A new hospital that's built by the most competent contractor through a clean and transparent tender process? Let's get real. This is Malaysia.

Perhaps because there’s more to pollution than motor vehicles and planes.

Good reason to send the A380s to LHR, I'd imagine.