David.W

Is MAB trying to become Malindo??? A hybrid carrier not full service

If MAB gets taken up by new owners it will be on them to decide if they want to go ahead with the Max order. If not, a switch to Airbus will mean having to pay for cancellations. Also have to retrain crew I believe the Max issues are short term and it will be better to just delay delivery.

- At least six companies, including two from China, are said to be interested to be part of the expansion of the RM1.2bil Penang International Airport (PIA). - MAHB is likely to call for a request for proposal for the development of the PIA in the second quarter of the year - Of the six, four are local companies, namely, Ideal United Bintang International Bhd (IUBI), Muhibbah Engineering Bhd, Gamuda Bhd and AirAsia Group Bhd. The two Chinese companies are China Railway Engineering Corp (CREC) and another China construction firm. - PIA would be expanded at a cost of about RM1.2bil to accommodate 16 million passengers - development would be funded via PFI - Post expansion will have space for 40 total aircraft, comprising 10 Boeing 777 aircraft, 26 smaller planes (looks like its similar number of gates to KLIA MTB) and 4 propeller planes Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2019/04/03/interest-in-penang-airport-expansion/#PXxuQq5ZoWGSzjHW.99

Yeah they could have at least make a cabin announcement of the menu if they can't afford to print menus Also display menu on IFE

Where is the option to convert to full airbus neo fleet A330neo a320neo a321neo

Ouch... But anyway their Nasi Lemak was ok but no ikan billis anymore.

KUALA LUMPUR: An official announcement will be made soon to decide whether Firefly will resume its services to Singapore, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke. "The official announcement will be made soon. "We are still finalising the details. We hope they can resume their services soon," he told reporters at the official launch of Xtra20 KTM discount card here Sunday (March 31). It was reported earlier that the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said Firefly had suspended all its flights to Singapore as it had yet to receive approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to operate at Seletar Airport. A CAAS spokesman said it had informed the Malaysian Transport Ministry and Firefly back in 2014 of the relocation of turboprop flights from Changi Airport to Seletar Airport, and the airline had agreed to relocate. Firely, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, said its services would resume once the relevant authorities sorted out regulatory issues regarding its move to Seletar. On a separate matter, Loke gave his commitment that the government was willing to amend current laws to allow people with special disabilities (OKU) to apply for Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licences so that they could register for and provide e-hailing services. "There are some issues with OKU drivers. They need to understand that current regulations do not allow them to apply for PSV license. "But I have given my commitment to the OKU community, as well as e-hailing companies, that the government will amend the regulations to enable them to provide their services. "My message to the OKU community is that we support their right to be e-hailing drivers so they can work and get an income, so there is no issue of not allowing them. "That will be sorted out soon," he said. On the KTM card, he said the government had allocated a total of RM34mil for the Xtra20 discount card aimed at giving an additional 20% discount for Malaysians who use the cashless transaction system at commuter stations. "We target that there will be a 20% increase in commuters this year, which is about 90,000 users daily to 108,000. "This will be followed by another 20% in 2020 to achieve the target of 130,000 people daily," he said. Loke said following a review of KTM ticket costs in the Klang Valley of between 11 sen to 15 sen per km in 2016 by the previous government, the number of users dropped from 50 million a year to 41 million users in 2017. "In 2017, it continued to dip to 37 million users a year and dropped down to 32 million users annually last year," he said. Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/03/31/loke-firefly-to-resume-singapore-flights-once-regulatory-issues-sorted/#4jUdwUxLw1d2QpvL.99

PER - KUL last month, nasi lemak

https://onemileatatime.com/malaysia-business-suite-a350-review/

The only way actually Kulim Airport can be viable is to shut down PEN and move all flights and cargo ops to the Kulim Airport. Does Penang want to give up it's island airport for more land on the island for development esp affordable housing? Both states need to discuss this. As of now we don't know the timeline or capacity of the airport.

Penang airport is in the island itself, Kedah's current airport (Sultan Abdul Halim) is way up north of the state, and Perak's airport is in Ipoh. In between those 3 airports, there is quite a large area whereby there is no "single airport" to connect them. With Kulim airport setup - it will benefit:- Penang & Kedah - those who staying in Mainland Penang or Kedah, or have businesses there (especially Sungai Petani, Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam) don't need to go Penang Island just to take airplane. Cargo transport will be much easier and cheaper. Perak - from Taiping onwards (those in north), will not need to travel all the way to Ipoh. I have seen Ipoh's airport, and being right smack in the middle of it, there's no way it can be expended to become a major hub in the north.

That is just an opinion piece

Didn't tun m previously did barter trade with Russia, palm oil for jets there are now 10 su30 flying that will be on display at LIMA

There is still no timeline when this we'll be built, who fund it... It won't be built before next GE

will this be a story similar to how Microsoft "saved" Apple

The airport is private funded says Azmin

Sarawak air can go ahead and take over maswings routes Let MAB save money and focus on ops out of KUL

Malaysia Airlines tops consumer complaints in report, says Mavcom https://www.mavcom.my/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/190320-Consumer-Report-July-December-2018-.pdf

Penang and Kedah gov are on the same government side maybe there has been a agreement to shift PEN operations to Kulim in the future?

They get what they paid for

There should be an in-depth investigation into why Malaysia's military did not respond to that unknown object (MH370) detected on military radar. What if MH370 was ment to fly into a certain targer/building? Fighter jets were not scrambled, where they unable to scramble? Was it detected but desicion was made to ignore it?

PETALING JAYA (March 19): The Malaysia Airlines Retirees Association says the country needs a national carrier and it is offering its services to help overhaul the airline. Speaking at a media briefing today, Malaysia Airlines Retirees Association patron Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman said Malaysia needs a national carrier, as "any country worth its salt has a national carrier". He added it is imperative that the airline is sustained and that it sees a return to its glory days. In particular, he highlighted that the national carrier has seen many of its capabilities such as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services closed and that the loss of network was particularly damaging. Abdul Aziz further added that the total approximate RM2 billion loss posted by the airline from 2014 until today has led to the airline now being "in hell". https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/malaysia-airlines-retirees-association-steps-overhaul-national-carrier End patronage not Malaysia Airlines — Sharan Raj MARCH 15 — Analysts and politician cannot just argue to shut down or sell our Malaysia Airlines based on accumulated loss of RM2.5 billion without acknowledging the flawed execution on the turnaround plan. Post restructure, we still refer our national carrier as MAS instead of MAB showcasing our deep love for our Malaysia Airlines. Personally, I have only flown on Malaysia Airlines and their One World Alliances for all my professional and personal trips throughout my lifetime but only twice on AirAsia. I am not writing this article to protect my Enrich points or my free flights but to protect the 14,000 personnel in our national carrier that ensure my dignity by timely arrival at my clients’ countries and safe return home to my loved ones. https://www.malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2019/03/15/end-patronage-not-malaysia-airlines-sharan-raj/1732965

As Pakatan Harapan considers its next step with regard to Malaysia Airlines, DAP man Julian Tan has suggested a way to salvage the ailing national carrier. Trained as an aerospace engineer and researcher, the former Stampin MP stressed that there was a need for someone with the “guts” to cancel any bad contracts. “It takes someone with guts to weed out the weed in MAS and terminate contracts that are detrimental to the survival of MAS. “[...] What is needed is courage and determination to do the necessary - to revise contracts, weed out unwanted wastages, and streamline existing operation to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” he said in a statement today. He said MAB had an irreplaceable role in the local airline industry, as it caters to business, premium, and economy packages, all which appeals to a different market segment compared to other airlines such as AirAsia. “MAS plays an irreplaceable role, offering a comprehensive range of services and flexibility that no other local carrier is able to match,” he said. Economic Affairs minister Mohamed Azmin Ali previously revealed that MAB had secured a new charter service from Kuala Lumpur to Madinah in Saudi Arabia aimed at Muslim pilgrims. Tan further analysed that the airline had only become loss-making due to being “enmeshed” in politics, having a poor management team and becoming a “milking ground” for political cronies. “No more political entanglement, MAB has more than what it needs to survive and thrive,” he said. Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad previously said that the government was mullingshutting down, selling or refinancing MAB. However, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng later clarified that the government would not shut down the national carrier, instead it was merely one of the options presented to the prime minister. In 2014, the airline was taken private by government wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd and injected with RM6 billion in a bid to return it to profitability within three years. Earlier this month, Khazanah attributed its first pre-tax loss in 13 years largely to MAB’s performance. https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/468234?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0Vf-krBCvJG-H9iwPH8M0Aqkj3lFSrH1sF-Hfqkh_J3cng3PZ7_CnUEI4

The lack of a pillow to and from Perth, both flights on different days, last month. I don't know if this is a cost cutting measure, or the pillow supply ran out? Because I flew MH to HKG in 2017 and a white pillow was provided along with the standard purple blanket. No wonder passengers are going to complain on a 737.