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Mr.Bandit

MAB Expanding in China in 2017

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With the Malaysian PM currently in China, the announcements might be made in his presence.

 

Prior to MH370, MH operated double daily to PEK. I wonder if the second daily frequency will be restored as well.

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[uPDATE] Malaysia Airlines is proud to expand its reach in China beginning early 2017. We will serve 8 new destinations and 11 new routes with 35 additional frequencies!

 

Hot off the oven...from MH's FB...☝

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Malaysia Airlines expands reach in China


Beijing, 4 November 2016: Malaysia Airlines today launched rapid expansion into China. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, announced in Beijing today that the airline will serve 8 new destinations and 11 new routes with 35 additional frequencies between Malaysia and China beginning in early 2017.


Malaysia Airlines’ CEO Peter Bellew said, “Malaysia Airlines plans to triple our Chinese business over the next five years. I see potential for direct flights to 20 Chinese cities from Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching by 2019. We have huge confidence in China. The improved connectivity will foster deeper business links between the two nations. Malaysians relish the business opportunities and tourism experience in China. The Chinese tourist market to Malaysia is growing rapidly due to the shared food, language and cultural connections.


In addition to this initial growth, we will promote tourism in Malaysia and China through seasonal or ad-hoc services to key leisure markets such as Langkawi, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Six of our new Chinese cities have never been served directly by a Malaysian Airline,” he added.


More:


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New Routes


Kuala Lumpur


Haikou


Dec-16 2 weekly



Kuala Lumpur


Nanjing


Apr-17 3 weekly



Kuala Lumpur


Fuzhou


Apr-17 3 weekly



Kuala Lumpur


Wuhan


Aug-17 3 weekly



Kuala Lumpur


Chengdu*


Oct-17 5 weekly



Kuala Lumpur


Chongqing*


Oct-17 3 weekly



Kota Kinabalu


Tianjin


TBD 2 weekly



Penang


Shenzhen*


Aug-17 3 weekly



Penang


Shanghai*


Aug-17 4 weekly



Existing Routes



Kuala Lumpur


Shanghai*


Apr-17


Increase from 7x to 14x weekly



Kuala Lumpur


Hong Kong


Jan-17


Upgauge of MH 72/73 to A330


*Subject to slot availability.


Edited by affendi osman

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I wonder how long before they suspended those routes. They flew to many new China destinations back in early 2010s just to suspend them after a year of operation. Guess you will see MAS B738NG in China.

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I hope it is based on commercial viability.

As of now, this look "politically motivated."

Side reading:
1. Bandar Malaysia
2. KL-Singapore High Speed Train
3. East Coast Rail Line
4. Highest Chinese Medal to MO1

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I wonder how long before they suspended those routes. They flew to many new China destinations back in early 2010s just to suspend them after a year of operation. Guess you will see MAS B738NG in China.

The problem with these routes is frequency - not easy to be successful with just 3 flights a week.

 

We may get the B738Max on the longer routes. MH is expecting some MAX to be delivered next year. I am not sure where they will be getting the extra A333s from, though.

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Where we going to get to many birds to fly to those new destinations.....I hope they aint thinking on using B738 for some routes....esp the proposed PEN- SZX

 

Also I'm really wondering what kind of traffic is going to be for BKI - TSN proposed route.....

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Where we going to get to many birds to fly to those new destinations.....I hope they aint thinking on using B738 for some routes....esp the proposed PEN- SZX

 

Also I'm really wondering what kind of traffic is going to be for BKI - TSN proposed route.....

Other than PVG and HKG, I think the other routes will be operated by narrow bodies. MH currently has an excess of narrow bodies, so they would probably want to deploy them on new routes.

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Well...if that is true then best avoid them.....awful to sit in narrow bodies for anything above 2 hours...I did once PEN-CAN on A320 China Southern few years back n once is enough....

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Don't think most of these routes announced are viable for weekly service. For BKI we have many seasonal charter flights from china(Xian, Tianjin, Chengdu, Jinan) operated by Malaysia Airlines and recently Lion Air with pax loads are full but most of them come from their tour agents, the most uncomfortable being Lion Air having a POB of 210 on their B737-900ER. As for flights from Guangzhou on China Southern and Shanghai on MAS flights are bookable. I think if they are to keep the routes running both countries have be aggressive in the promotions.

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Also I'm really wondering what kind of traffic is going to be for BKI - TSN proposed route.....

Probably the same kind of traffic for BKI - Xian, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Wuhan etc.

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New Routes

Kuala Lumpur

Haikou

Dec-16 2 weekly

Kuala Lumpur

Nanjing

Apr-17 3 weekly

Kuala Lumpur

Fuzhou

Apr-17 3 weekly

Kuala Lumpur

Wuhan

Aug-17 3 weekly

Kuala Lumpur

Chengdu*

Oct-17 5 weekly

Kuala Lumpur

Chongqing*

Oct-17 3 weekly

Kota Kinabalu

Tianjin

TBD 2 weekly

Penang

Shenzhen*

Aug-17 3 weekly

Penang

Shanghai*

Aug-17 4 weekly

Existing Routes

Kuala Lumpur

Shanghai*

Apr-17

Increase from 7x to 14x weekly

Kuala Lumpur

Hong Kong

Jan-17

Upgauge of MH 72/73 to A330

*Subject to slot availability.

These new routes need in flux of Chinese tourists to be sustainable.

 

Guess the gomen will give Chinese national either visa free or visa on arrival to enter the country soon.

Edited by KK Lee

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I hope it is based on commercial viability.

 

As of now, this look "politically motivated."

 

Side reading:

1. Bandar Malaysia

2. KL-Singapore High Speed Train

3. East Coast Rail Line

4. Highest Chinese Medal to MO1.

part of both obviously....and as for the side reading, are there anybody else that would actually give such low interest loans + technology transfer + manufacturing in the current economic climate?

 

at the end of the day it's business and money matters...not too different from the UK i would say where their big + better known companies (automotive, steel etc) are probably owned by India+China because they have the money....

 

and the nuclear sector is own solely by France (EDF) after German companies pull out (E.ON and RWE) because they're the only ones willing to invest

Edited by Najib Ramli

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Interesting. Some routes are just oddball (PEN-SZX comes to mind). And MH hasn't even loaded KUL-HAK into their GDS yet and they are starting this route next month!

 

Nothing to PEK. Not even changing the time slot for MH360.

Prime PEK slots are difficult to procure. And airlines usually have more capacity into PVG than to PEK.

 

Where we going to get to many birds to fly to those new destinations.....I hope they aint thinking on using B738 for some routes....esp the proposed PEN- SZX

You want MH to send its 333 on PEN-SZX? On a point to point service (and SZX is not even served from KUL)? MH uses a 738 for KUL-TPE/CAN which probably has way more traffic than PEN-SZX. And the reason for BKI-TSN is probably because it's within the 738 range.

 

These new routes need in flux of Chinese tourists to be sustainable.

Guess the gomen will give Chinese national either visa free or visa on arrival to enter the country soon.

Chinese, Indian, Nepali, Bangladeshi, and Burmese nationals living in their country of citizenship (plus a few more for Indians and Chinese e.g. living in Hong Kong or Australia is fine) are eligible to apply for the e-visa. I don't know how it works but I guess it's similar to India's e-visa for foreign tourists. The Malaysian e-visa is valid for 3 months for a max stay of 30 days.

 

Now if only China grants visa waiver to Malaysians like they do to Singaporeans (14-days visa free) or at the very least 72 hours TWOV (currently at 24 but it must be to and from the same port).

 

OT: Can the government negotiate for visa free access to Morocco and Ethiopia for Malaysians as well :p

Edited by Craig

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part of both obviously....and as for the side reading, are there anybody else that would actually give such low interest loans + technology transfer + manufacturing in the current economic climate?

 

at the end of the day it's business and money matters...not too different from the UK i would say where their big + better known companies (automotive, steel etc) are probably owned by India+China because they have the money....

 

and the nuclear sector is own solely by France (EDF) after German companies pull out (E.ON and RWE) because they're the only ones willing to invest

 

Noted on that but my concern is on MH.

 

MAB aspires to get rid of MAS's legacy problem and to be 100% commercially based. To me, this does not look like one. A 3 weekly flight to most of the new destinations are not viable, let alone a daily flight. It would probably make sense as a seasonally run flight.

 

Rule of thumb: if AK/D7 has been there and they dropped it, it is not sustainable. AK/D7 has been to and dropped: Haikou and Tianjin.

 

Then there is competition with AK/D7 and Chinese carriers on the other new destinations.

 

If it does go ahead, I hope it will be weighted fairly on commercial ground and if it is bleeding money, MH must drop it immediately.

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I can understand SZX, though it's interesting that it isn't served from KUL. I really hope MH knows what it's doing.

 

Come to think of it, MH doesn't even have its own lounge at the PEN international side. I suppose there's always PPL to the rescue!

 

Now if only China grants visa waiver to Malaysians like they do to Singaporeans (14-days visa free) or at the very least 72 hours TWOV (currently at 24 but it must be to and from the same port).

 

OT: I'm rather surprised MO1 didn't manage to wrangle a visa-free deal after his momentous visit to the Middle Kingdom. Doesn't seem unreasonable given how Malaysia already has some form of visa-free scheme for the Chinese.

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I can understand SZX, though it's interesting that it isn't served from KUL. I really hope MH knows what it's doing.

 

Come to think of it, MH doesn't even have its own lounge at the PEN international side. I suppose there's always PPL to the rescue!

OT: I'm rather surprised MO1 didn't manage to wrangle a visa-free deal after his momentous visit to the Middle Kingdom. Doesn't seem unreasonable given how Malaysia already has some form of visa-free scheme for the Chinese.

PEN have MH lounge on domestic but none in international as I think MH do not think it is "wise" to resume back PEN-SIN route which is now covered very very well by MI (4-5 flights a day) and the budget carriers

Interesting. Some routes are just oddball (PEN-SZX comes to mind). And MH hasn't even loaded KUL-HAK into their GDS yet and they are starting this route next month!

 

Prime PEK slots are difficult to procure. And airlines usually have more capacity into PVG than to PEK.

 

You want MH to send its 333 on PEN-SZX? On a point to point service (and SZX is not even served from KUL)? MH uses a 738 for KUL-TPE/CAN which probably has way more traffic than PEN-SZX. And the reason for BKI-TSN is probably because it's within the 738 range.

 

Chinese, Indian, Nepali, Bangladeshi, and Burmese nationals living in their country of citizenship (plus a few more for Indians and Chinese e.g. living in Hong Kong or Australia is fine) are eligible to apply for the e-visa. I don't know how it works but I guess it's similar to India's e-visa for foreign tourists. The Malaysian e-visa is valid for 3 months for a max stay of 30 days.

 

Now if only China grants visa waiver to Malaysians like they do to Singaporeans (14-days visa free) or at the very least 72 hours TWOV (currently at 24 but it must be to and from the same port).

 

OT: Can the government negotiate for visa free access to Morocco and Ethiopia for Malaysians as well :p

Well if given a choice between PEN-SZX on B738 (MH) or PEN-HKG on A330 (KA), I would choose the latter any time

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OT: I'm rather surprised MO1 didn't manage to wrangle a visa-free deal after his momentous visit to the Middle Kingdom. Doesn't seem unreasonable given how Malaysia already has some form of visa-free scheme for the Chinese.

 

As am I. With all those deals, cooperation and triple happiness and long life and many grandchildren wishes etc (if you've ever been to a Chinese government banquet you'll know what I'm talking about) - i'm surprised we didn't get that in return.

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MAB aspires to get rid of MAS's legacy problem and to be 100% commercially based. To me, this does not look like one

.......

If it does go ahead, I hope it will be weighted fairly on commercial ground and if it is bleeding money, MH must drop it immediately.

I reckon that sums it up quite well - nothing ventured, nothing gained :)

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