21.11.2023 - 09:45 UTC
Malaysian carrier SKS Airways (KI, Johor Bahru) has suspended its scheduled flight operations amid reports it is facing a shortage of funds, and its order for ten E195-E2s is under threat. If the order holds, the carrier is in line to become Malaysia's first Embraer operator.
The New Strait Times reported on November 20 that the DHC-6-300 operator - it has a fleet of two of the Twin Otters - had halted scheduled services on the Kuala Lumpur Subang-Tioman and Kuala Lumpur Subang-Pulau Redang sectors. The SKS Airways booking portal has no flights for sale for the remainder of the year.
SKS Airways commenced operations in 2022, focusing on domestic, short-range, leisure, and commuter flights to unserved and underserved destinations. It is the second Malaysian carrier to suspend flights in as many months, with MYAirline pausing services in October owing to financial issues. SKS Group owns SKS Airways, the parent being a Malaysian entity with interests in property development, investment holdings, hospitality, and credit finance.
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21.11.2023 - 02:29 UTC
Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur International) has taken delivery of the first of twenty-five B737-8s, ferrying the aircraft into Malaysia's capital on November 16, 2023. The carrier intends to put the B737 MAX into service before the end of the month.
9M-MVA (msn 66439) departed Seattle Boeing Field on November 13, flying to Kuala Lumpur via Honolulu and Guam International. In a statement, Malaysia Airlines said the total flying time was 21 hours and 45 minutes. According to ch-aviation schedules data, the aircraft will begin revenue flights on November 21, operating two roundtrips per day between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu.
State-owned Malaysia Aviation Group, the parent entity of Malaysia Airlines, signed a deal with Air Lease Corporation in early 2022 for the B737-8s, with deliveries through to the end of 2026. The type forms part of Malaysia Airlines' fleet modernisation strategy, said the group, which aims to improve the customer experience, bolster operational efficiencies, and meet future network growth requirements.
Before the arrival...
07.11.2023 - 04:46 UTC
Officials from the Malaysian state of Sabah have tempered expectations about it starting its own airline in the immediate future. The step back comes as the neighbouring state of Sarawak pushes ahead with its plans to take over MASwings (MY, Kota Kinabalu).
Last week, Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd (SAASB) chairman Kenny Chau walked back comments made several months ago that Sabah was likely to use SAASB to start its own passenger airline. "Perhaps it will be five years from now […]. That is why it’s a long-term plan," he told local outlets. Chau had previously said the Sabah government would use his state-owned general aviation business to start scheduled passenger flights as early as 2024 using three leased aircraft.
Chau's cautious tone is reportedly due to the recent collapse of MYAirline. He says it reinforces the need for any new startup to have a solid business case. "What happened to MYAirline was due to financial difficulties. That’s why we need a well-thought-out business plan.”
Chau also remains open to doing a deal...
07.11.2023 - 03:53 UTC
Delivery of the first A330-900Ns to Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur International) remains on track to start in September 2024, according to Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) Managing Director Izham Ismail. He also says Malaysia Airlines will issue a request for proposal (RFP) for 20 narrowbody aircraft in the first quarter of 2024 and warns he won't necessarily stick with the carrier's long-term narrowbody aircraft manufacturer.
Speaking at an aviation conference in Kuala Lumpur last week, Ismail confirmed the delivery timelines of the twenty A330-900Ns acquired through Avolon, and first announced in August 2022, remains largely unchanged. "If we stick to our long-term business plan until 2030, we should have at least 55 widebody aircraft by 2028," he said. According to ch-aviation fleets advanced data, Malaysia Airlines' passenger-configured widebody fleet now comprises six A330-200s, fifteen A330-300s, and six A350-900s. Ismail also confirmed that Malaysia Airlines had options to order another twenty A330-900Ns and was likely to decide on that in 2024.
In the same presentation, Ismail said he would...
