Malaysia Airlines and Google deepen strategic commercial partnership to drive travel innovation
Qureshi (left) and Dersenish (right) flanked by Malaysia Airlines cabin crew during the partnership ceremony. The partnership highlights Malaysia Airlines' drive to lead aviation's digital shift while boosting customer experience and tourism.
MALAYSIA AIRLINES and Google have announced the expansion of their strategic commercial partnership, strengthening their shared ambition to redefine travel through artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, and innovative digital experiences.
Building on a successful collaboration since 2024, the renewed partnership marks a significant step forward in Malaysia Airlines' digital transformation journey.
The focus now shifts from consumer showcases to deeper integration of AI-powered marketing and end-to-end digital innovation across the airline's ecosystem.
As part of this ongoing partnership, Malaysia Airlines and Google most recently unveiled an AI showcase at the recent Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair to bring Malaysia Airlines signature campaign 'Time For' to life.
The showcase featured an on-ground pilot of Veo, Google's image-to-video generation technology.
This interactive experience allowed visitors to bring their favourite travel memories to life using Google's state-of-the-art video generation tool – simply by uploading a photo and watching it transform into a dynamic video, ready to be shared across social platforms.
The activation underscored both partners' commitment to pushing the boundaries of personalised and immersive travel engagement.
At the core of this partnership is a mutual commitment to elevating the traveller journey.
Google Gemini's advanced AI capabilities will power next-generation personalisation across multiple customer touchpoints, aligning with Malaysia Airlines' ambition to become the gateway to Asia and support Malaysia's broader goals as a regional aviation and tourism hub, in line with Visit Malaysia 2026.
'This is about transforming how we connect with our customers — from inspiration to booking, to every interaction across the journey.
'By leveraging Google's advanced technology and global expertise, we're unlocking new opportunities, enhancing the travel experience, and reinforcing Malaysia's appeal as a world-class tourism destination.
'This partnership reinforces our commitment to supporting the goals of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 by positioning Malaysia as the gateway to Asia and beyond,' said Malaysia Aviation Group chief commercial officer (airlines business) Dersenish Aresandiran.
The partnership introduced an AI-powered experience using Google's Veo image-to-video tech, highlighting immersive engagement potential.
The partnership is now formalised under a bold new Joint Business Plan, closely aligned with Malaysia Airlines' commercial growth strategy and brand aspirations. Key focus areas include:
> AI-powered performance marketing: Leveraging Google's Performance Max and AI enhanced Search tools to drive smarter, data-led marketing outcomes.
> Global brand building via YouTube: Launching targeted campaigns in the UK, ANZ, Japan, and key ASEAN markets to grow international brand affinity.
> Agile innovation culture: Embedding a 'test and learn' mindset to accelerate innovation across the customer journey.
> First-party data activation: Unlocking deeper customer insights to drive loyalty through Enrich and premium cabin offerings.
Google Malaysia country director Farhan Qureshi said, 'Our collaboration with Malaysia Airlines showcases how technology and creativity can converge to transform travel at scale.
'Together, we're pushing boundaries to deliver more relevant, intuitive, and engaging experiences for travellers worldwide.'
This expanded partnership underscores Malaysia Airlines' commitment to digital excellence, leveraging AI to streamline operations, personalise services, and create a seamless, customer-centric travel ecosystem.
It also reflects a broader ambition to lead innovation in the aviation industry while supporting national tourism growth.
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