Latest news with #Dersenish
The Star
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
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.
The Sun
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Malaysia Airlines – confident on tourism growth, mindful of headwinds
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines is confident on the continued recovery of tourism in 2025 and beyond, supported by stronger consumer confidence, greater mobility and improved economic conditions. However, the airline remains cautious, as rising tariffs, inflationary trends and global supply chain disruptions are expected to exert ongoing pressure on its operational costs. Malaysia Aviation Group chief commercial officer of airlines Dersenish Aresandiran said as a premium carrier, Malaysia Airlines is focused on delivering a compelling product offering that supports long-term growth. This includes ongoing fleet modernisation, enhanced passenger comfort and an overall improved travel experience. 'We are committed to ensuring network accessibility, offering flexible fare options and strengthening customer engagement through our Enrich loyalty programme and lifestyle integrations,' he told SunBiz. Dersenish said enhancing partnerships with government stakeholders to boost incentives for domestic travel, particularly during peak travel periods, remains a critical strategy. He noted that as the national carrier, Malaysia Airlines is working closely with Tourism Malaysia in supporting the goals of Visit Malaysia 2026 in strengthening air connectivity across the country and enriching the domestic tourism landscape. 'In tandem, we are actively working with state tourism bodies, including Sarawak Tourism Board, to support events such as the Rainforest World Music Festival, and Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) to continue positioning Langkawi as a top-tier domestic destination. These collaborations reinforce our commitment to growing Malaysia's domestic tourism ecosystem and supporting regional economic development,' he said. Malaysia Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) to put in place promotional activities. 'Building on past festive season initiatives that boosted travel through subsidies, promotions and targeted discounts, there is strong potential to formalise and expand these partnerships. 'By working closely with tourism boards, regional governments and related ministries, new incentive schemes such as travel vouchers, accommodation subsidies and special fare promotions can be developed. 'These initiatives would not only stimulate higher domestic travel demand during high-traffic periods but also support broader national tourism recovery goals, promote regional economic activity, and strengthen public-private sector cooperation in the travel and aviation industries,' Dersenish said. The airline has seen increased domestic airport arrivals (+6.1%), validating the importance of maintaining and optimising intra-Malaysia routes. Among the destinations that recorded significant year-on-year increases in passenger load factors from Kuala Lumpur are Bintulu (+11%), Langkawi Tawau, and Sandakan (+9%), Miri and Penang (+8%), Alor Setar, Kota Bharu, Kuantan, and Sibu (+7%), Kuching, Kuala Terengganu and Labuan (+6%), and Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu (+4%). Meanwhile, sister airline Firefly saw its domestic passenger load factors increase by more than 6% in 2024 versus 2023, driven by key routes such as from Subang to Penang and Johor Bahru. In terms of increased capacity, the top domestic routes that saw an increase in available seat kilometres (ASK) year-on-year are Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu (+19%) and Johor Bahru (+10%) by Malaysia Airlines, and from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau (+77%) and from Kuching to Tawau (+33%) by Firefly, respectively. Dersenish said Malaysia Airlines has strengthened its network connectivity, particularly to high-demand coastal and beach destinations, reflecting the growing interest in these routes. In addition, the airline has ramped up its marketing efforts to promote domestic tourism through the 'Bonus Side Trip' programme which includes seven key destinations: Alor Setar, Langkawi, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan and Penang. This initiative supports Malaysia's economic growth while contributing to the broader ambitions of Visit Malaysia Year 2026. Touching on fleet modernisation and expansion, Dersenish said Malaysia Airlines' commitment to modernise its fleet is underscored by the recent orders for the Boeing 737-8 and 737-10 aircraft under the second phase of its narrow-body replacement programme. He added that this investment will enhance fuel efficiency, reliability and the overall passenger experience. 'The 737-8, which has been in service with Malaysia Airlines since 2023, marks the beginning of our narrow-body fleet renewal. Additionally, we are upgrading some key domestic flights, including services to East Malaysia, by introducing wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft during peak times to increase capacity and enhance cargo capabilities,' Dersenish said. Malaysia Airlines remains committed to supporting national connectivity and affordability. During major festive seasons, Dersenish said, the government deploys subsidised fixed-fare promotions to ensure travel remains accessible to all Malaysians. 'Meanwhile, we are enhancing Firefly's connectivity from Subang with over 2,100 weekly flights to eight destinations, including Kota Kinabalu and Kuching,' he added.
