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Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Aviation market: India is ‘interesting' and key to growth, says Malaysia Airlines; aims to be core service link without domestic JV
Malaysia Airlines Berhad sees India as an 'interesting' and high-potential market and wants to be accepted as one of the country's core service providers connecting it to the rest of the world, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group Berhad, Izham bin Ismail has said. The Southeast Asian premium carrier, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, operates 77 flights per week across 10 Indian destinations and counts India as its top revenue generator, ahead of Australia and the UK. It carried 1.3 million inbound and outbound passengers in the first half of 2025, contributing about 11 per cent to its revenue and 20 per cent of its passenger volumes. 'I see the urbanisation rate of India at 40 per cent, with middle-class income earners rising, comfortable disposable incomes, a GDP of 6.5 per cent, 1.4 billion people and nearly 100 airports. India is a really interesting market,' Ismail told PTI. 'We wish to capitalise on the rapid economic growth of India, but we are not an India-based airline. We wish that India accepts us as one of the core service providers that connects India to the rest of the world. ' He indicated that Malaysia Airlines intends to remain a foreign airline in the Indian market rather than forming a joint venture or becoming an Indian carrier. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Donating Sperm May Boost Your Income SpellRock Undo 'Why should I go to somebody's home and create havoc? I would rather visit from time to time and be friends than try to build a house in your compound. While some companies expand that way, we believe in deep partnerships,' he said. Stating that his airline is not evaluating any new destinations this year in India, he said there might be some in 2026, adding that "predominantly our target 2026-2027 onwards is seats capacity. " "We are watching the marketplaces like Jaipur and all that. The team is evaluating. So the strategy now is increasing frequency. A lot of airlines have products in food, cabin, in-flight entertainment and many others, but the other product that we must really not forget is frequency and connectivity," he said. Malaysia Airlines, which collaborates with codeshare partners including IndiGo, operates across 900 destinations in 170 territories worldwide. IndiGo remains its strongest partner in India, though the carrier also works with Air India. Ismail said Malaysia Airlines is strong in connecting India with Australia and New Zealand and offers a hub through Kuala Lumpur to China, which currently lacks direct air connectivity with India. The carrier plans to increase flights to 80 per week from December 1. Its focus for 2026–2027 will be on seat capacity growth rather than adding new Indian destinations this year, though markets like Jaipur are under evaluation. 'The strategy now is increasing frequency. A lot of airlines have products in food, cabin and in-flight entertainment, but we must not forget frequency and connectivity,' he said, quoted PTI. Ismail also stressed that Malaysia Airlines balances fleet expansion with customer experience investment. 'We have invested a lot in food, cabin services and ordering new planes. You don't splash money to buy aeroplanes — you invest where it matters most, which is our customer,' he said. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
India a key market, aiming to be core service provider: Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines Berhad aims to be accepted as one of India's core international service providers, according to the Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group Berhad, Izham bin Ismail. Ismail told news agency PTI that the Southeast Asian premium carrier will continue to operate as a foreign airline, steering clear of forming a joint venture or becoming part of India's domestic aviation sector. Pointing to strong growth potential, Ismail told PTI, 'I see the urbanisation rate of India is 40 per cent, with middle-class income earners increasing and people having a comfortable, disposable income. A GDP of 6.5 per cent, with 1.4 billion people and nearly 100 airports. India is a really interesting market.' India is currently Malaysia Airlines' top revenue generator, ahead of Australia and the UK. The airline operates 77 flights a week to and from 10 Indian destinations, a figure that the company aims to increase to 80 by December this year. In the first half of 2025 alone, the airline transported 1.3 million passengers on Indian routes, representing 11 per cent of total revenue and 20 per cent of passenger volumes. Globally, with codeshare partners such as IndiGo, the Kuala Lumpur-based airline connects to 900 destinations in 170 territories. He added that the airline wishes to capitalise on India's rapid economic progress, even though it is 'not an India-based airline,' and would like to be part of '10 or 15 per cent of that journey.' Malaysia Airlines partners closely with IndiGo and also works with Air India, though it leverages the former more heavily. This collaborative expansion mirrors a growing trend among foreign carriers in India. Malaysia Airlines' codeshare deal with IndiGo allows access to smaller markets, akin to how other airlines have historically used partnership models to penetrate India's aviation landscape, without engaging in joint ventures or direct domestic operations. When asked about the possibility of entering India's domestic market, Ismail said, 'Why should I go to somebody's home and create havoc to a certain extent? I would rather visit you from time to time. And I would rather be friends with you rather than trying to build a house in your compound.' The airline is focusing on boosting customer experience—through food, cabin services, and in-flight entertainment—while making selective aircraft purchases. 'You don't splash money to buy aeroplanes. You invest at the right place where it matters most, which is our customer,' he said. No new Indian destinations are planned for 2025, though cities like Jaipur are under review for 2026. For now, Malaysia Airlines is prioritising seat capacity and frequency as key competitive products alongside onboard amenities. Malaysia Airlines has already expanded its Indian footprint with new routes to Amritsar, Thiruvananthapuram, and Ahmedabad since November 2023, and it continues to modernise its fleet with Airbus A330neo aircraft and enabling smoother transits through value-add offerings like the 'Bonus Side Trip' programme.
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
India an 'interesting market', looks to become core service provider, says Malaysia Airlines
Synopsis Malaysia Airlines sees India as a top revenue generator and aims to be a core service provider connecting the country globally, focusing on its economic growth. The airline prioritizes partnerships and customer experience over forming a local joint venture or aggressive fleet expansion. Agencies Malaysia Airlines India is an "interesting" market for Malaysia Airlines Berhad and the carrier is looking for its acceptance as one of the core service providers that connects the country to the rest of the world, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group Berhad, Izham bin Ismail has also hinted that the South-east premium carrier would continue to operate in the Indian market as a foreign airline rather than forming any joint venture and becoming an Indian carrier and a part of the domestic aviation is the top revenue generator for Malaysia Airlines, which operates 77 flights per week to and from 10 destinations in the country, followed by Australia and the UK, he the Kualalampur-headquartered Malaysia Airlines operates, in collaboration with its codeshare partners including IndiGo, across 900 destinations spanning 170 territories."I see the urbanisation rate of India is 40 per cent where middle-class income earners are increasing with people having a comfortable, disposable income. A GDP of 6.5 per cent, of 1.4 billion people with nearly 100 airports that India has. India is a really interesting market," Ismail said in an interaction with PTI. The economic turnaround that the country is depicting is showcasing itself, he said, adding, "we wish to capitalize on the rapid economic growth of India, but we are not. We are not an India-based airline. However, we wish that India accepts us as one of core service providers that connects India to the rest of the world."."We see India as a very dynamic country and we want to be part of that journey of its growth and ambition. We know that we are not an India-based airline, but, at least, we would like to be part of 10 or 15 per cent of that journey," Ismail that the two countries are bilaterally strong as well, he said, "So, it doesn't stop Malaysia Airlines to be the ambassador on wings to connect Malaysia and India." IndiGo is a strong partner to Malaysia Airlines, though it does have a good share with Air India (as well) but it leverages more on the former, he said that Malaysia Airlines is very strong in connecting India with Australia and New Zealand and that it has surplus network flow to China, which currently does not have direct air connectivity with India."So we have a hub through Kuala Lumpur to China and we have strong partners," he emphasised."India, by ranking, is our top revenue generator, followed by Australia and the United Kingdom. In India, during the first half of 2025, we transported 1.3 million customers inbound and outbound. And that contributes about 11 per cent of our revenue, and 20 per cent in our passenger volumes," he said that Malaysia Airlines will be operating 80 flights per day by December 1 this year, from 77 flights per week at asked if he was looking for a partnership similar to other Southeast Asian airlines, which initially formed a JV with an Indian carrier to start airline business in India but later were merged with them, he said, "Why should I go to somebody's home and create havoc to a certain extent? I would rather visit you from time to time. And I would rather be friends with you rather than trying to build a house in your compound, right? So while it is an expansion strategy of some companies, but (at) Malaysia Airlines, we believe in a deep partnership," Ismail that Malaysia Airlines believes in striking a balance between buying planes and investing in delivering the best-in-class customer experience rather than dump all the money into the fleet acquisition, he said, "We have invested a lot on customer experience, food, cabin services, and we are ordering new planes. So we believe very strongly in working with partners, airline partners." "So you don't splash money to buy aeroplanes. You invest at the right place where it matters most, which is our customer," he that his airline is not evaluating any new destinations this year in India, he said there might be some in 2026, adding that "predominantly our target 2026-2027 onwards is seats capacity. " "We are watching the marketplaces like Jaipur and all that. The team is evaluating. So the strategy now is increasing frequency. A lot of airlines have products in food, cabin, in-flight entertainment and many others, but the other product that we must really not forget is frequency and connectivity," he said.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
India top market for Malaysia Air, eyeing non-metros: Group MD
MUMBAI: India has emerged as the single biggest market for Malaysia Airlines Berhad and the carrier has added capacity in this market by pulling out its flights from the Asean and domestic networks. Currently operating 77 weekly flights to 10 cities in India, the airline has flown 13 lakh people in & out of the country in the first half of this calendar year. It will raise the frequency to 80 weekly flights this Dec and then add more next year. "India is the top market for us in terms of both revenue and passenger numbers among the 24 countries and 67 territories that we fly to. Australia and Europe are the second and third biggest markets for us after India," Izham bin Ismail, group MD of Malaysia Aviation Group Berhad, told TOI. With the flying rights to metros exhausted under the existing India-Malaysia bilaterals, the airline plans to add flights to the non metros here next year as it sees a lot of traffic potential from there too. "India is a very important market to us. And we intend to grow (in) India in the future. We are evaluating other non-metro cities where we could deploy. We have also been increasing frequency on some India routes. We have a code share with IndiGo that helps passengers connect to their domestic network," Ismail, who had joined the airline as a pilot in 1979, and then rose through the ranks, said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like We Ranked the Richest Celebrity Couples in the World BigGlobalTravel Undo He sees India as a "very promising" market with travel demands from all quarters like leisure, premium and visiting friends and relatives. "The Indian economy is growing at a truly impressive pace. Urbanisation here is on the rise. Indian carriers have over 2,000 aircraft on order. Middle class income here is growing. We see the Indian population predominantly has very stable disposable income," he said. "So, we put more capacity into India by sacrificing our capacity into Asean & domestic Malaysia. We redirected those capacities to India. I am glad we took a bet on India at the right time," he said. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .
