Malaysia Airlines slashes 416 flights to Kuching amid major service reductions

KUCHING: Malaysia Airlines has announced significant operational changes that will impact both domestic and international routes for the remainder of 2024.

These adjustments, which took effect on Sept 1, include a substantial reduction in the total number of flights, with domestic routes facing the most significant cuts.

One of the most affected routes is Kuala Lumpur to Kuching, where a total of 416 flights have been cancelled between now and December.

Malaysia Airlines in a statement said that from Sept 1 to Oct 6, they will reduce domestic flights by approximately 29.5 per cent, with a corresponding capacity reduction of nearly 30 per cent.

The Kuala Lumpur to Kuching route, in particular, will see a decrease from 443 flights to 283, representing a cut of 160 flights during this period.

Other major domestic routes, including Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Penang, and Langkawi, will also experience significant reductions.

The cuts will become even more pronounced from Oct 27 to Dec 31, with domestic flights facing a 40 per cent reduction.

During this period, flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching will drop from 516 to 260, further emphasising the extensive scale of these operational adjustments.

International flights are also being scaled back, albeit to a lesser extent, with around an 8 per cent reduction in the number of flights and a 10.2 per cent decrease in seating capacity.

Key affected international routes include Kuala Lumpur to Seoul Incheon, which will see a reduction from 112 flights to 70, and Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, where flights will drop from 141 to 132 between Oct 27 and Dec 31.

“Additional changes for the period of Oct 27 to Dec 31 may occur in the next few weeks,” the statement added.