Malaysia Airlines is reinstating some of its international flights from April to May for those who were not able to return to their loved ones due to travel restrictions in many parts of the world.

The national carrier’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Captain Izham Ismail said many customers from Malaysians to foreigners had reached out to their global offices requesting for flights mostly between Kuala Lumpur and Australia, KL – New Zealand as well KL – London.

“Being a network carrier, Malaysia Airlines is able to maintain connectivity and bring our customers direct or closest to their intended destination. And being Malaysia’s national carrier, it is our duty to ensure accessibility for Malaysia domestically and internationally during these difficult times,” he said in a statement.

Izham said since the enactment of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines has had to reduce the frequency of its domestic flights.

It is running at minimum mostly to facilitate essential travels and cargo movement.

“Together with our sister airlines under the Malaysia Aviation Group, we support the Health Ministry (MoH) with dedicated belly space across our domestic and international network and on MABkargo’s global freighter network for the transport of medical devices and supplies.

“Most recently we transported two tonnes of face masks and personal protection equipment from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu as well as 300,000 pieces of disposable masks, 50,000 pieces of protection suit and 8000 pieces of protection suit with eye mask courtesy of the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation from Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur,” added Izham.

He said that in the next few days, MABkargo will be flying in more than 10 million pieces of masks and ventilators from Shanghai and Guangzhou.

This is made possible by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), the Transport Ministry and, Pharmaniaga Berhad, he informed.

He added that domestically, Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and MASwings will facilitate movement of goods as well as medical staff across Peninsular Malaysia, crossing between the peninsula to Sabah and Sarawak, as well as within the two East Malaysian states.

“The three airlines have also positioned standby aircraft at Subang Airport, KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) and KKIA (Kota Kinabalu International Airport) to initiate rapid mobilisation of medical staff and professionals as well as other (non-Covid-19) patients to support MoH’s capacity/resource management efforts across Malaysia.”