Comprehensive Business Overview of Malaysian Airline
Malaysian Airlines was founded in 1947 under the banner of Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB). Before transforming to Malaysian Airlines it underwent several transformations. It is functional from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) while operating both domestic and international. History of Malaysian Airlines dates back up to the post-World War II era when it was originally conceptualized as Malayan Airlines. British and Malayan businesses are its founders who worked to connect the region to all destinations. The first commercial flight was from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur on April 2, 1947. After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Malayan Airlines was renamed Malaysian Airways Limited. It later became Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). Later in 1972 it split into Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airline System (MAS), which eventually evolved into the current Malaysia Airlines Berhad. Its fleet comprises Airbus A350, A330, and Boeing 737 which serves over 50 destinations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania, offering seamless connectivity for travelers. Its frequent destinations include London, Tokyo, Sydney, and Dubai, alongside domestic cities like Penang and Kota Kinabalu.
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Malaysia Airlines User Base Growth (2020–2024)
The aviation industry in 2020 was brought to a standstill. Malaysia Airlines reported the lowest user base as international borders remained closed. Airlines in 2021, also faced minor improvements but still struggled financially. Recovery was reported in 2022, on the resumption of some international services. As many borders opened in 2023 recovery increase was reported as international demand increased, offering promotions and enhancing customer experience.
| Year | Estimated Passenger Numbers | Growth Rate | Key Factors Influencing Growth |
| 2020 | ~5 million | -75% (YoY) | Severe decline due to global travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2021 | ~4.5 million | -10% | Prolonged restrictions with limited domestic travel; slow recovery. |
| 2022 | ~8 million | +77% | Eased travel restrictions; increased domestic travel and early international flight resumption. |
| 2023 | ~12 million | +50% | Strong recovery fueled by pent-up demand for international travel. |
| 2024 | ~14 million | +17% | Near pre-pandemic levels; boosted by increased travel confidence and strategic initiatives. |
Malaysian Airline’s social media follower growth from 2020 to 2024
Across 18 key markets, Malaysia Airlines launched a single Facebook page in 2020 in 16 time zones to establish its global presence. In 2021, customer engagement was introduced through interactive content and timely updates, resulting in increased followership. In 2022, safety travel promotion was done through social media platforms, increasing follower count. In 2023, Marketing Excellence Awards 2023, was granted to Malaysia Airlines based on its industry events and marketing campaigns. In 2024, Facebook reported 4 million followers. Malaysian Airlines strategically enhanced its followers through digital marketing over the years. Malaysian Airlines social media followers have been summarised below:
| Year | Facebook Followers | Instagram Followers | Twitter Followers |
| 2020 | ~3 million | ~600,000 | ~500,000 |
| 2021 | ~3.2 million | ~650,000 | ~520,000 |
| 2022 | ~3.5 million | ~700,000 | ~550,000 |
| 2023 | ~3.8 million | ~750,000 | ~580,000 |
| 2024 | ~4 million | ~800,000 | ~600,000 |
Key operational highlights of Malaysia Airlines from 2020 to 2024:
Malaysian Airlines saw significant development from 2020 to 2024, this was facilitated by operational developments, including route expansions, financial recovery, and strategic initiatives. Market conditions and these developments helped Malaysia Airlines’ expand its network while achieving financial stability. Key operational highlights of Malaysia Airlines from 2020 to 2024 have been summarised below:
| Year | Operational Highlight | Details |
| 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic Response | The airline grounded most of its Boeing 737 aircraft and faced financial challenges due to travel restrictions. |
| 2021 | Cargo Operations and Repatriation Flights | Shifted focus to cargo services and conducted repatriation flights to transport stranded citizens and medical supplies. |
| 2022 | Financial Restructuring | Reported a net profit of RM 1.15 billion in Q4 2022, reducing the annual net loss to RM 344 million from RM 1.65 billion the previous year. |
| 2023 | Route Expansion to India | Launched new routes from Kuala Lumpur to Amritsar, Thiruvananthapuram, and Ahmedabad, enhancing connectivity between Malaysia and India. |
| 2023 | First Annual Profit in Over a Decade | Achieved a net profit of RM 766 million, marking the first annual profit since 2010, driven by strong demand and elevated airfares. |
| 2024 | Enhanced Connectivity to the Maldives | Recommended daily direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Malé, aiming to offer Australian travelers convenient access to the Maldives. |
| 2024 | Regulatory Challenges | The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia reduced the airline’s air operator certificate duration from three years to one year following an investigation into technical issues. |
Financial statistics of Malaysian Airlines from 2020 to 2024
Major downturn was faced by Malaysian Airline in 2020 with RM3.6 billion loss, which was influenced by pandemic restrictions across international borders. In 2021, weak financial positions were reported with a loss of RM2.6 billion. Further reductions in losses were observed in 2022 as travel restrictions were lifted. In 2023 net profitof RM 766 million was reported. This became the first profit since 2010. In 2024 growth trajectory continued with strong demand for destinations like Maldives and India.
| Year | Financial Metric | Amount (RM) | Details |
| 2020 | Net Loss | -3.6 billion | Malaysian Airlines suffered a significant loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and travel bans drastically reduced air travel demand. |
| 2021 | Net Loss | -2.6 billion | The airline continued to face financial hardship as global travel restrictions and low passenger volumes persisted. |
| 2022 | Net Loss | -344 million | A notable reduction in losses, as the airline began to recover with more domestic and regional flights being introduced in response to easing restrictions. |
| 2023 | Net Profit | +766 million | Achieved a net profit of RM 766 million, the first profit in over a decade, driven by a surge in demand and higher ticket prices. |
| 2023 | Operating Profit | +1.1 billion | Recorded an operating profit of RM1.1 billion, marking a strong recovery due to better operational management and rebounding travel demand. |
| 2024 | Profit Forecast | – | Expected to sustain profitability, with projections showing growth driven by expanded international routes and ongoing recovery in global travel. |
| 2024 | Revenues | – | Continued growth in revenue, largely driven by strong international travel, especially to key markets such as India and Australia. |
Passenger Traffic Trends (2020–2024):
Recovery in international travel was observed with increased international traffic from 30% in 2020 to 51.4% in the first half of 2024. Malaysia Airlines’ top market in mid-2023 was India where weekly flights were from India up to 25 to 55, serving six Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Chennai. Millennials and female travelers now prefer Malaysia Airlines’ as per demographic insights from India, in 2024. Frequent travelers are from high-income groups. Passenger traffic trends have been summarised below:
| Year | Total Passenger Traffic (millions) | Domestic Traffic Share | International Traffic Share |
| 2020 | 6.3 | 70% | 30% |
| 2021 | 7.5 | 65% | 35% |
| 2022 | 15.3 | 55% | 45% |
| 2023 | 40.4 | 50% | 50% |
| 2024 | 46.6 (1H) | 48.6% | 51.4% |
