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 Malaysia Airlines Boeing 747-400 (9M-MPK) |
 The nose of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 747-400 (9M-MPN) |
Malaysia Airlines is the national airline of Malaysia. It serves both international and domestic destinations.
Malaysia Airlines began in 1947 as Malayan Airways but was renamed Malaysian Airways following the creation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. Following the independence of Singapore from Malaysia, it was renamed Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) in 1966. MSA ceased operations in 1972 after the formation of two separate entities - Malaysian Airline System (MAS) and Singapore Airlines. From 1987 the name Malaysia Airlines has been used.
MAS flies to numerous destinations in Asia, Australasia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa and South America. It was the first airline in Southeast Asia to fly to Johannesburg in South Africa, following the demise of apartheid.
Today, Malaysia Airlines flies Boeing 747, Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 equipment for its medium to long haul international routes, while the Boeing 737 is often used for shorter international destinations and domestic flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the airline's base. Malaysia Airlines has recently signed a deal for 6 Airbus 380s, and has expressed interest in purchasing the new Boeing 7E7 Dreamliners.
In spite of enormous financial difficulties during the 1997 economic crisis, requiring the government to renationalise the airline, quality has consistently been excellent and it is considered to be one of the very best airlines in the world, rated 4th in the world and winning the Best Cabin Crew Award from Skytrax again in 2004 for the fourth consecutive year. Female flight attendants are famous for their baju kebaya uniforms. Passengers enjoy fine Malaysian cuisine. It is one of the few airlines that provides personal LCD monitors for inflight entertainment even in Economy class. It has been rated as a four-star airline by Skytrax. The airline also has a reputation of producing world class pilots.
The airline is currently in the progress of embarking a cabin refurbishment in their front end cabins on aircraft deployed on long hauls, namely their B747-400s and B777-200ERs. Their new products put them back on par with many airlines in the top league of this competitive industry. New uniforms will also be introduced for cabin crews as well as enhanced onboard catering.
List of Aircraft
List of Destinations
Main article: Malaysia Airlines destinations
Other facts
- Malaysia Airlines is the only Asian airline to offer services to Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires.
- Malaysia Airlines flies to over 100 destinations across six continents.
- Malaysia Airlines' headquarters are located straight ahead from one of the runways at Kuala Lumpur's international airport.
- Its IATA designator is MH.
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