Malaysia Aviation Group Accelerates Growth with New Routes, Added Frequencies and Elevated In-Flight Experience

Business

Malaysia Aviation Group Accelerates Growth with New Routes, Added Frequencies and Elevated In-Flight Experience

2025-09-06 17:07 Last Updated At：17:25

Malaysia Airlines resumes flights to Chengdu from January 2026
Firefly to launch new services to Krabi, Siem Reap and Cebu from November 2025
Increased frequencies across ASEAN, South Asia, China, Australia and New Zealand to strengthen connectivity
Introduction of Malaysia Airlines' first vegetarian satay, expanding menu variety for passengers

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) today unveiled significant enhancements to its network and product offering, reinforcing the Group's growth strategy and commitment to delivering greater connectivity and elevated travel experiences across its airlines. With new routes, added frequencies, and innovative in-flight dining, MAG continues to build momentum as it strengthens its regional presence while charting Malaysia Airlines' journey towards becoming one of the world's Top 10 global airlines by 2030.

Malaysia Airlines will commence daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) beginning 9 January 2026, bringing the airline's network in Greater China to seven destinations. This expansion reinforces its presence in one of the region's fastest-growing markets for both business and leisure travel. The airline currently operates flights to Beijing (PKX), Shanghai (PVG), Guangzhou (CAN), Xiamen (XMN), Hong Kong (HKG), and Taipei (TPE).

Meanwhile, Firefly will launch new jet services to Krabi (KBV), Siem Reap (SAI) and Cebu (CEB) from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) Terminal 1 from November 2025 onwards. These additions strengthen Firefly's role in enhancing regional connectivity, providing travellers with seamless access to popular destinations across ASEAN, while supporting both tourism and business travel.

Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said, "With these new routes and expanded frequencies, MAG is strengthening its role as the gateway to Asia and beyond, making it easier for travellers to discover top destinations across the region and further afield. At the same time, we remain focused on delivering a premium in-flight experience that reflects our commitment to Malaysian Hospitality. Innovations such as our new vegetarian satay is just one example of how we continue to innovate while staying true to our heritage, offering more variety to meet evolving customer expectations. With the networks we are expanding, the products we are enhancing, and the people driving these efforts, Malaysia Aviation Group is ready to meet the future with confidence and deliver value for our customers and our nation."

Complementing its network expansion, Malaysia Airlines has introduced a vegetarian satay made from tender Lion's Mane mushroom, available for Business Suite and Business Class passengers on selected sectors. Infused with the airline's signature marinade and served with cucumber and raw onion, this plant-based bites delivers the same rich flavour as the traditional satay while offering a wholesome alternative for vegetarian travellers.

In addition to new routes, Malaysia Airlines and Firefly will also increase frequencies across their network beginning October 2025. Malaysia Airlines is adding more services to Australia, New Zealand, China, India, the Maldives, and Bangladesh, while Firefly is boosting domestic and regional connectivity to Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang, and Johor Bahru. These enhancements give travellers greater choice and flexibility, supporting tourism, trade, and stronger people-to-people ties across Asia and beyond.

These network expansions are underpinned by MAG's ongoing fleet modernisation strategy. The introduction of the A330neo on select Australia and New Zealand routes is a significant step forward, offering state-of-the-art comfort, improved fuel efficiency, and an elevated in-flight experience. By the first quarter of 2026, Malaysia Airlines will operate the youngest widebody fleet into Australasia, a milestone that underscores both the Group's sustainability agenda and its commitment to delivering service excellence with the signature warmth of Malaysian Hospitality.

As the returning Official Airline Partner and Premier Sponsor of MATTA Fair 2025, MAG is transforming this September's edition into its most dynamic showcase yet through the MAG Arena, which reimagines more than 70 booths into a futuristic travel experience. Building on the success of April's edition, the MAG Arena will spotlight Malaysia Airlines' and Firefly's networks and cabin products, cutting-edge digital innovations including AI-powered hospitality, exclusive meet-and-greet sessions with global and local sports icons, and rewarding offers for visitors throughout the three-day Fair held at MITEC Kuala Lumpur.

Appendix 1 – New Routes and Frequencies

Airline	Route	Frequency	Open for Sale Date	Inaugural Flight Date
Malaysia Airlines	KUL/Chengdu (TFU) vv	7x weekly (Mon-Sun)	5 Sep 2025	9 Jan 2026
Firefly	KUL/Krabi (KBV) vv	7x weekly (Mon-Sun)		17 Nov 2025
	KUL/Siem Reap (SAI) vv	3x weekly (Tue, Thu, Sat)		27 Nov 2025
	KUL/Cebu (CEB) vv	5x weekly (Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun)		2 Dec 2025

Appendix 2 – Malaysia Airlines' Additional Frequencies

Region	Route	Frequency (Before Increase)	Frequency (After Increase)	Effective Date
Australia and New Zealand	KUL/ Adelaide (ADL) vv	5x weekly	7x weekly	1 Feb 2026
	KUL/Perth (PER) vv	12x weekly	14x weekly	1 Dec 2025
	KUL/Melbourne (MEL) vv	18x weekly	21x weekly	30 Oct 2025
	KUL/Sydney (SYD) vv	18x weekly	21x weekly	31 Oct 2025
	KUL/Auckland (AKL) vv	8x weekly	10x weekly	26 Oct 2025
East Asia / China	KUL/Xiamen (XMN) vv	3x weekly	4x weekly	1 Nov 2025
South Asia	KUL/Trivandrum (TRV) vv	5x weekly	7x weekly	1 Dec 2025
	KUL/Ahmedabad (AMD) vv	4x weekly	5x weekly	26 Oct 2025
	KUL/Maldives (MLE) vv	7x weekly	11x weekly	26 Oct 2025
	KUL/Dhaka (DAC) vv	14x weekly	21x weekly	5 Nov 2025

Appendix 3 – Firefly's Additional Frequencies

Route	Frequency (Before Increase)	Frequency (After Increase)	Effective Date
KUL/Singapore (SIN) vv	3x weekly	7x weekly	22 Aug 2025
KUL/Johor Bahru (JHB) vv	4x weekly	7x weekly	23 Aug 2025
KUL/Kelantan (KBR) vv	4x weekly	7x weekly	30 Aug 2025
KUL/Penang (PEN) vv	7x weekly	10x weekly	26 Aug 2025
KUL/Kota Kinabalu (BKI) vv	7x weekly	14x weekly	21 Aug 2025
KUL/Kuching (KCH) vv	8x weekly	11x weekly	21 Aug 2025
KUL/Terengganu (TGG) vv	3x weekly	7x weekly	30 Aug 2025
KUL/Sibu (SBW) vv	2x weekly	3x weekly	3 Sept 2025
Penang (PEN) /Langkawi (LGK) vv	8x weekly	10x weekly	1 Jan 2026
Subang (SZB)/Johor Bahru (JHB) vv	21x weekly	26x weekly	1 Dec 2025
Subang (SZB)/Penang (PEN) vv	35x weekly	42x weekly	1 Dec 2025

About Malaysia Aviation Group

Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) is a global aviation organisation comprising three core business portfolios: Airlines, Loyalty & Travel Services, and Aviation Services.

The Airlines portfolio serves global, domestic, and segmented markets through Malaysia Airlines – the national carrier; Firefly and MASwings – regional airlines focused on connecting communities across Malaysia; and Amal by Malaysia Airlines – the leading one-stop pilgrimage travel solutions centre.

The Aviation Services portfolio offers a full suite of capabilities, including maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), cargo and logistics, ground handling, and training. This includes MAB Engineering; MASkargo – a one- stop cargo and logistics provider; AeroDarat Services – a comprehensive ground handling solutions provider; and MAB Academy – a centre of excellence for aviation and hospitality training.

The Loyalty & Travel Services portfolio delivers end-to-end travel solutions and loyalty programmes, strengthening MAG's core expertise in airline and aviation services. It includes Journify – an integrated digital platform offering travel and lifestyle experiences; Enrich – Malaysia Airlines' award-winning travel and lifestyle loyalty programme; and MHholidays – the Group's dedicated flight and hotel package platform.

With its clear business portfolios, MAG is committed to realising its vision of becoming Asia's Leading Travel and Aviation Services Group by delivering exceptional customer experiences, nurturing a culture that empowers its people, and ensuring sustainable, profitable growth.

For more information, visit www.malaysiaaviationgroup.com.my

Issued by Group Communications, Malaysia Aviation Group.

Malaysia Airlines resumes flights to Chengdu from January 2026
Firefly to launch new services to Krabi, Siem Reap and Cebu from November 2025
Increased frequencies across ASEAN, South Asia, China, Australia and New Zealand to strengthen connectivity
Introduction of Malaysia Airlines' first vegetarian satay, expanding menu variety for passengers

Appendix 1 – New Routes and Frequencies

Airline

Route

Frequency

Open for Sale Date

Inaugural Flight

Date

Malaysia

Airlines

KUL/Chengdu (TFU)

7x weekly

(Mon-Sun)

5 Sep 2025

9 Jan 2026

Firefly

KUL/Krabi (KBV) vv

7x weekly

(Mon-Sun)

17 Nov 2025

KUL/Siem Reap

(SAI) vv

3x weekly

(Tue, Thu, Sat)

27 Nov 2025

KUL/Cebu (CEB) vv

5x weekly (Tue, Wed, Thu,

Sat, Sun)

2 Dec 2025

Appendix 2 – Malaysia Airlines' Additional Frequencies

Region	Route	Frequency (Before Increase)	Frequency (After Increase)	Effective Date
Australia and New Zealand	KUL/ Adelaide (ADL) vv	5x weekly	7x weekly	1 Feb 2026
	KUL/Perth (PER) vv	12x weekly	14x weekly	1 Dec 2025
	KUL/Melbourne (MEL) vv	18x weekly	21x weekly	30 Oct 2025
	KUL/Sydney (SYD) vv	18x weekly	21x weekly	31 Oct 2025
	KUL/Auckland (AKL) vv	8x weekly	10x weekly	26 Oct 2025
East Asia / China	KUL/Xiamen (XMN) vv	3x weekly	4x weekly	1 Nov 2025
South Asia	KUL/Trivandrum (TRV) vv	5x weekly	7x weekly	1 Dec 2025
	KUL/Ahmedabad (AMD) vv	4x weekly	5x weekly	26 Oct 2025
	KUL/Maldives (MLE) vv	7x weekly	11x weekly	26 Oct 2025
	KUL/Dhaka (DAC) vv	14x weekly	21x weekly	5 Nov 2025

Region

Route

Frequency

(Before

Increase)

Frequency

(After

Increase)

Effective Date

Australia and

New Zealand

KUL/ Adelaide

(ADL) vv

5x weekly

7x weekly

1 Feb 2026

KUL/Perth (PER) vv

12x weekly

14x weekly

1 Dec 2025

KUL/Melbourne

(MEL) vv

18x weekly

21x weekly

30 Oct 2025

KUL/Sydney (SYD)

18x weekly

21x weekly

31 Oct 2025

KUL/Auckland (AKL)

8x weekly

10x weekly

26 Oct 2025

East Asia /

China

KUL/Xiamen (XMN)

3x weekly

4x weekly

1 Nov 2025

South Asia

KUL/Trivandrum

(TRV) vv

5x weekly

7x weekly

1 Dec 2025

KUL/Ahmedabad

(AMD) vv

4x weekly

5x weekly

26 Oct 2025

KUL/Maldives

(MLE) vv

7x weekly

11x weekly

26 Oct 2025

KUL/Dhaka (DAC)

14x weekly

21x weekly

5 Nov 2025

Appendix 3 – Firefly's Additional Frequencies

Route	Frequency (Before Increase)	Frequency (After Increase)	Effective Date
KUL/Singapore (SIN) vv	3x weekly	7x weekly	22 Aug 2025
KUL/Johor Bahru (JHB) vv	4x weekly	7x weekly	23 Aug 2025
KUL/Kelantan (KBR) vv	4x weekly	7x weekly	30 Aug 2025
KUL/Penang (PEN) vv	7x weekly	10x weekly	26 Aug 2025
KUL/Kota Kinabalu (BKI) vv	7x weekly	14x weekly	21 Aug 2025
KUL/Kuching (KCH) vv	8x weekly	11x weekly	21 Aug 2025
KUL/Terengganu (TGG) vv	3x weekly	7x weekly	30 Aug 2025
KUL/Sibu (SBW) vv	2x weekly	3x weekly	3 Sept 2025
Penang (PEN) /Langkawi (LGK) vv	8x weekly	10x weekly	1 Jan 2026
Subang (SZB)/Johor Bahru (JHB) vv	21x weekly	26x weekly	1 Dec 2025
Subang (SZB)/Penang (PEN) vv	35x weekly	42x weekly	1 Dec 2025

Route

Frequency

(Before Increase)

Frequency

(After Increase)

Effective Date

KUL/Singapore (SIN)

3x weekly

7x weekly

22 Aug 2025

KUL/Johor Bahru (JHB)

4x weekly

7x weekly

23 Aug 2025

KUL/Kelantan (KBR) vv

4x weekly

7x weekly

30 Aug 2025

KUL/Penang (PEN) vv

7x weekly

10x weekly

26 Aug 2025

KUL/Kota Kinabalu

(BKI) vv

7x weekly

14x weekly

21 Aug 2025

KUL/Kuching (KCH) vv

8x weekly

11x weekly

21 Aug 2025

KUL/Terengganu (TGG)

3x weekly

7x weekly

30 Aug 2025

KUL/Sibu (SBW) vv

2x weekly

3x weekly

3 Sept 2025

Penang (PEN)

/Langkawi (LGK) vv

8x weekly

10x weekly

1 Jan 2026

Subang (SZB)/Johor

Bahru (JHB) vv

21x weekly

26x weekly

1 Dec 2025

Subang (SZB)/Penang

(PEN) vv

35x weekly

42x weekly

About Malaysia Aviation Group

Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) is a global aviation organisation comprising three core business portfolios: Airlines, Loyalty & Travel Services, and Aviation Services.

For more information, visit www.malaysiaaviationgroup.com.my

Issued by Group Communications, Malaysia Aviation Group.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

IBM Introduces New Software to Address Growing Digital Sovereignty Imperative

Purpose-built to enable organizations to deploy their own secured, compliant and automated environments for AI-ready sovereign workloads

ARMONK, N.Y., Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced IBM Sovereign Core, the industry's first AI-ready sovereign-enabled software for enterprises, governments and service providers to build, deploy and manage AI-ready sovereign environments. Organizations around the world are facing a growing imperative to exercise control over their technology infrastructure. Driven by evolving regulatory requirements, and the need for auditable governance, enterprises and governments are seeking self-managed environments where they maintain complete operational authority, particularly as they deploy AI workloads that amplify sovereignty concerns.

Digital sovereignty goes beyond data residency. It encompasses who operates and controls the technology environment, how data is accessed and governed, where workloads execute, and under whose jurisdiction AI models run. Yet most organizations lack a destination to land, modernize, and re-host applications under sovereign control, including applications that will incorporate AI capabilities, and have continuous compliance reporting capabilities. "Gartner® predicts that more than 75% of all enterprises will have a digital sovereignty strategy by 2030, often sovereign cloud strategies¹."

"Businesses are facing growing pressure to innovate while meeting tightening regulatory requirements and recognizing the importance of controlling how sensitive data and AI workloads are accessed and operated," said Priya Srinivasan, General Manager, IBM Software Products. "This shift is creating an urgent need for sovereign solutions that deliver AI-ready environments. With IBM Sovereign Core, we are helping clients move faster and with confidence— combining openness, compliance, and operational autonomy to meet the demands of the AI era, without the need to sacrifice sovereignty requirements."

Sovereignty as a Software Foundation

IBM Sovereign Core will help customers achieve verifiable sovereignty and full operational control. Sovereign Core is purpose-built software to build, deploy, and manage cloud-native and AI workloads under an organization's own authority, within chosen jurisdictions, built on Red Hat's open source foundation. Unlike approaches that layer sovereignty controls onto existing architectures, Sovereign Core makes sovereignty an inherent property of the software itself. Organizations can gain:

Customer-operated control plane: organizations maintain direct operational authority over software operations, deployment decisions, and system configurations without intermediation from a vendor not in region.
In-boundary identity and keys: all authentication, authorization, encryption keys, and access management remain within jurisdiction boundaries under customer control.
Ongoing compliance enablement and generated evidence of continuous compliance: comprehensive operational data, system telemetry, and audit trails are generated, stored, and managed within the sovereign boundary, including automated identity.
Governed AI inference: AI model deployment and hosting, local GPU clusters, local inference execution and agent operations occur under local governance with traceability and oversight, without exporting data to external providers.
Ease of deployment: delivering sovereignty at scale with consistency and flexibility allowing organizations to stand up isolated environments with built-in multitenancy capabilities within a matter of days of deployment; choice of hardware and infrastructure.

"The sovereign AI conversation has focused on data residency, but that's only part of the equation," said Sanjeev Mohan, Principal, SanjMo. "IBM Sovereign Core addresses the harder question: who controls the system and can you prove it to regulators? IBM takes a holistic approach spanning data, operations, technology, and assurance, with continuous monitoring. As AI moves into production, that kind of ongoing accountability becomes non-negotiable."

"AI is accelerating the pace at which sovereignty questions move from theory to daily operations," said Erik Fish, Director of Geotechnology at Eurasia Group. "As geopolitics, regulation, and data governance increasingly converge, governments and enterprises must move while demonstrating clear control over critical data and infrastructure. The challenge is no longer a trade-off between openness and sovereignty, but governing data, access, and infrastructure amid growing regulatory and geopolitical constraints."

Operational Independence Through Environment Choice

Customers can deploy IBM Sovereign Core in the environment of their choice – whether in on-premises data centers, supported in-region cloud infrastructure or through IT Service Providers. IBM is collaborating with IT Service Providers globally, starting with an initial rollout in Europe with Cegeka in Belgium and the Netherlands and Computacenter in Germany. These partnerships allow local operational independence and compliance management, while enabling IT Service Providers to offer differentiated sovereign services to enterprises preparing for and running AI-scale workloads.

"As organizations navigate increasingly complex compliance and regulatory requirements, we're seeing strong demand for digital platforms and software that allows sensitive data to remain within controlled, compliant boundaries," said Gaetan Willems, VP Cloud & Digital Platforms, Cegeka. "Partnering with IBM to offer a pre-architected solution through our in-country environment enables us to deliver enterprise-ready software to our clients, while allowing them to address local compliance standards."

"With IBM Sovereign Core, we can focus on configuring the software to each client's specific use cases rather than spending months piecing together disparate components and validating sovereignty controls," said Christian Schreiner, Unit Director Cloud, Computacenter. "It can significantly accelerate our time-to-value and let us help clients who previously couldn't consider AI solutions at all."

IBM Sovereign Core Availability

Starting in February, IBM Sovereign Core will be available in tech preview, with full general availability planned for mid-year 2026. At GA, additional capabilities will be introduced.

To learn more about IBM Sovereign Core, read our blog here, and join us virtually for the IBM Tech Summit, January 27, register here. To join the waitlist for IBM Sovereign Core Tech Preview, visit here.

IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions, and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion. Information regarding potential future products is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

¹ Gartner, The Future of Cloud in 2030: AI-Enabling Cloud Services. 6 August 2025, Dennis Smith. Al. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Contact:
Michele Brancati
mbrancati@ibm.com

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Malaysia Aviation Group Accelerates Growth with New Routes, Added Frequencies and Elevated In-Flight Experience

Business

Malaysia Aviation Group Accelerates Growth with New Routes, Added Frequencies and Elevated In-Flight Experience

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