Malaysia Airlines has announced the launch of direct flights to three new destinations including Malé, Maldives (MLE), Da Nang, Vietnam (DAD) and Chiang Mai, Thailand (CNX). The announcement of operating flights to the Maldives was made during an MOU signing ceremony held between the Maldives representative team including members of MMPRC, Ace Travels and Maldives High Commission Malaysia, in tandem with MATTA Fair 2024. The airline further unveiled a strategic, multi-year partnership with the Manchester United football club as its Official Commercial Airline. 

The airline will provide enhanced connectivity from its main hub in Kuala Lumpur with new direct flights to MLE with tickets available for sale beginning March 22, 2024. The airline will commence its daily flights to Velana International Airport, MLE beginning from August 1, 2024. This will mark the airline’s 13th destination in South Asia and 16th in ASEAN as it seeks to boost its presence within key markets, strengthening its position as the gateway to Asia and beyond in line with its commercial elevation journey.

 As a member of the oneworld® alliance, Malaysia Airlines currently offers superior connectivity to more than 900 destinations in 170 territories across the globe.

In the same event, the airline also unveiled its new A330neo Business Class and Economy Class seats as part of its fleet modernisation plan, ahead of the first aircraft’s scheduled delivery in Q3 2024. The new A330neo cabin will feature many ‘firsts’ for the airline and historically in its fleet. Among those is the introduction of the Collins Aerospace Elevation Business Class seats, featuring an all-suite cabin with individual privacy doors, as well as wireless charging pods available at all 28 of the Business Class seats. The airline is set to become the world's leading carrier to feature Elevation seats on the A330 airframe, solidifying its position as an industry leader in passenger experience and innovation.​

Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said, “With our Manchester United collaboration, the expansion of our network to three new routes, and the unveiling of the new cabin seats on our new A330neo; this sets the benchmark of exciting things to come as we redefine what it means to travel onboard Malaysian Hospitality. These milestones not only set a new standard in the airline’s transformation journey but also promise a future filled with unparalleled experiences beyond the confines of the aircraft.”