Our bookings have actually multiplied since the opening of the Langkawi travel bubble on Sept 16, says MAB officer

by FAYYADH JAAFAR / Pic by TMR FILE PIX

MALAYSIA Airlines Bhd (MAB) recorded an increase in flight booking since the announcement made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on the reopening of the interstate travel on Sunday.

MAB’s group chief marketing and customer experience officer Lau Yin May said the airline has always been fully prepared to cater to passengers’ pent-up travel demand for the past 24 months.

“Our bookings have actually multiplied since the opening of the Langkawi travel bubble on Sept 16. The airport in Langkawi is bustling. Our bookings saw about 15 times in terms of incremental booking,” said Lau.

She added, MAB staff including pilots and stewardesses were fully trained to handle the surge in passenger traffic.

Lau noted that MAB flights to Langkawi are currently fully booked until year end, indicating positive passenger sentiment towards air travel.

“Langkawi flights are fully booked. In-fact Langkawi airport is  bustling with passengers. We were very happy to see a crowd at the airport”, she added.

Lai met at the memorandum of  understanding (MoU) signing between MAB and SEGi Group of Colleges.

According to the MoU, MAB and SEGi will collaborate to co-produce the next generation of aviation and tourism talent through a pipeline of programmes.

Under the MoU, SEGi students will be able to participate in internship programmes with MAB and other MAB Group entities, as well as in MAB’s numerous industry events and activities, exposing them to the aviation and tourism industries on a real-world basis.

The MoU entitles students enrolling in the SEGi-University of Sunderland (UoS) MBA and BA (Hons) International Tourism and Hospitality Management programmes to one Enrich Point, MAB’s loyalty reward programme, for every RM2 spent on tuition fees.

Additionally, students will be able to exchange Enrich Points for e-Vouchers worth up to RM500 to cover programme registration fees.

“Our roles extend beyond just providing airline services; we recognise the need to prepare future-ready talents and also build a pipeline of innovators to serve the aviation and travel industry, not just within Malaysia, but also regionally and globally,” said Lau.

Additionally, she noted that the airline’s collaboration with SEGi will enable students to conduct research and development on Malaysia Airlines’ in-flight products and services, such as meal service and in-flight entertainment, while also promoting hands-on learning and collaborative projects with MAB.

“We are very happy that MAB agreed to adopt some subjects, and they will teach in our classrooms,” said Stella.

“They will have a hand in our assessments for subjects that they could give new life to.”

As a result of this collaboration, students from SEGi’s Business, Hospitality and Tourism faculties will have the opportunity to work on real-world projects with Malaysia Airlines, handle industry-related problems, and have access to MAB knowledge.