MALAYSIA Airlines Bhd will start operating flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, beginning in March next year.

According to Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the service will include four weekly flights, with tickets available for purchase today at an introductory all-in return price of RM3,699.

MAG group MD and Malaysia Airlines CEO Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said the national carrier’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft will serve the Paris route, marking the airline’s 68th destination.

“While the European market is highly competitive, MAG sees tremendous potential for the Paris route to attract key travellers from Malaysia and neighbouring regions.

“With the arrival of additional widebody aircraft starting this fourth quarter, the group is ready to bring the long-awaited city back into its network,” he said at a press conference at the Matta Fair 2024 today.

Izham stated that the air carrier has been examining European destinations for the past three years and has established that Paris has very high passenger demand both ways.

“It can feed from North America and North Europe, and connect Australia, Asia and New Zealand.

“So, basically, we feel very strongly that Paris is the best candidate in our growth path. It will also help us facilitate making KLIA a strong hub in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Malaysia Airlines will be focusing on Australia and South Asia in 2025, where demand is expected to rise.

MAG also announced Malaysia Airlines and Google LLC are showcasing Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence technology for the first time in Malaysia at the fair.

Malaysia Airlines is revamping its corporate travel programme, from MHbiz Travel to MHcorporate to offer flexibility, savings and customised travel solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large corporations.

MHcorporate-enrolled SMEs can earn four times corporate enrich points on base fares and an extra 5% discount on Matta Fair offers for travel until Dec 31 this year. — TMR