Malaysia Airlines has moved a step forward in its restructuring with new parent company receiving an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
The AOC allows new holding company Malaysia Airlines Berhad to operate the rebranded Malaysia Airlines, which is now known as MAB instead of MAS, from today (September 1).
“Rest assured that the change in company will not impact the day-to-day operations of MAB with no changes to our current flights, schedules, reservations, or operations.
“We have been working hard to make the transition seamless and we proudly continue to serve and welcome you on-board. MAB continues to fly with the same focus on delivering exceptional customer service and will honour all current and future tickets and reservations.”
Christoph Mueller, the airline’s CEO, declared that the company was “technically bankrupt” in June, when he also unveiled plans for a complete restructure and 6,000 job losses.
Malaysia Airlines had been struggling financially even before the loss of two aircraft in 2014 – MH370 and MH17.
Mueller added: “The AOC is a testament to all our staff at Malaysia Airlines who have been working hard to fulfill all the necessary requirements and specifications by DCA (Department of Civil Aviation). We are very excited and focused on MAB's take-off.”
Malaysia’s minister of transport Liow Tiong Lai said: “This is an important milestone in the evolution of Malaysia’s national airline.
“The government of Malaysia is committed to ensure that the rejuvenated Malaysia Airlines will take off on a strong note. We hope to see more progress driven by the new entity especially in terms of service levels.”
Malaysia’s state investment fund, which owns the airline, is carrying out a $1.6 billion plan to return the airline to profit within three years.