MALAYSIA AIRLINES' AMAL CONFIDENT OF RETURNING TO PRE-COVID LEVELS BY Q4 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, 26 Okt -- Amal by Malaysia Airlines, the first provider of chartered and scheduled flights for the hajj and umrah in the world, expects business to return to pre-COVID-19 levels by the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022.

Amal chief operating officer Muhammad Najmi Mansor said the airline is optimistic about its growth prospects in the umrah segment following high demand after the Saudi Arabia government announced the opening of its borders from Aug 1 to international pilgrims who are fully vaccinated.

“For the coming umrah season (1443 Hijrah) until April next year, we are targeting the first flight on Nov 15 with two flights a day which will involve about three aircraft.

“For the lean season in May and June which is close to the hajj season, we will reduce the number of flights,” he told Bernama and TV3 in a special interview recently.

Muhammad Najmi said with the growth momentum expected to continue until Q4 next year, the number of flights will be increased to three or four a day for the Kuala Lumpur-Jeddah-Madinah route.

Prior to the pandemic, Amal conducted three flights a day to Jeddah and Madinah using the A380-800 and A330 aircraft.

Its last flight was on March 7 2020 following the closure of Saudi Arabia's borders.

Commenting on the resumption of its operations, Muhammad Najmi said Amal will fully use the A330 series 300 and 200 aircraft, in line with its holding company Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd’s plan to sell all six of its A380 aircraft.

He added that Amal had started discussions with several tour agencies in August following the announcement by Saudi Arabia to open its borders at the end of July.

“Amal has taken the initiative to offer lower fares compared to what was offered in 2019,” he said.

On the standard operating procedures (SOP) for pilgrims, Muhammad Najmi said among the criteria that need to be followed are that they must be aged 18 and above and fully vaccinated with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Amal and Malaysia Airlines Bhd have enhanced safety and health protocols at various customer points at the airport and inside aircraft, such as the requirement for masks and the constant air sanitisation in aircraft.

“Amal passengers will also receive a free sanitation kit that contains face masks, hand sanitiser, and a packet of sanitary tissues,” he added.

Amal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MAG, was set up in 2019.

-- BERNAMA