Batik Air Malaysia
Batik Air Malaysia (formerly known as Malindo Air) is a Malaysian full-service carrier,[3][4] an associate carrier of the Indonesian Lion Air Group, with headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.[5][6][7][8] The original name, Malindo, signifies a cooperative pact between Malaysia and Indonesia.
| Founded | 27 September 2012 (as Malindo Air) 28 April 2022 (as Batik Air Malaysia) |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 22 March 2013 |
| Hubs | Kuala Lumpur–International |
| Frequent-flyer program | Malindo Miles |
| Fleet size | 35 |
| Destinations | 58 |
| Parent company |
|
| Headquarters | Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia |
| Key people | |
| Website | www |
History
Malindo Air
AirAsia's expansion from Malaysia into Lion Air's market encouraged the Indonesian airline to enter the Malaysian market with a subsidiary airline. AirAsia's subsidiary, Indonesia AirAsia, in partnership with its parent firm, attempted to buy Indonesian carrier Batavia Air to gain a foothold in Indonesia, but the deal did not go through due to regulatory complications and Batavia Air's eventual bankruptcy. The attempted deal resulted in a turf war between Lion Air, Indonesia's biggest low-cost carrier, and AirAsia, Asia's biggest low-cost carrier.
Mr. Chandran Rama Muthy, personal assistant executive to the president director of Lion Air, was appointed as CEO of Batik Air Malaysia. The airline's inaugural flights began operations on 22 March 2013.
For its jet routes, Batik Air Malaysia provides seat pitches of 32" and 45" for economy class and business class respectively,[9] as well as free baggage allowances of 40 kg for Business passengers and either 20 kg or 30 kg for Economy class passengers depending on their ticket category. Economy passengers on flights to Shah Amanat International Airport and Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh receive a 35 kg baggage allowance. However, the airline's cheapest Economy class tickets do not receive a free baggage allowance.[10] In June 2015, Malindo became the first Malaysian airline to offer in-flight Wi-Fi service.[11] The combination of the amenities, services, and low cost fares puts Batik Air Malaysia in the category of a hybrid airline.
The airline also has expanded on a parallel turboprop service, focusing mainly on secondary routes within a 2-hour radius from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. Initial destinations included Penang, Johor Bahru and Kota Bharu. Propeller flights commenced in early June 2013.
In early 2017, the airline was expected to re-brand Malindo Air to "Batik Air Malaysia" to l focus on international routes while its associate airline, Batik Air, serves domestic routes in Indonesia. The airline had already began to feature the Batik Air Malaysia logo and livery on its aircraft gradually.
In 2016, Malindo initiated interline agreements with Turkish Airlines[12] and Qatar Airways.[13]
In February 2017, National Aerospace and Defence Industries (Nadi) reduced its stake from 50.99% to just 5%. Then-Chief Executive Officer Chandran Rama Muthy is now the major shareholder with his wife Kalpana Devasagayam, who together hold a 46% stake at the Malindo Air's operating company, Malindo Airways, via Sky One Investors. They both own equal portions in Sky One. The remaining 49% of shares in Malindo is owned by the Indonesian PT Lion Group.[14]
In April 2017, Malindo Air received its International Air Transport Association (IATA) certificate as an IATA member. The airline has also successfully retained its IOSA registration, which is valid from 3 June 2018 to 3 June 2020.
On 22 May 2017, Malindo Air became the first airline in the world to introduce Boeing 737 MAX 8 into service. Configured in mono-class 180 Economy seats, the first commercial service departed from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.[15][16] However, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 service was short-lived as the airline received numerous customer complaints, especially from business class passengers having to downgrade to economy class. The sole B737-MAX 8 was returned to its parent company Lion Air.
In an official press release issued by Malindo Air dated August 26, 2019, Captain Mushafiz Mustafa Bakri, Director of Safety, Security & Quality of Thai Lion Air, was revealed as the new CEO, replacing the current CEO effective September 23, 2019, while Chandra Rama Muthy was appointed as Group Strategy Director of Lion Group.[17]
On 23 October 2020, it was reported that Malindo Air had decided to cut more than half of its workforce as part of measures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on their business. With that, the airline laid off about 2,200 employees, or more than half of its 3,200-strong workforce.[18][19]
Batik Air Malaysia
On 28 April 2022, Malindo Air was rebranded as Batik Air Malaysia in line with the Lion Group's goal to establish a common identity for the full service airlines within the group.[6] Following this, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was reintroduced into the fleet.[20]
The Batik Air Malaysia Boeing 737 MAX 8 officially started its first flight with the airline on June 2, 2022, from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu as OD1002.[21][22]
The airline also received an Airbus A330-300 from sister company Lion Air in 2023. The aircraft's first proving flight was held on May 20, 2023, from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu as OD5330, with a returning flight on the same day as OD5331.[23]
Destinations
The following is a list of airports and destination countries for Batik Air Malaysia:[24]
Batik Air Malaysia operates codeshares with the following airlines:
Interline agreements
Batik Air Malaysia has Interline agreements with the following airlines:
Fleet
As of April 2024[update], Batik Air Malaysia operates the following aircraft:[46]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A330-300 | 2 | — | 12 | 365 | 377 | Transferred from Lion Air. |
| ATR 72-600 | 4 | — | — | 72 | 72 | |
| Boeing 737-800 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 150 | 162 | To be transferred from Batik Air. |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 3 | — | 12 | 150 | 162 | |
| 13 | — | 180 | 180 | Transferred from Lion Air. | ||
| Total | 35 | 3 | ||||
Incidents and accidents
- On April 19, 2018, a Malindo Air Boeing 737-900ER flying from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to Kuala Lumpur overran the runway at Kathmandu after a high-speed rejected takeoff. The aircraft came to a stop in the grass 250 feet (75 metres) past the runway end. All 132 passengers and seven crew members escaped without injuries. Damage to the aircraft was minor and the airport was closed for 12 hours for it to be moved. The flight crew opted to abort the takeoff because of a warning indicating the aircraft was not correctly configured.[47][48]
- On June 20, 2019, Malindo Air Flight 301, a Boeing 737-8GP(WL) flying from Bandung to Kuala Lumpur experienced a runway excursion at Husein Sastranegara International Airport shortly before takeoff. There were no fatalities.[49]
References
- ^ Ragananthini, V. (2 February 2017). "Nadi cuts stake in Malindo Air, CEO now a major shareholder". The Sun Daily. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ Sidhu, B.K. (13 May 2017). "Malindo to be renamed Batik Air". Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Launches Narita - Kuala Lumpur service on 15 December 2022". ACI - Asia Pacific. 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ^ "batik air opens three new routes", Batik Air, 2022, retrieved 10 December 2022
- ^ "Bangkok Post". bangkokpost.com.
- ^ a b "Rebranding of Malindo Air to Batik Air". www.malindoair.com. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Malindo Air brings forward operations date to mid-March". theStar online. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ^ "Obral Tiket Murah Meriah, Malindo Air Mulai Terbang 20 Maret". 16 March 2013.
- ^ "Malindo Air". Airline Ratings. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Baggage". malindoair.com/.
- ^ "Malindo offers in-flight WiFi". Thestar.com.my. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ "Malindo Air, Turkish Airlines announce interline partnership". Thestar.com.my. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Malindo Air inks new partnership with Qatar Airways". TheStar.com.my. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ^ "CEO Becomes Major Shareholder in Malindo Air". FlightMalaysia.com. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Malindo Air Takes the Skies As the World's First to Fly Boeing 737 MAX 8". www.malindoair.com. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ Hashim, Firdaus (22 May 2017). "Malindo operates world's first 737 Max flight". Flight Global. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Malindo Air, appoints new CEO". www.malindoair.com/. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ "Malindo Air retrenchment to affect 2,600 employees". The Star. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ Alias, Alzahrin (19 October 2020). "Sources: Malindo Air to further downsize, reduce staff". Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "PK-LQK Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Fleet Details and History". Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Malindo Air to take delivery 10 Boeing B737 MAX, employ up to 1,500 staff". New Straits Times. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia to receive A330-300 soon". CH Aviation. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak "Routes map". Batik Air Malaysia.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Plans Guilin June 2024 Launch". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "Southwest China's Guiyang resumes direct flights to Kuala Lumpur". 13 March 2024.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Additional Routes Launch in Feb 2024". Aeroroutes. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Adds Shanghai Service From Dec 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Adds Dayong Service From mid-Oct 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Batik Air Malaysia Feb 2024 Domestic Routes Addition". Aeroroutes. 27 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Schedules Auckland late-August 2023 Launch". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Hello Karachi!". Batik Air Malaysia. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Adds A330 Jeddah Service From August 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Plans Kaohsiung / Nagoya Feb 2024 Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Schedules Istanbul Feb 2024 Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Adds Istanbul / Tashkent From Sep 2023". AeroRoutes. No. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Tentatively Moves Tashkent Launch to Nov 2023". AeroRoutes. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Expands Uzbekistan Flights From April 2024". AeroRoutes. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Batik Air / Malindo Air plans codeshare service from Dec 2016". Routesonline. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ "Emirates / Batik Air Malaysia begins codeshare service in NW23". aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Malindo / Turkish Airlines launches codeshare partnership from Sep 2017". Routesonline. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ a b c Malindoair (21 August 2017). "Malindo Air And Ana Firmed New Interline Partnership". www.malindoair.com/. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Malindo Air adds Etihad as new Interline partner".
- ^ "Malindo goes global".
- ^ "Batik Air Malaysia Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. 9 April 2023.
- ^ "Incident: Batik Malaysia B739 at Kathmandu on Apr 19th 2018, rejected takeoff due to takeoff config warning results in overrun". avherald.com. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ "Chaos at Kathmandu airport following Malindo Air incident | New Straits Times". 20 April 2018.
- ^ Ririe Ranggasari (21 June 2019). "Malindo Air B737 Veers off Runway at Bandung Airport". Tempo. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
External links
Media related to Batik Air Malaysia at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website