Malaysia Airlines Cuts 100 Australian Flights; Up to 40% of Domestic Flights

Because of “operational difficulties,” Malaysia Airlines will cancel over 100 flights across many destination cities across Southeast Asia and Australia, inconveniencing thousands of travelers who are planning to fly in the near future. This series of flight reductions started in late August.

A Change Of Plans

The Kuala Lumpur-based airline announced on Thursday that it will cancel many Australian flights that have been previously scheduled from now until December 2024. The destinations involved include Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide. 

Sydney will experience the most cancelled flights, with the airline cancelling 38 of its scheduled 115 flights through October 26. In the same time span, Melbourne's airport will lose 34 of its 112 Malaysia Airlines flights. Perth and Adelaide will lose only five and three flights, respectively.

Between October 27 until the end of the year, there will be a smaller reduction in these cancelled flights, with Sydney and Melbourne expected to lose nine and eight flights, respectively. Adelaide will only have two flights cancelled in this period, but Perth will have 16 flights cancelled. As for Auckland, New Zealand, a total of 11 flights will be affected by this spree of cancelations.

This decision comes off the heels of Malaysia previously announcing cancellations of flights to 13 other international destinations. These destinations include Mumbai, Tokyo, Jeddah, Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore.

Malaysia Airlines managing director and CEO Izham Ismail explained the reasons behind the cancellations in a statement:

“As committed before, we are taking immediate steps to address the root causes of these significant issues that contribute to operational difficulties including supply chain constraints, manpower challenges, and other external factors as part of the continuing normalization of global aviation operations post-pandemic. MAG has also been affected by the delayed deliveries of new aircraft this year, leading to less aircraft being made available for operations than planned."

Ismail also put a positive spin on the situation, stating that the move will also ensure passengers aren't put on flights at a risk.

"This is to ensure the longterm reliability of our fleet and robustness of our operations and enhance our ability to ensure our customers on Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and Amal services face minimal disruptions and have the best experience possible flying with us.”

Malaysia Airlines Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand Giles Gilbert informed media outlets that the rumored 20% reduction on flights was false, and that the reductions were "significantly less" compared to the Southeast Asia regions. Gilbert also assured travelers that the airline will resume a normal schedule on New Year's Day in 2025.

What To Do If Your Flight Is Cancelled

Fortunately, Malaysia Airlines had stated that all moves to cancel flights are completed, so if your flight hasn't been cancelled yet, don't worry that it may get cancelled later, as it's still going to happen barring an unforeseen circumstance.

If you're not sure if your flight has been cancelled, you can visit the Malaysia Airlines website and look up your flight by entering your flight number and selecting the travel date.

Alternatively, Malaysia Airlines may have emailed you regarding a flight cancellation, so be sure to search your inbox for this message.

If your flight is cancelled, you are certainly entitled to a refund of your tickets. You can also reschedule your flight, and you may get a fee or refund depending on the difference in ticket costs for the new flight compared to the original flight. Be sure to call customer service to work out your flight situation. Malaysia residents can dial 1-300-88-3000, and international customers can dial +603-7843-3000.

What are your thoughts on this series of cancellations by Malaysia Airlines? Was your scheduled flight affected? Let us know in the comments section below.