On April 2 1947, the first fare paying passengers boarded an MAL, Airspeed Consul plane in Singapore heading to Kuala Lumpur. By the end of 1947, Malayan Airways engaged in an expansion exercise to cater for the growing needs of a growing nation. Within three months, MAL broke the borders of domestic service to offer flights to Jakarta, Medan, Palembang and Saigon. A dynamic team of visionaries behind such a young airline saw the need for expansion. The era of international travel was coming to Asia and MAL would be a pioneer in providing regional flight services.

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC - now British Airways) was also a technology pioneer which provided technical services such as repairs, spares and training to staff. BOAC who was a majority shareholder of MAL also initiated training for local crew members in UK. The presence of BOAC also facilitated MAL's entry as a member of IATA.

Meeting the needs of regional travel also meant fleet expansion and providing passenger comfort. Services from the five-seater Airspeed Consul were further enhanced by the acquisition of a 21-seater DC3. The DC3 also heralded the first in-flight service provided by MAL.

A year after the Independence of Malaya in 1957, MAL would take the next step in becoming part of the new corporate scene in Malaysia. The participation of BOAC, QANTAS, the government of the Federation of Malaya, Singapore and the Territory of North Borneo launched MAL as a public limited company.

By 1958, the resources accumulated from being a public corporation allowed MAL to acquire five more Beaver aircrafts and a new Douglas DC4 Skymaster, which went on to pioneer a route to Hong Kong. This route, was MAL's first step to fly outside the South East Asian region.

The process of fleet expansion would follow in 1959, when MAL entered the jet age with the purchase of the Vickers Viscount aircraft. The jet age would bring speed and new levels of comfort for travellers. By 1960, MAL had taken possession of a Lockheed Super Constellation, which propelled MAL into other far flung regions of Asia.

The acquisition of an 82-seater Briston Britania in 1960 made mass transport by air a reality. This marked the first international non-stop service for MAL, which operated directly between Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.

Evolution

The sixties was a period of change for the world and for MAL. The formation of Malaysia in 1963 was the catalyst for our company to change its name to Malaysian Airlines Limited (MAL). The formation of a new nation also saw the need for MAL as a national carrier, to integrate and connect the far corners of Malaysia.

In 1971, the partnership between Malaysia and Singapore was dissolved, and Malaysia Airlines Berhad was incorporated in April the same year. With an authorised capital of RM100 million, the company made a final revision to its name in November 1971, and Malaysian Airline System Berhad (MAS) was born.

Modernisation

By 1972, Malaysian Airline System was already servicing 34 domestic routes and six international destinations. In November 1972, Malaysian Airline System became a member of the Orient Airlines Association (OAA), after the 13th Presidential Assembly of the OAA in Sydney, Australia.

In the 1980s, Malaysian Airline System became the first major government agency to be privatised. In 1985, Malaysian Airline System entered the corporate sector by offering 70 million shares for sale. This exercise raised Malaysian Airline System's paid-up capital to RM350 million and brought reserves up to RM227 million.

As part of its modernisation and expansion, Malaysian Airline System also invested in a new maintenance hangar facility, as well as extending its catering facilities in Subang. As a final part of the restructuring exercise, Malaysian Airline System moved into its new corporate headquarters on Jalan Sultan Ismail, located right in the heart of the central business district of Kuala Lumpur. The 36-storey building, which cost RM88 million to build, would be the hub for the future direction of the company.

Global Reach

1986 would see Malaysian Airline System offer the first flight service to the United States. The service, which runs twice a week to Los Angeles via Tokyo, also saw the first deployment of the brand new Boeing 747-300 stretched upper desk Combi aircraft. By the end of 1987, Malaysian Airline System had established itself as an international carrier of choice, offering 34 domestic routes and 27 international destinations.
As part of its fleet modernisation programme, Malaysia Airlines invested RM9.6 billion to expand its fleet of aircrafts in 1991.

On January 9th, 1996 Malaysia Airlines announced the purchase of 10 B777-200s, 5 B777-300s, and 10 B747-400s from Boeing Aircraft Company at an estimated RM10 billion, as part of its rationalisation programme. The B777 are powered by Roll Royce engines and the B747 are powered by Pratt & Whitney engines.

As of March 2001, Malaysia Airlines has a fleet of 95 aircrafts in its network. Currently, with our extensive list of over 114 destinations, passengers can be assured that their travel needs will be catered for when they are abroad. East or West, Malaysia Airlines is there for you.