Malaysia Airlines is set to continue reducing its network in this way, and Asia is now at the forefront, with the long-haul network already reduced to a minimum. The carrier no longer flies to America and has closed Frankfurt and Istanbul, leaving it with just three destinations in Europe: Amsterdam, London and Paris. The airline had originally planned to further reduce its European presence to just two cities - London and Amsterdam - but Air France's decision to leave Kuala Lumpur has finally given the route a reprieve. Capacity on the new MAS is down by almost 20% compared to the old airline a year ago. The biggest capacity reductions were in Australia (-40%) and Europe (-27%).
The restructuring of the fleet should result in theabandonment of some twenty aircraftThese are mainly Boeing 737s and Airbus A380s. Fifteen to twenty Boeing 737s could leave the fleet in 2016, while two A380s should also be sold. The Boeing 737s are expected to be replaced by smaller aircraft with around 100 seats, while MAS's future long-haul fleet will be centred around the new Airbus A350-900, which is more flexible in use and has a capacity of 300 seats. In 2016, MAS is expected to reduce its frequencyIt has also confirmed that it will reduce its operating costs, particularly on domestic routes and certain regional routes. It also confirmed the departure of 6,000 to 7,000 employees.
In terms of marketing, the company is targeting high-contribution traffic. It has unveiled a new business headquarters for its Airbus A330s, mainly in service on Japan and Australia. The number of business seats will be reduced from 36 to 27, with one seat converting into a bed with a 180° recline and 193 cm of space. The airline's CEO Christoph Mueller also spoke of the possibility of installing a premium eco cabin in order to recover a business market which would favour Premium Economy products on Cathay Pacific, Air France, Lufthansa and now Singapore Airlines. A decision is expected in the next few months. MAS hopes to become profit by 2017.
