Group chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail said many customers from Malaysians to foreigners have reached out to the airline’s global offices, requesting for available flights. – FILEpic

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) is reinstating some of its international flights between April to May 2020, to bring home families who have not been able to return to their loved ones due to travel restrictions in many parts of the world.

Group chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail said many customers from Malaysians to foreigners have reached out to the airline's global offices, requesting for available flights mostly between Kuala Lumpur to Australia and New Zealand, as well as to Kuala Lumpur onwards to London.

"Being a network carrier, Malaysia Airlines is able to maintain connectivity and bring our customers direct or closest to their intended destination.

"And being Malaysia's national carrier, it is our duty to ensure accessibility for Malaysia domestically and internationally during these difficult times," he said in a statement today.

The reinstated flights involve Kuala Lumpur routes to and from Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Jakarta and Guangzhou.

Malaysia Airlines has had to reduce its domestic frequencies and schedules in adherence to the Movement Control Order and operating mainly to facilitate essential travels and cargo movement.

Izham said the airline's cargo arm, MABkargo has dedicated belly space across its domestic and international network and on MABkargo's global freighter network for the transport of medical devices and supplies.

"In the next few days, MABkargo will be flying in more than 10 million pieces of masks and ventilators from Shanghai and Guangzhou," he added.

— BERNAMA