Malaysia Airlines operates more repatriation flights

Malaysia Airlines has operated several repatriation flights and other special services since the end of March 2020. These include cargo runs and deportation flights.

Repatriation flights

Following the Government of New Zealand travel ban from 20 March 2020, Malaysia Airlines has operated a number of chartered rescue flights sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands These flights ferried Dutch nationals from Auckland, New Zealand to Kuala Lumpur using an Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

On arrival in KLIA, passengers boarded repatriation flights operated by Dutch national carrier KLM direct to Amsterdam. Flight MH8496 from Auckland arrived at 9.40pm on Monday, 6th April 2020, carrying 277 Dutch nationals. A subsequent flight on 8th April carried a further 253 Dutch nationals, with 277 more travelling on 10th April 2020.

Malaysia Airlines returned to Cairo International Airport for the first time since ceasing commercial flights in 2006 to repatriate Malaysian students. Flight MH8453 arrived from Cairo on Saturday, 11th April 2020 with 285 Malaysian students currently studying in Egyptian tertiary institutions. The mission was facilitated in partnership with educational platform MedicMesir.

Deportation Flights

Malaysia Airlines also operated six deportation flights, sending Indonesian citizens home on 9th and 10th April 2020. Four of these flights operated to Jakarta with two to Medan. The airlines used their Boeing 737-800 aircraft and Airbus A330-300 aircraft to ferry a total of 1,060 deportees on these flights, as well as two immigration officers per flight.

….. We are glad to be of further assistance to the Government of Netherlands and KLM, following our rescue flights to Melbourne and Cebu last week. As the world braces itself against COVID-19, Malaysia Airlines is committed to play our role to make sure families are reunited in this challenging and uncertain time. Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Captain Izham Ismail

Cargo Services

Malaysia Aviation Group’s cargo operations arm MABkargo, has transported several intubation boxes for front-liners dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic. The Acrylic Intubation Box Charity Project, is an initiative by several doctors in KPJ Rawang Specialist Hospital. They have partnered with MABkargo to deliver intubation boxes to seven hospitals across Malaysia. MABkargo also uplifted 94 ventilators from Shanghai for distribution to hospitals in Malaysia.

MABKargo’s full-freighter flight MH6496 from Shanghai to Kuching, on Thursday, 9 April, carried 50 tonnes of personal protection equipment (PPE). The equipment included 50,000 units of protective eyewear and 50,040 sets of protective medical clothing for hospitals across Sarawak. In addition, the shipment included 50,040 sets of shoe covers, 125,880 units of N95 face masks, and 900,000 units of generic face masks.