Brissie welcomes back MH

MALAYSIA Airlines received a warm welcome in Brisbane on Wed evening after a three-year sabbatical ( TD yesterday).

The airline suspended the Brisbane to Kuala Lumpur services back in 2015 following the tragedies of MH17 and MH370 the previous year, in a move to cut costs.

MH chief commercial officer Arved von zur Muehlen said Australia was one of the airline’s biggest markets, including Brisbane, Australia’s third most populous city.

“A lot of Malaysians want to come to Australia and Australians want to visit Malaysia, with both countries having so much to offer,” said von zur Muehlen.

According to Qld Assistant Minister for Tourism Industry Development Meaghan Scanlon, the four times weekly direct flights into the city are expected to inject almost $100m into the Queensland economy and support up to 240 jobs annually.

“These flights will also help us grow our share of key Asian and European markets by tapping into Malaysia Airlines’ extensive network,” Scanlon said at last night’s MH celebration dinner.

Tourism Malaysia director Ahmad Esa said around 351,000 Australians travelled to Malaysia last year, a 7% decrease compared to the corresponding period in 2016.

“This year our target is to have more than 600,000 Australian tourists, and I believe that the reinstatement of this Brisbane to Kuala Lumpur route will certainly help with arrivals from this region,” Esa said.

Pictured at Blackbird Bar & Restaurant in Brisbane is Arved von zur Muehlen (right) with MH’s Sydney team; Mark Mulville, Melinda Voon & Gabrielle Vicari, flanked by MH crew members.