oneworld

Any effort to sell Malaysia Airlines (MAB) would meet stiff resistance, one analyst contended, after Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said that is one option the govt is considering for the flag carrier. Mahathir said March 11 that the sale, refinancing or closure of MAB were possibilities as the airline continues its turnaround efforts. There are “local and foreign firms expressing interest” in the carrier, he said March 20. But selling or closing the govt-backed airline, even to a private Malaysian company or individual, would meet political resistance, aviation analyst and Endau Analytics founder Sukhor Yusof said. “At this stage, I think the govt is just testing the market and gauging the appetite for MAB,” Sukhor said. “I doubt it will be sold because as there might be too much baggage". <br/>

British Airways has brought in assistance on another route as it seeks to cope with the continuing disruption caused by problems with its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The carrier plans to use an Air Belgium Airbus A340-300 on its daily London Heathrow to Toronto Pearson service over the peak summer period, from June 9 to Aug 17. The same aircraft will serve the London Heathrow to New York Newark sector from April 1 to June 8. The aircraft will be supplied under a wet-lease arrangement. Air Belgium has, over recent months, also been brought in to operate British Airways services on the Abu Dhabi and Cairo routes. The assistance has been necessary as BA continues to carry out detailed precautionary inspections on Trent 1000 engines on some Boeing 787-9s. <br/>