Batik Air Malaysia (formerly known as Malindo Air) is a Malaysian full-service carrier,[3][4] an associate carrier of the Indonesian Lion Air Group, with headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.[5][6][7][8] The original name, Malindo, signifies a cooperative pact between Malaysia and Indonesia.
History
Oasis Ara Damansara, which houses the Malindo Air head office
Malindo Air
AirAsia's expansion from Malaysia into Lion Air's market encouraged the Indonesian airline to enter the Malaysian market with a subsidiary airline. AirAsia's subsidiary, Indonesia AirAsia, in partnership with its parent firm, attempted to buy Indonesian carrier Batavia Air to gain a foothold in Indonesia, but the deal did not go through due to regulatory complications and Batavia Air's eventual bankruptcy. The attempted deal resulted in a turf war between Lion Air, Indonesia's biggest low-cost carrier, and AirAsia, Asia's biggest low-cost carrier.
Mr. Chandran Rama Muthy, personal assistant executive to the president director of Lion Air, was appointed as CEO of Batik Air Malaysia. The airline's inaugural flights began operations on 22 March 2013.
For its jet routes, Batik Air Malaysia provides seat pitches of 32" and 45" for economy class and business class respectively,[9] as well as free baggage allowances of 40 kg for Business passengers and either 20 kg or 30 kg for Economy class passengers depending on their ticket category. Economy passengers on flights to Shah Amanat International Airport and Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh receive a 35 kg baggage allowance. However, the airline's cheapest Economy class tickets do not receive a free baggage allowance.[10] In June 2015, Malindo became the first Malaysian airline to offer in-flight Wi-Fi service.[11] The combination of the amenities, services, and low cost fares puts Batik Air Malaysia in the category of a hybrid airline.
The airline also has expanded on a parallel turboprop service, focusing mainly on secondary routes within a 2-hour radius from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. Initial destinations included Penang, Johor Bahru and Kota Bharu. Propeller flights commenced in early June 2013.
In early 2017, the airline was expected to re-brand Malindo Air to "Batik Air Malaysia" to l focus on international routes while its associate airline, Batik Air, serves domestic routes in Indonesia. The airline had already began to feature the Batik Air Malaysia logo and livery on its aircraft gradually.
In February 2017, National Aerospace and Defence Industries (Nadi) reduced its stake from 50.99% to just 5%. Then-Chief Executive Officer Chandran Rama Muthy is now the major shareholder with his wife Kalpana Devasagayam, who together hold a 46% stake at the Malindo Air's operating company, Malindo Airways, via Sky One Investors. They both own equal portions in Sky One. The remaining 49% of shares in Malindo is owned by the Indonesian PT Lion Group.[14]
In April 2017, Malindo Air received its International Air Transport Association (IATA) certificate as an IATA member. The airline has also successfully retained its IOSA registration, which is valid from 3 June 2018 to 3 June 2020.
On 22 May 2017, Malindo Air became the first airline in the world to introduce Boeing 737 MAX 8 into service. Configured in mono-class 180 Economy seats, the first commercial service departed from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.[15][16] However, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 service was short-lived as the airline received numerous customer complaints, especially from business class passengers having to downgrade to economy class. The sole B737-MAX 8 was returned to its parent company Lion Air.
In an official press release issued by Malindo Air dated August 26, 2019, Captain Mushafiz Mustafa Bakri, Director of Safety, Security & Quality of Thai Lion Air, was revealed as the new CEO, replacing the current CEO effective September 23, 2019, while Chandra Rama Muthy was appointed as Group Strategy Director of Lion Group.[17]
On 23 October 2020, it was reported that Malindo Air had decided to cut more than half of its workforce as part of measures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on their business. With that, the airline laid off about 2,200 employees, or more than half of its 3,200-strong workforce.[18][19]
Batik Air Malaysia
On 28 April 2022, Malindo Air was rebranded as Batik Air Malaysia in line with the Lion Group's goal to establish a common identity for the full service airlines within the group.[6] Following this, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was reintroduced into the fleet.[20]
The Batik Air Malaysia Boeing 737 MAX 8 officially started its first flight with the airline on June 2, 2022, from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu as OD1002.[21][22]
The airline also received an Airbus A330-300 from sister company Lion Air in 2023. The aircraft's first proving flight was held on May 20, 2023, from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu as OD5330, with a returning flight on the same day as OD5331.[23]
Batik Air Malaysia's origin, corporate identity and livery timeline
On April 19, 2018, a Malindo Air Boeing 737-900ER flying from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to Kuala Lumpur overran the runway at Kathmandu after a high-speed rejected takeoff. The aircraft came to a stop in the grass 250 feet (75 metres) past the runway end. All 132 passengers and seven crew members escaped without injuries. Damage to the aircraft was minor and the airport was closed for 12 hours for it to be moved. The flight crew opted to abort the takeoff because of a warning indicating the aircraft was not correctly configured.[45][46]
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