Malaysia Airlines Bhd has signed a three-year agreement with Lembaga Tabung Haji to provide haj charter flights for Malaysian pilgrims.
In a joint statement on Tuesday (May 24), they said the charter flight service will be managed by umrah (minor haj) and haj flight provider AMAL by Malaysia Airlines.
Malaysia Airlines group chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail said 50% of Malaysian pilgrims will be flown directly by AMAL in stages from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.
He said AMAL will use the A330-300 aircraft with a capacity of 284 seats to ensure a comfortable and the best service to the pilgrims.
According to the statement, 14,306 Malaysians will perform their pilgrimage this year, with the first flight scheduled for June 4.
Meanwhile, Tabung Haji group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amrin Awaluddin said Malaysia Airlines was chosen because AMAL had an excellent record in handling haj charter flights.
He said Tabung Haji is the only government body providing various facilities comprehensively and systematically for the comfort and welfare of Malaysian pilgrims.
The agreement was signed by Tabung Haji haj executive director Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman and AMAL chief operating officer Muhammad Najmi Mansor in the presence of Amrin and Captain Izham at the MAB Academy in Kelana Jaya on Tuesday.
