Beginning on July 1, the relatively young Malaysian airline will begin operating seven direct services a week between the two cities.
This will add 120,000 seats between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur each year.
The airline made a dual announcement that it will also add a direct service between Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai, starting a week before the Sydney services take to the skies.
This will be Batik Air’s first direct service from Australia’s east coast to Kuala Lumpur. Currently the carrier operates services out of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to Denpasar and then on to the Malaysian capital. It also flies directly between Perth and KL 14 times a week.
“Batik Air continues to align its network with sustained market demand, and the addition of Shanghai and Sydney strengthens two of our most important international corridors,” said Batik Air CEO, Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy.
“These routes support tourism and business travel while enhancing overall connectivity between Malaysia and key global markets.
“China and Australia remain important markets, and these services will help facilitate greater movement of travellers while reinforcing economic and people-to-people ties.
“Despite the broader global environment, the outlook for travel demand remains positive.
“The airline remains focused on maintaining a balanced and sustainable approach to growth, identifying opportunities where demand is strongest while continuing to support Malaysia’s position as a preferred destination in the region.”
The flights will operate via an Airbus A330, which includes 12 business class seats and 365 economy seats.
Batik Air started flying in 2013 and now flies to 20 countries.
