Malaysia Airlines will drop its daily services to Brisbane in August, meaning there will no longer be direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and the Queensland capital.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The airline confirmed on Thursday its last service to Brisbane would be on Saturday, August 8.
"Malaysia Airlines is undertaking a network rationalisation exercise as part of the national carrier's 12-point MAS Recovery Plan announced last year," the airline said in a statement.
"…Customers holding tickets to and from the affected routes will be re-accommodated on alternative carriers or be eligible for a refund."
Malaysia Airlines, reeling from the disappearance of MH370 and the shooting down of MH17, was according to its chief executive Christoph Mueller earlier this month "technically bankrupt" and was in the midst of a massive operational upheaval.
Brisbane Airport Corporation spokeswoman Leonie Vandeven said they had no warning the flights were set to end.
"We were disappointed, and must confess surprised, to read the news that our partnership with Malaysia Airlines spanning some 25 years has ended so suddenly," she said.
"This is a loss for Queensland and for Malaysian travellers to Queensland.
"Nonetheless, we wish Malaysia Airlines well and remain committed to the market."
A spokeswoman for Malaysia Airlines' Oneworld partner airline Qantas said the Australian carrier was "always looking at opportunities" for its network.
"However at this time we're not considering commencing services to Kuala Lumpur," she said.
The decision came just months after Garuda Indonesia ended its Brisbane-Bali service.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones said she was disappointed by Malaysia Airlines decision.
"The airline has suffered over the past year and I understand they're facing financial difficulties which have led to their decision," she said.
She said the government had set aside $10 million in the Aviation Attraction Investment Fund to bring new flights to Queensland.
"We're committed to growing tourism in Queensland and will continue to work with airlines and airports to attract new routes to Brisbane," she said.
"We've recently announced new direct flights between Cairns and Singapore as well as the Gold Coast and Wuhan in China. In August, new daily flights between Brisbane and Tokyo will commence, so we remain optimistic about the future."
