Here’s a round-up of some of the airline and travel news making headlines around the region this month.

Here’s what’s happening in the world of travel – both in Malaysia and around the region. Stay informed with our monthly airline and travel news round-up, featuring the latest updates on new routes, industry trends, and travel advisories.

MALAYSIA GETS ITS FIRST LUXURY AIRPORT TRANSIT HOTEL

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook recently inaugurated CapsuleTransit MAX, a premium boutique hotel located within Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2). The hotel aims to elevate the transit accommodation experience for both domestic and international travellers.

CapsuleTransit MAX, which stands for Malaysia’s Authentic eXperience, features 46 premium beds, a lounge, a spa, and a fully-equipped gym, rivaling the amenities of many 5-star hotels. The facility’s strategic location on the landside of KLIA2 makes it accessible to a wide range of travellers.

At the opening, Loke remarked that the launch of CapsuleTransit MAX comes at an opportune time as Malaysia prepares to cater to the needs of more discerning tourists and business travellers ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026. He also congratulated CapsuleTransit on its 10-year anniversary, noting that the new hotel is a significant addition to Malaysia’s growing airport infrastructure.

CapsuleTransit’s founder and CEO, Ryan Loo, emphasised the hotel’s blend of luxury, heritage, and modernism. The design, crafted by award-winning Blu Water Studio, showcases Malaysian creativity, while collaborations with local brands such as Acaya and Pestle and Mortar Clothing infuse the hotel with a distinct Malaysian flair.

Beyond accommodation, CapsuleTransit MAX offers unique features, including the first plant-based airport lounge, a runway suite with views of the tarmac, and Malaysia’s first airport terminal gym. The hotel also provides exclusive wellness options, including a steam bath, ensuring a well-rounded stay for guests. Its Business Club caters to corporate travellers, offering meeting rooms, conference spaces, and even an event venue.

CapsuleTransit MAX also boasts an exclusive merchandise corner featuring a curated selection of local products, providing guests with an opportunity to take home a piece of Malaysia’s artistic heritage. Loo highlighted the company’s growth since its establishment in 2014, noting that CapsuleTransit started with just 79 beds and has since expanded across various locations at KLIA. Future plans include adding approximately 200 more beds in collaboration with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) in anticipation of increased demand for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.

To learn more, visit capsuletransit.com.

MAS LOOKING TO RETURN TO BRISBANE

Malaysia Airlines is planning to return to Brisbane with five weekly flights from March 2025, the latest schedule filings show.

The oneworld carrier pulled out of Brisbane in March 2023 but retained more than 40 weekly frequencies from its Kuala Lumpur base to other Australian destinations including Sydney and Melbourne. The carrier is now looking to once again operate its two-class Airbus A330-300 on the Brisbane route, departing Kuala Lumpur in the evening and arriving in Brisbane the following morning.

Malaysia Airlines’ A330-300s feature 27 business class seats in an alternating 1-2-1/1-2-2 configuration, as well as 263 2-4-2 configured economy class seats.

Separately, the flag carrier is looking to resume its Kota Kinabalu-Tokyo nonstop service next year, with currently two weekly frequencies filed commencing in late February 2025. Malaysia Airlines has rostered Boeing 737 aircraft on Kota Kinabalu-Tokyo, and it plans to fly to Haneda Airport instead of previously-used Narita Airport.

In yet more news from the carrier, Malaysia Airlines will take delivery of its first Airbus A330neo widebody aircraft in the ongoing third quarter. The new A330neo cabins will feature many ‘firsts’ for the airline, including suites with individual privacy doors in business class.

For more information, visit malaysiaairlines.com.

ACCOR ADDS IBIS STYLES PROPERTY BY KLIA

Accor has added a property close to Kuala Lumpur International Airport under its budget ibis Styles brand. The hotel was previously trading as the Hotel Concorde Inn KLIA, and has been refurbished and reflagged as the ibis Styles Sepang KLIA.

The property is located 1.2 km from the airport and features 229 rooms with flight information display boards and “unique artwork created by talented autistic artists from the local community.”

Other facilities include all day dining restaurant sTREATs, a fitness centre, a ballroom which can accommodate up to 300 guests, and what is billed as the largest saltwater-treated pool in the area.

Somewhat curiously, the hotel is also presumably popular with bikers, as there is a shutter-covered motorcycle parking facility, as well as “specially crafted biker rooms.”

Commenting on the news, Garth Simmons, chief operating officer of Accor’s Premium, Midscale and Economy Division in Asia, said, “ibis Styles, the very essence of elevated economy hospitality, intertwines affordability with an unapologetically fun and design-forward spirit. We are thrilled to welcome the ibis Styles Sepang KLIA into this creative portfolio of hotels, marking a significant milestone in Accor’s expansion in Malaysia.

“This new addition reinforces our commitment to providing exceptional experiences across the economy segment. At ibis Styles Sepang KLIA, we have designed every aspect of the guest journey to inspire and delight, reflecting Accor’s dedication to innovation and excellence in hospitality.”

Ibis Styles Sepang KLIA joins Accor’s existing Mövenpick Hotel and Convention Centre KLIA, which opened in 2018 and is located about 10 minutes by car from the airport.

To learn more, visit all.accor.com.

ETIHAD TO DEPLOY A380 ON SINGAPORE ROUTE

Etihad Airways has announced plans for a fourth A380 route, with the addition of superjumbo services to Singapore next year.

The Gulf carrier’s A380 aircraft will fly daily between Abu Dhabi and Singapore from February 1, 2025, replacing the Boeing 787-10 which currently plies the route. The A380 schedules will see flight EY0496 depart Abu Dhabi at 2205, arriving into Singapore at 0935 the following day, with the return leg EY0497 leaving Changi at 1925 and landing back into the UAE at 2320.

It had been reported earlier this year that Etihad would increase its Singapore route to twice-daily from mid-December, but it seems the carrier has now opted to instead boost capacity by rostering the larger A380 onto the route.

The move marks a continued renaissance for Etihad’s superjumbos. Back in 2021 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline had put its fleet of A380s into long term storage, and Etihad Group’s CEO Tony Douglas was quoted as saying that “I’m sure it’s very likely that we won’t see them operating with Etihad again.”

But this decision was reversed in July 2023 following “a surge in demand for travel,” when the first of four superjumbos was brought back into service on the Abu Dhabi-London route.

The superjumbo is now deployed on three of Etihad’s four daily flights to Heathrow, and has also returned to New York, with A380 services to Paris set to resume in November. The addition of superjumbo flights to Singapore will see the carrier bring a sixth A380 back into service.

In other news, Etihad is also set to boost flights to Thailand from the start of the winter schedules, with a total of 41 weekly services to the country – three flights per day to Bangkok, and 20 flights per week to Phuket.

For details, visit etihad.com.

HARD ROCK HOTEL DESARU COAST MARKS 6TH ANNIVERSARY WITH OVER RM30,000 IN GIVEAWAYS

Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast is celebrating six years of standout hospitality, entertainment, and sustainability. Since opening, the hotel has become renowned for its music-inspired experiences, family-friendly atmosphere, and commitment to sustainability.

As part of its ‘6 and Steady’ anniversary celebration, the hotel is giving away prizes worth over RM30,000. Guests have a chance to win a five-night stay at Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, along with stays at other Hard Rock locations including Shenzhen, Dalian, and Penang.

Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast has made strides in sustainability by reducing single-use plastics, composting waste, and sourcing produce locally without plastic packaging. These efforts align with the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, the environment, and anti-corruption, leading to their membership in the UN Global Compact Malaysia & Brunei. This commitment has earned the hotel accolades such as the 2023 Magellan Awards, LEED Silver Certification, and the 2024 Muse Hotel Awards.

General Manager Murray Aitken expressed pride in the hotel’s accomplishments, saying, “Reaching six years strong has been an incredible journey, and we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our guests. Our anniversary celebrations reflect our commitment to giving back to the community and environment, with initiatives like beach clean-ups and our ongoing partnership with the Breast Cancer Support Group.”

To participate in the anniversary celebrations, guests can book the special 6th anniversary room package, which includes a 10% discount off the Best Flexible Rate, breakfast, one-day Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast tickets, a complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability), and flexible check-in/check-out options.

The room package is available for bookings from September 1 to 30 September 2024, with stays valid between September 1 and November 15, 2024. Terms and conditions apply.

For more details, visit hotel.hardrock.com/desaru-coast/6-and-steady.

SCOOT TO LAUNCH FLIGHTS TO MELAKA AND SUBANG AIRPORTS IN MALAYSIA

Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), will receive its third and fourth Embraer E190-E2 aircraft in Singapore in September and October 2024, with the third aircraft named Jalan-Jalan, and the fourth aircraft named Travel Kaki.

With the addition of the new aircraft, Scoot will launch services to two new Southeast Asian destinations – Melaka and Kertajati. Melaka will be served five times weekly from October 23, 2024, while flights to Kertajati will commence on September 28, 2024, initially twice a week.

Besides Kertajati and Melaka as new destinations, Scoot will also be deploying the E190-E2s on some existing services.

This includes twice weekly flights to Pekanbaru on the E190-E2s in addition to three weekly flights on the Airbus A320 aircraft, and increased flight frequencies from three to four times weekly to Balikpapan and Makassar, from October 2024.

From November 2024, the E190-E2s will also operate nine-times weekly flights to Davao, an increase from seven times weekly today, and from December 2024, four times weekly flights to Vientiane, an increase from three times weekly today.

The addition of Kertajati and Melaka to Scoot’s network follows the recent announcement of another new destination, Subang Airport in Kuala Lumpur, effective September 1, 2024. This route will be served by the Airbus A320 aircraft.

The Singapore-Melaka route, at under 200 km, has attracted some criticism due to the high environmental cost of operating such a short flight.

Together with destinations served by Scoot’s existing fleet, Scoot will operate 78 weekly flights to Indonesia and 115 weekly flights to Malaysia by October 2024, 37 weekly flights to Philippines by November 2024, and four weekly flights to Laos by December 2024.

The airline’s network will also expand to 72 destinations, providing more direct connections for travellers to non-metro cities across Southeast Asia.

To learn more, visit flyscoot.com.

CHINA AIRLINES AND STARLUX AIRLINES BOTH LAUNCH SEATTLE FLIGHTS

Taiwanese flag carrier and SkyTeam member China Airlines, in July commenced a new five-weekly A350-900 service connecting its Taipei Taoyuan base with Seattle.

Separately, another Taiwanese carrier STARLUX Airlines will launch service to Seattle this month, becoming the third Taiwanese carrier with service to the U.S. Pacific Northwest (joining China Airlines and EVA Air), while Delta Air Lines also offers a non-stop Taipei-Seattle flight.

The new China Airlines flights depart Taipei at 2330 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, arriving in Seattle at 1950. The return flights depart Seattle at 0140 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, arriving in Taipei at 0505 the next day.

“We’re thrilled to welcome China Airlines’ new service to Taipei and expand our partnership with the airline, connecting families and businesses to our region,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner, Sam Cho. “There is a lot of potential for fostering mutually beneficial opportunities in tourism and business across our two regions. This partnership helps enhance our presence in Taipei and beyond.”

The new China Airlines service marked the fifth new international route at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to launch in 2024 including Delta Air Lines’ service to Taipei; Lufthansa to Munich; and Hainan Airlines to Chongqing.

From August 16, STARLUX Airlines will also begin a new nonstop service between Taipei and Seattle, the hometown airport of its partner Alaska Airlines. The airline will initially offer three A350-900 flights weekly with connections to destinations across Asia.

STARLUX launched its inaugural transpacific service between Taipei and Los Angeles in April 2023. Then in December, STARLUX began service between Taipei and San Francisco.

Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle are also gateway airports for Alaska Airlins, allowing guests to have convenient connectivity with STARLUX flights, as well as reciprocal mileage earning and redemption.

For more details, visit china-airlines.com and starlux-airlines.com.