Condor Airlines from Germany is the Latest Addition to the Group of Airline Operators at KUL

SEPANG - KL International Airport (KUL) continues to position Malaysia as a preferred global hub by welcoming Condor Airlines’ inaugural flight early this morning, witnessed by the Deputy Minister of Transport, YB Dato’ Kamarudin Jaffar; Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture YB Tuan Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik; Deputy Head Of Mission And Charge D' Affairs Of German Embassy In Kuala Lumpur, Dr David Krivanek; and Chief Strategy Officer of Malaysia Airports, Azli Mohamed. Condor Airlines, operating via its B767-300 aircraft flew from Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), Germany to KUL for the first time carrying the ambassador of Malaysia to the Federal Republic of Germany, Sarah Nava Rani Al Bakri Devadason; and the Group Airlines Director of Customer Operations, Managing Director & Accountable Manager of Condor Airlines, Christian Schmitt. Upon touch down, passengers were greeted with a special Malaysian cultural performance, courtesy of Tourism Malaysia.

Azli congratulated the new airline partner and said, “Condor Airlines is the 58^th passenger airline to arrive in KLIA Main Terminal. I am also happy to share with you that KLIA has seen a tremendous growth with a 3.2% passenger growth as at September 2018 and is the 12^th busiest airport in the world in terms of international passenger movements. Condor Airlines is German’s second largest commercial airline and I am sure that it has had many pioneer moments in their history. Malaysia has often been Germany’s primary trading partner among ASEAN countries. With this new 3 times a week direct flight service, we strongly believe that this will enable for both countries to further strengthen both the tourism and economy sectors”.

Tuan Muhammad Bakhtiar said that the ministry is also happy that Condor Airlines has spread its wings into Malaysia. He said, “With this new development, we can enhance our promotion of Malaysia in Germany and encourage the tour operators there to create Malaysian holiday packages for this market.”

He added, “To support this inaugural flight, we worked with the Sarawak Tourism Board to bring 7 media representatives from Germany on a familiarization trip to Malaysia. They will be exploring Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak. Giving them this first-hand experience of Malaysia will enable them to get to know the country better and help to create more awareness of our unique offerings through media publicity.”

Speaking on the new flight route, Christian said that Condor Airlines is excited to be the only airline offering a direct flight connection between Malaysia and Germany. “Our flights from Kuala Lumpur to Frankfurt provide Malaysian and Southeast Asian travelers with varied opportunities to discover Europe and Frankfurt as one of the most important economic centers in Europe. Likewise, European travelers have the chance to discover beautiful Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. By connecting two cities that are of the same importance for their respective regions, we can promote economic and cultural exchange – something we as an airline always particularly encourage,” he said further.

Condor Airlines will be operating the KUL-FRA route three times a week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday whereas the FRA-KUL route will be serviced three times a week as well on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

###

About Malaysia Airports

Malaysia Airports is one of the world’s largest airport operator group in terms of number of passengers handled. It manages and operates 39 airports in Malaysia and one international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. The 39 airports in Malaysia comprise five international airports, 16 domestic airports and 18 Short Take-Off and Landing Ports (STOLports). It also provides airport management and technical services for the development, operation, maintenance and management of overseas international airports. On November 30, 1999, Malaysia Airports became the first airport company to be listed in Asia.

KL International Airport (KLIA), its flagship airport, is ranked world’s top twelve in its category (>40 mppa) in the ACI ASQ Awards. In 2014, it received the Large Airport of The Year at the CAPA Awards for Excellence in Asia Pacific Aviation 2014. With the inclusion of klia2 – the world’s largest terminal serving low-cost carriers, KLIA is on its way to position itself as the preferred ASEAN hub. Over the years, Malaysia Airports and the airports it manages have also received numerous other awards that acknowledged its commitment towards excellence in various areas such as service, engagement, corporate responsibility and governance.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad is listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (“Bursa Malaysia”)

For more information on MAHB, please visit www.malaysiaairports.com.my.

Issued by Corporate Communications Division, Malaysia Airports

For further information on the press release, kindly contact: -

Nik Anis Nik Zakaria (General Manager, Corporate Communications) at 019-3350272 / nikanis@malaysiaairports.com.my

or Ayu Jamli at 019 206 7516 / idarahayu@malaysiaairports.com.my

or Kellyn Ching at 019 655 5800 / kellynching@malaysiaairports.com.my

or Nurul Fatin Hisham at 019-403 6155/ nurulfatin@malaysiaairports.com.my

or email: media@malaysiaairports.com.my / mahbmedia@gmail.com

Follow us on twitter @MY_Airports

About Tourism Malaysia

Tourism Malaysia is an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, charged with the responsibility of promoting Malaysia as a world-class tourist destination for business and leisure travels.

Its Malaysia Truly Asia brand represents the diversity of the country in terms of population, culture, food, attractions and more. Whether to experience the impeccable warm hospitality, for a summer vacation on its islands, to explore its natural rainforests, or to enjoy a spot of shopping, Malaysia is an irresistible must-visit holiday destination for all. In 2017, Malaysia registered 25.9 million tourist arrivals, placing it among the major tourism destinations of the world.

About Condor Airlines

Thomas Cook Group Airline, part of Thomas Cook Group, is one of Europe’s leading leisure airlines, operating from the three source markets Germany, UK and the Nordic countries. Under the brand Condor Flugdienst GmbH, the company has been flying its guests to the most beautiful holiday destinations in the world since 1956. With a fleet of 100 aircraft, the airline carries 18.5m customers per year to more than 130 destinations, generating revenues of £3.2bn. Its 8,500 employees put the customer at the heart of everything they do. The airline has received more than 60 awards in the past five years, showing the passion and customer focus of its colleagues around the world.

More information at www.condor.com/newsroom