Ascend Airways Malaysia to launch in Q4 2025

 

Although Ascend Airways Malaysia’s fleet plan is still being finalised, the airline has confirmed that it will operate Boeing narrowbody aircraft. (Ascend Airways Malaysia Facebook pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: 

Ascend Airways Malaysia, which is in the process of obtaining an air operator certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), has set its sights on starting its operations in the country in the fourth quarter of 2025.

A sister company of Ascend Airways UK, the airline will operate under a business-to-business (B2B) aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) charter model, offering flexible and short-term capacity solutions for local and regional airlines.

A representative of Ascend Airways Malaysia told Bernama that the airline, which would be based at KLIA Terminal 1, would not be a commercial carrier and would not sell tickets directly to passengers.

Instead, the source said the airline would focus on providing aircraft to airlines that require additional capacity during peak demand periods, thus helping local and regional airlines meet their operational needs.

“As we operate on a B2B ACMI charter model, we are not destination-based,” said the representative.

“We can operate our aircraft anywhere based on our clients’ operational needs, for example in Bangladesh, India or China.”

By providing ACMI services, the airline aims to provide a flexible and on-demand solution during peak periods, allowing their partners – whether it is Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia or Batik Air Malaysia – to scale operations efficiently without long-term commitments.

Although Ascend Airways Malaysia’s fleet plan is still being finalised, the airline has confirmed that it will operate Boeing narrowbody aircraft.

“We are not announcing the fleet size until we receive the AOC approval from CAAM,” the source said.

So far, the airline has obtained a conditional air service permit from the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom), which will expire on Nov 14.

On Jan 8, Ascend Airways stated on its website that Ascend Airways Malaysia aims to begin ACMI operations with a Boeing 737 Classic aircraft and subsequently expand its fleet to include Boeing 737-800NG.

Ascend Airways Malaysia is an affiliate of the Ireland-based Avia Solutions Group.

According to the website, Ascend Airways Malaysia’s certification is part of Avia Solutions Group’s strategy to increase aircraft utilisation during seasonal changes in passenger demand, while increasing capacity in Asia simultaneously. - FMT