KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) expects the second half of this year to be a more challenging period for the airline due to increasing global oil prices.

Group Chief Executive Officer Captain Izham Ismail said the company would try its best to break-even next year.

"Fuel prices will impact on us quite badly and taking cognisant of this, we're doing our best to manage the fuel cost,” he told reporters after a meeting with the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) here, today.

Izham was one of many heads of companies/organisations that was present today to discuss and provide updates to the CEP.

"It was just an update for MAB. Thanks CEP for having me today, very insightful...they advised me to continue with the progress in MAB, that is all,” he said.

Among others who attended the meetings with the CEP were Malaysian Association of Hotels president Cheah Swee Hee Cha, Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Seri Mirza Mohamad Taiyab and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali. — Bernama