BERLIN, March 10 ― Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Frankfurt-based director David Raj has denied the rumours that MAS would discontinue its five-weekly flight service to Frankfurt, saying these rumours as ‘unfounded’ and ‘untrue.’

He said the rumours were fuelled following the carrier’s recent announcement to stop flights to Los Angeles.

“Our managing director, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya clearly stated recently that there would be no further international route cutting this year after Los Angeles,” Raj said in an interview with Bernama at the International TourismBourse (ITB) in Berlin, which had a high-profiled participation by Malaysian tour operators, hoteliers and others connected with the industry.

Raj added that Frankfurt was not on the radar of any route cutting.

“It is untrue and inaccurate on the part of certain elements to suggest that MAS is discontinuing the Frankfurt route,” Raj stressed.

Asked about the discontinuation to other destinations, particularly to North America, Raj pointed out that MAS membership on the OneWorld alliance,estabished since Feb 1, 2012 had resulted in about 84 per cent growth in the airline’s passenger traffic through the partnership in the alliance. 

This membership, he emphasised, had resulted in benefits for the carrier.

“Indeed, we have launched flights to new destinations such as Darwin (Australia), Krabi (Thailand) and Cochin (India).

“These are, in fact, signs of expansion. Because of our OneWorld membership, we have entered into code-sharing arrangements with American Airlines which enables us to reach 136 destinations alone in the United States,” he said.

He added that besides American Airlines, other OneWorld partners for MASwere Air Berlin, British Airways, FinnAir and others.

“Despite our physical absence from certain markets, our OneWorld partnership is helping us,” he said.

Raj also spoke about the MAS fleet modernisation with the older generation of planes being gradually replaced with new versions of the aircraft.

The present fleet of 148 aircraft is a mix of Boeing and Airbus versions.

The carrier has already received six A380 aircraft. 

Alone in 2013, MAS received 21 new (a mix of Boeing and Airbus) aircraft.

The average age of the carrier’s aircraft end last year was 6.6 years and, as

“We want to bring this to 5.5 years by end 2014 under the carrier’s fleet renewal programme.

MAS is planning to replace all its B-777 aircraft, and phase them out between 2015 and 2018.

“This fleet modernisation is aimed to sustain and expand our international routes,” Raj said.

Meanwhile, a sense of sorrow descended on some Malaysians at the Berlin show as news spread about the “disappearance” of a MAS B777 aircraft on flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.   

There was also a mood of depression amongst some Chinese participants. China had its national pavilion in an adjacent hall to Malaysia’s pavilion at the show. ― Bernama