By: William Ching Wui Oon (Guest Blogger)

This article by William Ching Wui Oon extracted from: https://upperclass.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/the-old-new-mh-those-were-the-days-sultan-abdul-aziz-shah-kuala-lumpur-subang-international-airport-wmsa/

Walk Down Memory Lane to the Old Subang Kuala Lumpur International Airport also known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang. During my younger days, when my Dad first started working with Malaysia Airlines, he used to bring me to Subang Airport to view the magnificent aircrafts and during those days, MAS had many Boeing 747-200, Boeing 737-200, Airbus A300's and DC-10-30's.

There was also a time when British Airways Concorde landed at Subang Airport and it was parked at the Terminal 2 apron. If I remember correctly, MAS aircraft in the days... the first class seats were red in color and the surrounding walls in the aircraft were filled with flower designs.

Anyway... I thought it would be good to have this on Blog for our old Subang Airport and where we were back then...

Its good to remember where we come from and how time has changed the way we look today as compared to the days behind us, and how the changes have evolved since…

Below are some pictures of the OLD Malaysian Airlines System aircraft (Red and White):

The Old MAS Airbus A300-200 (Captured in Hong Kong)

The Old MAS Boeing 747-236B 9M-MHI (powered by Rolls Royce) – taking off from LAX

Old MAS DC-10-30 (9M-MAT) – Captured in Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport

As time went by, the OLD MAS made a new change of colors resembling the Malaysian Flag (Red and Blue) as shown above on the Boeing 737-200 Series.

Images of the Old Subang Kuala Lumpur International Airport (WMSA) which has been demolished now:

The Old Subang Kuala Lumpur International Airport also Main Hub to Malaysian Airlines System or MH

The Old Subang Kuala Lumpur International Airport – Departure Hall (Terminal 1)

The Old Subang Kuala Lumpur International Airport – Outside View of Terminal 1

The Old First Class on the MAS Boeing 747-300/400 Series

The Newer First Class Seats on the Boeing 747-400 Series

The Newer First Class Seats on the Boeing 777-200 Series

And all the above First Class Seats have been replaced with the Newly Designed & Current Seats:

The All New First Class Seats, and only available on the Boeing 747-400 Series. Although it has been introduced into the Boeing 747-400 Series since 2005 and back then only the premier 9M-MPB and 9M-MPD were the only ones that were fitted with the new seating as the 2 Boeing 747-400 were MH’s new Hibiscus Design Aircraft. (Seen Below)

These 2 aircrafts were later then stripped of its new paint jobs during MH’s worst Financial Times. They were never introduced back and they are currently using the standard design.

Also, the Business Class Seats were replaced with newly design seats that were introduced in the Newly Design Heliconia Boeing 777-200 Series and the only Aircraft available was the 9M-MRD also known as Freedom of Space!

The New Business Class Seats are currently being used in all Boeing 747-400's and Boeing 777-200's. And the current configuration for the Boeing 777-200 does not include First Class anymore and it’s only available as Business Class

The Current Malaysian Airline Aircraft Body Design

And last, but not least … a view of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport – Subang Kuala Lumpur’s Runway 15 Aerial View & Exit Passport Chop at SZB.

CheersJ

Hello everyone,

We understand that there is a lot of curiosity surrounding the MH2517 B734 gear collapse incident. Investigations are still ongoing but allow me to shed some light on what we know thus far.

This type of incident has never happened before in our 62-year history. The aircraft had undergone routine heavy maintenance check in August 2008 and light maintenance check in July 2009. The aircraft is also checked during every transit and every night.

As a proactive measure, immediately after the incident, we did an E&M check on all the landing gear system for our entire B737 fleet and everything was found to be normal. All the aircraft in our fleet will continue to go through strict checks in accordance to the approved maintenance schedule.

We apologise to our passengers for this incident. Safety of our passengers is paramount, and we are working closely with Boeing's structural experts and the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation to ascertain the cause of the incident.

Regards,
Captain Azharuddin Osman
Director of Operations
Malaysia Airlines

 When this article was written and published in The Star on 15 August 2009, Tengku Dato' Azmil Zahruddin was still our Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer.  Date of Publication: 15 August 2009

He responded to an article featured in The Star - Turbulence in Malaysia Airlines. Date of publication: 8 August 2009.

  MALAYSIA Airlines made a conscious decision to be an early adopter of the Financial Reporting Standard 139 (FRS 139) beginning FY09, and when we announced this in May 2009, we highlighted that we wanted to ensure we were aligned to how other full service carriers report their results and to ensure transparency.

Due to the unprecedented collapse in oil prices after reaching a historical high in July 2008, most airlines were hit by significant mark-to-market (MTM) loss positions on their fuel hedging portfolio.

Obviously, we at MAS were not spared as we practise competitive hedging and the early adoption of FRS 139 enabled us to be transparent about our MTM position. Prior to FY09, there was no urgency to adopt FRSI39 as our MTM position was not significant.

In addition, FRS 139 (or its equivalent) has been adopted in most countries. Most Asia-Pacific airlines (Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas) are on the lAS 39 regime and US and European airlines are already on lAS 39/FAS 133.

Some international investors and analysts, in the past, had expressed a desire for us to state our MTM gains or losses to facilitate comparability of our results with our peers.

With the adoption of the FRS139, the MTM derivative position is relevant and derivatives are measured by their fair value at the end of each reporting date.

Any gains or losses will now be featured in the profit and loss account (P&L) and the swing between the two will depend on the valuation of unexpired derivative contracts which are highlighted in the balance sheet.

In the case of MAS, the hedging portfolio and MTM position comprise largely fuel hedging contracts which have maturity dates going on until Dec 31, 2011. Oil prices had been highly volatile over the last year and jet fuel price had moved from a high of US$175/barrel last year to a low of US$46/barrel this year.

Due to the oil price volatility, we announced net losses of RM695mil which included RM557mil in derivative losses in our Q109 results. We also reported an adjustment to our opening reserves of RM3.8bil to our balance sheet, being largely unrealised MTM for fuel hedging.

We also highlighted that there could be a potential fuel hedging gain should oil price continue to trend higher than Q109.

As the oil price forward curve was higher than March 31, 2009, we made a RMI.3bil gain in Q209 which enabled us to report a record net profit of RM876mil in the second quarter. We understand that the swing between net losses of RM695mil in Q109 and record net profit of RM876mil in Q209 can be disconcerting to the marketplace.

Therefore, we have segregated the operating profit and showed a specific line on derivative loss and gain in our P&L statement.

There is also a specific line in our cash flow on fuel hedging settlements.

In our Q209 results announcement filed in Bursa, under part B review of performance, we first announced that MAS recorded an operating loss, followed by derivative gains and net profit.

We made a record net profit of RM876mil, and an operational loss of RM421 mil.

During our result briefings, we walked the media and analysts through our P&L in terms of revenue, expenditure, operating loss and net profit. We had robust discussions on yield, seat factors, operational losses and ways to increase revenue, operating cash flow and fuel hedging.

We will continue to be transparent and assist users of our financial statements to understand our business performance. It is important for the market to understand how to interpret these financial results to provide an objective and fair assessment of a company’s performance as corporate Malaysia will have to fully comply with FRS139 come Jan 1,2010.

Competitive fuel hedging policy

An insurance policy is meant to protect the buyer. Should nothing untoward happen to the policyholder during the course of the period insured, we doubt the buyer would lament his/her lack of foresight in purchasing the policy. Similarly, airlines hedge against fuel as it protects against the volatility of fuel prices. This is prudent financial practice as fuel is our single largest cost item.

As such, although jet fuel price has dropped, hedges cannot be viewed as a mistake simply because losses were incurred. Oil price remains volatile and has tracked upwards. In fact, when jet fuel price was at its height of US$175/barrel last year, and expected to go up to US$200/barrel, many stakeholders took the view that we did not hedge enough.

And because airlines typically know the core network they will run 2-3 years in advance, the need to hedge against the unpredictability of fuel price is critical.

Our policy of competitive hedging is a sound one. The rationale behind a competitive hedging policy is to attempt to remove future fuel price uncertainty. This means MAS and our peers will all be equally affected by the fuel price, whether it goes up or down.

By doing so, we remove fuel price as a factor in our pricing and competitive decision.

If our peers have roughly the same fuel cost as ours, we would have to factor the same fuel cost into the ticket prices. With fuel cost taken care off, we can all compete on winning our customers with our underlying fares, products and services.

Cash position as of 1H09

There were some concerns that we are depleting our cash reserves rapidly, As at Dec 31, 2008, we had RM4.62bil in cash. By end- June 2009, our cash position was RM2.94bil. The RMI.7bil difference was not due solely to losses. We spent on capital expenditure, restructured our hedging portfolio and paid out matured hedging liabilities.

We paid some RM550mil on capital expenditure, largely for live ATR72 aircraft, progressive payments for our B737-800 order and other routine investments. We have also spent some RM500mil to restructure our hedging portfolio and mitigate the impact of spot oil prices coming down.

Mitigating challenges

We are facing the worst crisis in our commercial flight history. Many airlines are registering losses at the operational level. This includes regional airlines like Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. We are not immune from this. Like all the other airlines, we are facing huge challenges.

We are doing everything we can to boost our revenue, conserve cash, and manage costs. We are on the right track in attracting passengers as our loads are up by more than 10% to 66% in Q209. Our forward booking loads are up.

We are aggressively pushing sales, and 15 campaigns for Malaysia and 30 for global markets have been lined up for the rest of the year. With passengers coming back, we are now working on increasing yield.

We expect the economy to recover next year, and are looking forward to take delivery of our new B737-800 in late 2010 to capture the expected growth. We are reviewing aircraft requirements according to supply and demand, and realigning our capacity to tap into the growth in demand.

We will increase our frequencies into key Asean capitals, South Asia, China and offer more flights to certain points in Australia. In the Middle East, we are looking at expanding our services.

Given all that is being done, we are hopeful of recovery with the upswing in the economy. We have confidence because the 20,000 employees in MAS have an enduring commitment to keep the Malaysian flag flying high.

Thank you Malaysia, for supporting us.

Tengku Azmil Zahruddin Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Malaysia Airlines

By: Keith Kueh (Malaysia Airlines Engineering Training Centre (METC) 

Looking into the mirror deeply, back in the olden days, I was introduced to aircraft by a very peculiar way. As opposed to the typical phrases where many parents used to teach their kids on ABC, where A is for Apple, the first alphabet I knew was A for Aeroplane. By the age of three, when I have the intellectuality to understand by visual and acoustic, Dad spoke to me a lot about airplanes. He started off with simple and easy methodology…

I recalled,

Occasionally in the evening, whenever he was not working, he would drive me in his creamy white Toyota car to the airport. He parked his car beside the road, overlooking the long runway; holding me tight around his broad arms, whispering softly into my ears, “Son, this is an aeroplane, and this is where your destiny begins.” The joy of seeing the aeroplane taking off with its wheels departing from the ground was overwhelming, even though it was just a split moment. Innocently, my eyes stared closely to the aeroplane until it disappeared behind the cloud. As I grew up, I developed deep interest in aeroplane, as if there was as strong bond and fondness between us.

I recalled,

When Malaysia Airlines (MAS) did modification to its B747 fleet into freighter aircraft, I was one of the very few who had an opportunity to attend the exhibition when it made its maiden flight to Kuching International Airport. I was rather shocked and amazed; for this was my first time to see such a huge aeroplane. I asked Dad, “Why this aeroplane so big and has four engines?” He replied me with a joking tone, “Because it is a Daddy aeroplane”. Nevertheless, I was very excited that I jumped in a cloud nine.

I recalled,

When I was in Standard Three, my foster father’s son, Augustine had been offered by MAS to study Aircraft Maintenance Engineering as an Apprentice. As a father who wants the best for his child, he harbored a dream for me to emulate Augustine’s footsteps. He told me from time to time, “Son, study hard, and hopefully next time, you could enter this programme too”. Being a typical kid who was so eager to play, I had never really appreciated Dad’s advice till one day; teacher in school gave an essay with the title, “My Ambition” to be. I was totally lost and with a blanked face, I could not pen down any single word. From that moment, I remembered what Dad have been telling me all this while; and I found my direction to sketch out an essay, entitled, “My ambition is to be an Aircraft Engineer”. I began to understand the importance of education; I started to love Physics and Mathematics. However, to master these subjects in hands was quite an uphill task, but there was always this inspiration that drove me through.

I recalled,

Every time, Dad comes back from work, I saw this kind of weary look in his eyes. Being a line technician in Kuching International Airport, he has to cope with his circadian rhythm to work shift hour, either in the early dwell hour of 430am or as late as 12 o’clock in the midnight. Furthermore, he has to cope with the extremes of ferocious weather; sometimes in got-scotching sun, sometimes in heavy downpour, and for years, he never breathes any single word of complaints to his family. I was touched and moved by Dad’s sacrifices to work till his bones’ end just to fill our empty stomach, but, as the same time, somewhere in my heart, I felt needles of pain; more toward to a sense of guilt for being a spoilt kid. I made a promise to study hard to succeed one day in order to ease Dad’s burden off his shoulders.

I recalled,

After SPM, I submitted my application to MAS for the Trainee Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (TAME) programme. I was called for an Aptitude Test, however, luck was not on my side; I did not get through. Hugely disappointed and broken-hearted, I isolated myself miserably in room. Dad came in, tapped me gently on my head, saying, “Son, don’t give up, there will be another chance for you. I am sure, there will …” Dad was right, he never lie to me. A year later, I got another shot after submitting my second application. I got through every obstacle up till the day of interview.

I recalled,

A day before interview, Dad thought me about Basic Engineering tools (multi-grip pliers, mallets, screwdrivers, etc) and some basics on aircraft’s systems. Indeed, I felt relaxed and confident while facing the panel of interviewers. They were impressed with my performance, and I left the room with a broad smile on my face. Dad has never abandoned me throughout the journey; he is always by my side to cheer me up and supporting me endlessly.

Today,

I am part of MAS big family. I have been accepted into Malaysia Airlines Engineering Training Centre (METC) for the TAME programme. Everyday, aircrafts such as ATR 72, B737 and sometimes A330 fly over my head. Again, I recalled Dad’s words back in twenty years ago. His words have brought me thus far in my life, shaping my inner self and molding me into a better person. His word of wisdom is still ringing in my ear; I will always remember them forever. Coming into the third year of training, I hope to obtain my certificate and licenses soon as a present to my Dad. I want to make him the happiest Dad in the world. One day, I hope to be linked up with my Dad in working area; the excitement of releasing the aircraft into service together through the co-operation of a father and a son will be a sweet memory to remember …

By: Dersenish Aresandiran (Revenue Management, NRM)

Aero planes have always fascinated me, ever since young. For some, it may just be an “aero plane” but for me it is a dream to be associated with the airline industry. I grew up reading about aero planes and collecting mini model aircrafts given by family members as gift. The real passion in collecting these mini model aircrafts developed when I joined MAS in 2007.

I am proud to have a modest collection of model aircrafts, which are mostly of Malaysia Airlines fleet. My initial collection started off with the mini MAS B737 model and than moved on to the other MAS models. Among all these, I admire the MAS B777 “Freedom”. The aircraft is simply beautiful with its bodyworks; sadly we no longer fly with that “eye-catching” blue anymore.

Not happy with the above, I was eager to collect the entire MAS group fleet which includes MASWings and Firefly. Last month, I managed to compliment my collection by adding both MASWings and Firefly mini models.

Now that I’ve completed the collection on MAS models, I am moving on to collect the models from other airlines. Recently, a good friend of mine from Germany managed to get me a model aircraft from TAM Air (B777-300), Sri Lankan Air and China Airline (B747-400). (Another 2 units still packed in the box waiting to be lined up).

My collections are my pride but personally nothing beats the satisfaction of collecting the MAS models as it’s the company that I am proudly associated with. Maybe when we get the A380 we might get some interesting bodyworks on that?

By: Tan Eng Cheang (Engineering & Maintenance)

It has been a year since we were in Toulouse to be trained by ATR Training Centre for the Maintenance of ATR72-500. There were 11 of us which were divided into 2 groups, 7 Mechanical and 4 Avionics. In each groups, there were 2 Instructors and 1 Quality Assurance Inspector apart from the Licensed Aircraft Engineers. A Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation Surveyor was in the Mechanical group.

I was in the Avionics group. The Avionics training program consist of 3 weeks of Theory and 2 weeks of Practical. There were another 5 participants in my class, 2 from Turkey, 2 from Germany and 1 from UK. There were 3 Instructors who conducted the training, who are French nationals. The theory session was divided to 50% standup delivery and 50% Computer Based Training. The transfer of knowledge relied heavily on CBT as it has to be kept consistent due to the various nationalities and levels of English of participants the Training Centre gets.

As an Instructor, I found the theory sessions lacking although the French Instructors was good and knowledgeable. The syllabus does meet the European Aviation Safety Authority requirements but our Malaysian syllabus is more stringent. We were always asking a lot of questions to the instructors pertaining to many systems which were covered only briefly. A lot of times, we had to read the Maintenance Manual to get more information. I had to do a lot of research as I have to be very well prepared to deliver the information to the LAEs when we conduct the courses in Malaysia.

Where the theory session was lacking, the practical sessions were very good. The two weeks were divided into 1 week of simulator session and 1 week of Practical Hands-on, on the live aircraft. In the simulator session, we went through all the functions of the systems as well as carrying out operational tests. It was very thorough and it helped reinforce the theory lessons. During practical Hands-on, on a live aircraft, we were able to carry out practical checks as well as component identification and locations. During this time I was able to learn more about the aircraft and get very familiar with all its operations.

After 5 weeks of training in Toulouse, we returned to Malaysia trained but there is still a lot of work to be done. As the Avionics syllabus does not meet the Malaysian DCA syllabus, we had to be further trained by the Mechanical Instructors on the systems that were lacking. That added 1 more week of theory.

We then developed training package for the ATR 72-500 Electrical, Instrument and Radio, which consist of 5 weeks of theory and 2½ weeks (13 days) of practical. Our theory consists of 70% standup and 30% CBT. Having more standup, we were able to deliver more information and have more interaction and knowledge transfer with the participants. As we do not have a simulator available readily, the 13 days of practical is carried out on a live aircraft. This package has been approved by the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation.

We have since conducted 2 sessions of theory and 4 sessions of practical training. One of the sessions, we used the ATR Training Centre’s syllabus while being assessed by the ATC Instructors for knowledge and competency. We exceeded their expectations with flying colours.

As an Instructor who is a qualified Licensed Aircraft Engineer, I am at ease delivering the training whether in Theory or Practical. With 20 years of aircraft experience, I am able to know and meet the needs of my fellow Engineers in their quest for both the theoretical and practical knowledge. Being approved in the ATR72-500 Electrical and Instrument rating gives me credibility during my training delivery as the approval is issued by the E&M Quality Assurance Department, under the authority of the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation. Throughout the training sessions, I always reinforce the need to observe safety, quality and the MH values to my participants. This is ever needed in these challenging times.

I feel a great satisfaction when my participants obtain their approval from the E&M Quality Assurance Department. This gives them the ability to work and certify the release of the aircraft. The serviceability of the aircraft is now in their hands. The safety of the passengers and crew are now on their shoulders. Knowing that the all our aircrafts are flying gives me pride that I played a part in keeping Malaysia Airlines flying to greater heights.

By: Saidarina Said (Hajj & Charters)

Oh! Finally, it’s Tuesday, 26th May ‘09 – today is all mine.. !! If you weren’t there, here’s what you missed !

*Pix above is the stage area for the mini-gigs. All set !

During Light Refreshments.

One of my favourite photo cos they look really cool !

Me and the Bunkface vocalist.

Onboard B777 Aircraft.

Now we are onboard and ready to take off with Pesawat ! The Mirage video is unique and simple, kinda funky and definitely suit the aviation theme.
I’ve got few interesting info’s to share about the short video preview of both bands :

Have you ever wonder why Pesawat choose “Pesawat” as their band name? They said that the name was chosen because it’s like a symbol of a transporter, to carry their music from one place to another, thus be able to expand their music in a fastest way.

As for Bunkface, the hardest situation they’ve ever encountered in their career was making people accept their music at the early stage, and because of that they need to produce great songs from time to time.

Hey, this is the goody bags I received onboard i.e. both bands Promotional CD Packs...

...plus other cool freebies from Channel V !

The Performance

The Performance Pesawat – Performing 3 songs: Excuse Me, Rasional Emosional and Mirage. 

They look cool, low-key yet skillful in experimenting their music..that’s what makes me proud of J

Honestly..Dynamic performance !

Bunkface – By performing Bunk Anthem, Revolusi and Situasi, this 4 youngster performed like a ‘peel fresh’ sounds. No kidding..Truly energetic.

There’s chemistry between them, their performance blends well with the music, trust me. 

Love this moment, the guitarist go down from stage and keep on rocking !

The rockstar in action !

Attitude and Style !

It’s an unusual experience for me meeting up with such bands in KLIA. Some may say that our local indie-band sound-alike Greenday, or maybe The Killers and such ?

But, that’s not the point, as long as they have great attitude and talents – their followers will easily get the positive impact then. Long way to go Pesawat and Bunkface – proud of you guys.

By: Wan Tipah Wan Yaacob (Communications Division)

PESAWAT’S MIRAGE MUSIC VIDEO LAUNCH….That was the first email copied to me and I was wondering what PESAWAT is all about.

YEAH, PESAWAT is a band group comprises 5 people and a lead singer.

Pesawat Band Group

I was assigned to handle their photo shoot at MAS Hangar 6, KLIA. With the kind assistance of En Mohd Nasir Abdullah, AGM, Heavy Maintenance, Engineering & Maintenance, Hangar 3 Subang who approached Ungku Perani at KLIA Hangar who arranged for the STAR TV to do the shooting. Ungku Perani’s team was very helpful and showcases our MH-Malaysian Hospitality. The PESAWAT group and the crew truly enjoyed throughout their shooting experienced at the Hangar where not many people out there could see personally the aircraft maintenance.

Me & the team at MAS Hangar 6, KLIA

PESAWAT did a show of their single at Departure Hall, MTB, KLIA with BUNKFACE special appearance. This will be very interesting!!!!

Check out this space tomorrow for their music videos and a blog story from Pesawat themselves. Don't miss Bunkface story too! 

Also, we will have stories from our employees who went to see the show. 

By: Mohd Zaffidin Mohd Azman (Engineering & Maintenance) 

Aircraft Technicians At Work. I am in the middle.

I was born on the 17th June 1980 at the Adventist Hospital Penang, a small family of two (2). I am the second child of Hj. Mohd azman and Hajjah Lee Keok@Elisa Abdullah. My father was a field engineer with NCR and a retired Police officer. My mum is a fully housewife. During my childhood days “Air-fixing” was one of my hobby.

I graduated from MARA/Northrop Rice aviation Malacca and eventually employed by MAS in the year 2001. I have been with MAS for the past 7 years with full of contentment and grateful to the All Mighty Allah for the achievements attained.

As a technician, I have to keep the aircraft ready to go at all time and keeping the aircraft flight-worthy is one of the most challenging job. As all of us know that an aircraft is the one of the most sophisticated machines in the world. It is not just like a motorcycle or a motor vehicle which can be parked by the roadside when it breaks down and can be driven away when the fault is rectified.

The kind of responsibility, awareness and skill are required and expected. We cannot take the “ Tidak Apa” attitude (light-hearted/ inattentive) and the liberty to overlook even a bolt or screw which is loosed and not withstanding a smallest scratch on any skin panel of the aircraft.

Some jobs out there are eight (8) to five (5) with set tea breaks and set dinners. That’s not really for me as my job as a technician requires shift duties and I enjoyed that.

My responsibilities are in correspondent with complete range of mechanical components, structure of the aircraft including the engines, gearboxes, flight controls, landing gears, hydraulics, air conditioning and fuel system and etc. Apart from the above, I am responsible to ensure that all task carried out by my team are executed promptly, precisely and comply with the standards set by my organization (MAS) and regulatory authorities.

Besides maintaining strict discipline, I am also to ensure that cost effective in managing consumables used during maintenance activities including spare wastage control. After all the hard days work one have to meet with the challenges in achieving its job delegated done in a professional way to see that the aircraft is flight worthy. A strong commitment to service and safely with the ability to work as part of a team is essential as to manage its challenges.

The most difficult challenges and fearsome one faces is not to be accepted its acknowledge validity or genuineness in carrying one’s task. Therefore, we are  required to learn all aspects of the aircraft through lecture, hard work, responsibilities and perfecting one’s practice thru work experience. One of most excitement that I enjoyed the most is to be acknowledge for my hard work done by my employer and accorded position as per merit.

Last but not least, work hard and you will succeed and be able to enjoy the career you have choosen.

I thank my wife, children and parents for their understanding towards my challenging life as an aircraft technician which requires fulfilling the responsibilities….. I choose my career in MAS because of its image, standards, hospitality and a caring employer. I'm proud to be a team of MH family.

A poem tribute to a maintenance man:

There was thousands of little renown,
And these were the men, who worked on the planes,
But kept their feet on the ground
We all know the name of Lindbergh,
And we’ve read of his flight of fame,
But think, if you can, of his maintenance man,
Can you remember his name?............ (mechanic and technician)

Pilots are highly trained people
And wings are not easily won….
But without the work of the maintenance man
Our pilots are totally torn and worn,
So when you see mighty aircraft,
As they mark their way through the air,
The grease stained man with the wrench in his
Hand is the man who put them there.

By: Hazairi Hussain, Golden Lounge - KLIA

- Jamiroquai Jay Kay and me -

Cosmic Girl, Virtual Insanity, Blow Your Mind, all the best albums from Jamiroquai --- As Jay Kay and the band were flown in as guests of Enrich, I had the enviable task to meet and greet the superstars upon their arrival at KLIA on our MH3 flight from London last Wednesday 1 April 2009…

It was no April’s Fools prank as Jay Kay emerged from the aircraft at 7.30am all smiles despite the long flight. He later commented that he was well taken care of by our excellent cabin staff. Kudos to them!

Waiting with me was a good bunch of eager, amateur paparazzos at the front door ready to greet him. Short of falling over ourselves, we somehow managed to hold our own when Jay Kay came through the aircraft door. He fits all personas that you see in his music videos. Jay Kay, ladies and gentleman, is coolness personified. Enough said.

We breezed through Immigration (as expected-with the help of our friends from the Immigration Department in KLIA), and while waiting to collect their baggage, I managed to spend some quiet and quality time with Jay Kay… We made small talk like the weather (how original), and the recent F1 race is Melbourne, Australia. Well, apparently Jay Kay is quite a fan and was very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the F1 world. Of course, he did also mention that Ross Brawn lives like a stone’s throw away from his place and dig this; he is waiting for the delivery of his latest Ferrari Scuderia car back home! Like, that happens every other day you talked to someone who is just waiting for the delivery of his latest Ferrari, to add to a stable of Ferraris he already owns … The closest I would probably get is a collection of my own Ferraris, purchased from Shell petrol stations!

Oh, dear me…

In my line of work at the Golden Lounge, I’ve been quite fortunate to meet a few celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Ronan Keating, Alicia Keys, Kiera Knightley but to name a few. But this encounter with Jay Kay just takes the cake, and I’ve got the photo to prove it!

Check out his concert, though you’d have to be purchasing the tickets to the Grand Prix to get to watch the ‘after the race’ concert. The race itself? Can hardly wait…

5 Responses to “Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay on the Look Out for a New Ferrari”
 

• Nova says:

Loved your piece Hazairi!
Also green with envy that you had the privilege to chit chat with Jay Kay…. He seemed like such a pleasant STAR!! Do keep sharing your star struck moments with other celebrities coming our way.

Definitely a great perk that comes with the job ya?

April 3rd, 2009 at 4:30 am 

• dun says:

Dude, I envy you!! heheh
i’ll just be seeing him from afar during the concert this Sunday….can’t wait!!!!

April 3rd, 2009 at 11:06 am 

• saadun says:

I’m goin’ Deeper underground - His word still rules after 12 year !

April 4th, 2009 at 3:10 am 

• ak says:

yeaaa !! Jamiroquai Funkiest Band Alive There the best !

April 4th, 2009 at 5:11 pm

• Sharmini Ratnasingam says:

Dear Hazari,

I am so jealous. I wish I was there to see him or at least given the chance to see him perform. Oh well, at least when we next meet we can talk more than the weather, we have our “Shell” Ferraris to compare notes on. Cheers my dear

Sharm

April 8th, 2009 at 3:07 am

By: Ismadi Mohd Yusuff (Customer Response) 

- Group Bravo - Me and the team (I am sitting 2nd from the left) -

Under the oneMH campaign, everyone in MAS is making sure that we look out for one another and assist when time in need. I always thought this is a good way to nudge one another so that we can work to improve the way we do things or to simplify processes or even to make sure that we review as well as improve our products and services. This all comes together so that we can make sure that we give the best to our customers.  

Last February, I’ve heard about an action called big sweep during the MAS annual gathering.  The idea is to assist the operational teams consist of Maintenance Operations/Aircraft Interior Maintenance, Engineering & Maintenance, Aircraft Interior Cleaning/Ground Support Services, Airport Operations in cabin cleaning and speck defect for immediate rectification.  Without any hesitation, I signed up to become a volunteer.

4th of March marked the day MH big sweep.  The session started from 7.30 pm to 01.30 am whereby all staffs involved were asked to do an audit checks on our aircrafts. Aircraft Schedule and Engineering Planning helped us to secure the aircrafts. About 80 volunteers offered to lend help to the operational teams.  MAS Security team made arrangements to issue special pass for the volunteers to access the aircrafts.

- GM Business Development, Visva Sabaratnam (far left) and SGM Airport Operations, Yusop Jaridi checking up the seats -

By: Captain Nik Huzlan (Hajj & Charter)

The STAR, 23rd January 2007

It all began.......

Little did I know what was in store for me and my crew 24 hours after I finished a drive to Awana with the Smartcarsmalaysia forummers, from a website I help moderate.

Sunday was a wet gloomy day as about 7 Smarts and an assortment of other cars met at Petronas Damansara for a fun drive onto the twisty roads of Awana. I actually pushed my BMW R1100S Boxercup Superbike out but saw the gloomy skies and decided to drive my Smart Brabus instead. Although it was a wet morning, I did see a few (hardcore) bikers buddies up Awana that day.

- Awana Sunday 21st Jan -

After reaching home that afternoon, I went about packing my bags for a short one day stay at Beirut, Lebanon, a rest stop planned after dropping of 270 Malaysian Peacekeepers. Normally i do not follow Charter Flights that I organise, but due to the value of the contract and the flight being the first of the many in the Long Term agreement it was decided that I should accompany the B744.

Before that……

Negotiations for the flight began five weeks ago, after UN approval was obtained for Malaysia to send a contingent of our Peacekeepers to Beirut. Having agreed with the pricing and schedule, we sealed the contract, and I got the MasCharter team cracking getting all sorts of approvals necessary for the organization of the flight. A B747-400 with a capacity of 380 seats ( 9M-MPK) was identified for the non-stop 10 hour flight from Subang Air Force Base to Beirut. Armand (Charter Photo Journo) was assigned photo duties while Ariv ( part time Videographer and Military enthusiast) was appointed the video hack. A crew of 14 Stewardesses along with one Chief was selected, together with three pilots, one loadmaster and a travelling aircraft engineer. Weapons and munitions were packed in accordance to the UN/ICAO DG requirements, busses were booked to ferry the troops from the KUA base to SZB and overnight hotel were also arranged for them.

The week before, we ferried a batch of 88 peacekeepers on the scheduled MH flight, upgrading the A330 to B744 to accommodate the Military Cargo.

We also arranged catering and tenting facilities for the families to send off their loved ones. Having been told that DPM will be sending the troops off, VVIP catering was also organised. Our trusted caterer, LSG Skychef was roped in for this purpose.

Cargo Loading

Cargo loading commenced that Sunday evening with a convoy of Army trucks heading into the MAS cargo complex, dropping of the necessary equipment and rations. The aircraft was then flown to Subang from KLIA to depart at the stipulated hour.

- The Business Class Cabin as prepared for the Peacekeepers -

On arrival Subang a MAS Security personnel was assigned to guard the aircraft

Goodbyes being said…..

Monday morning found me at the base, looking at touching scenes of the Armed Forces members saying goodbye to their beloved families knowing that they will not be meeting them for at least 6 months. The soldiers with their families.

Touching scenes of a one year old who wouldn't want to let his beloved dad go....

Of formalities of departure…….

Rollcall commenced at 0630 and the soldiers took their  boarding passes and went through the immigration, customs and security formalities.

As the families await for a final goodbye……

The Deputy Prime Minister / Defence Minister says Goodbye to his Troops.

The DPM decided to come aboard the aircraft for a last goodbye to his troop, and walked around the cabin.

As the steps are being withdrawn little Ashraf  points to the aircraft his dad is on board……

By: Capt. Ram Singh Virik (Flight Operations)

Uluru which means 'Island Mountain' is the aboriginal name for ‘Ayers Rock’. On the other hand, Kata Tjuta which means 'Many Heads' due to its 36 rock domes, is the aboriginal name for 'The Olgas' or 'Mount Olga'.

Uluru at the top with its airstrip at the bottom right

Both landmarks form the backbone of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is located about 350 kms south-west of Alice Springs, Northern Territory right in the heart of  Australia.

Uluru is also Australia's most recognisable natural icon. It changes its terrain's colour (red, yellow, violet, blue etc.) depending on the time of the day, season, cloud cover and atmospheric conditions.

I had visited these magnificent natural monuments in 1990. This was during our cross-country navigational flight training where fourteen of us, Malaysia Airlines cadet pilots (MAS Course 3), flew four Trinidad TB-20 single-engined aircraft from our Australian Aviation College in Parafield (near Adelaide) to Uluru and Alice Springs.

These photos were taken from 38,000 feet recently, thus making Uluru and Kata Tjuta look rather small. In reality, Uluru has a circumference of  9.4 km and towers to 348 metres. In comparison, Kata Tjuta towers even higher at 546 meters.

“It is still as beautiful now as it was then...”

Approaching Uluru

Passing Uluru

Kata Tjuta's rock domes

By: Siti Fairuz Wahab (Communications Division)

I am Fairuz Wahab, currently attached with Communications as an Advertising & Promotions Executive .The first three months upon joining MAS I found that I was given the task of joining the volunteer team for Aircraft Sweep. Being duty bound, the first thing I did was to find out what Aircraft Sweep was and what I had to do.

Before I was allowed into the hangar, I had to go through strict security check for obvious reasons. The aircrafts were securely parked for the regular check and maintenance required before the next take off. When the green light was given we got onboard, after which we were briefed by the team leader from Customer Value Proposition (CVP) on the guidelines and soon got ourselves busy with the job assignment. The technical team onboard were helpful and professional. Issues were attended to without hesitation .They displayed true Malaysian Hospitality (MH)

I must say that the day’s work experience was a much needed hands on experience which gave us not only a good understanding of this service industry but also gave us the opportunity to meet the many staff members of this big organisation which in my opinion is important in promoting goodwill and good relations for a happier and productive work environment.

Upon completing the assignment, a sense of pride embraced me, knowing that I am working for a national carrier , the pride of the nation towards greater heights, God willing.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 30th, 2008 at 5:11 am and is filed under Personal Perspectives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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5 Responses to “Volunteer to do audit checks on our aircraft”

• mrnoreen says:

Hi Fairuz! Your job sounds interesting.What do you do in the Aircraft Sweep? Need more volunteers?

Stay safe.

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:30 am

• Search the Web on Snap.com says:

Hi Ct Fairuz,

Welcome aboard!

December 9th, 2008 at 3:04 am

• Mike O'Neill says:

Sounds brill to me my friend keep up the hard yards.

December 14th, 2008 at 2:20 am

• Mazlan says:

Dear fairuz,.Almost our staff don’t know what is important of cabin image for our airlines.Our constumers don,t know what is our problem regarding technical defect if aircraft delayed.If cabin not comfortable,their complaint lot a thing what they looking.For example if IFE system u/s,seat can’t recline,toilet can’t use and so much inside cabin.Cabin is our image.

December 26th, 2008 at 2:30 pm

• Dileepa says:

Dear Ct Fairuz, Your job sounds great!!! all the best, Monuxx

March 18th, 2009 at 2:21 pm

By: Jude Bong Kee Chuan (Network & Revenue Management)

"We always get people complaining and commenting without knowing first.  I was like that before.

Call me Jude, full name Jude Bong Kee Chuan, hailing from Network Development and Research which is part of NRM and the Commercial Division. 25th August 2008 was my first day on the In-flight and E&M Audit program in KLIA.  It was a Boeing 747-400.  This is what I have to say; post-exercise.

Today I have a new found respect towards my colleagues in KLIA, that despite the shortage of manpower, they had managed to keep the cabin condition at the best condition possible.  Kudos!  Anyone that thinks it's all fun auditing IFE, seat condition etc, you'd better think twice.  Per aircraft, I was assigned only about 20 seats, which took about 1 and a half hours to complete auditing!

Imagine having only 2 people combing the whole aircraft on normal days, i.e. B772 with 282 seats or B744 with 359 seats?!  Believe you me 1 hour and 30 minutes was enough to get us all light-headed and sweating like mad. Aircond you say?   Bad news!  For our purpose, they got an external air conditioning unit which although sounds nice, in actual fact it was more like 28 degrees celcius in the cabin.  If I'm not wrong, during normal days, the crew of engineers and cleaners work without this!  My thanks goes out also to the organisers of this program.  It really was an eye opener!"

By: John Low (Customer Response Unit)

Breaking away from the expected usual presentations covering corporate topics and industry happenings, the 3rd MH Customer Advocates event held on 10 November was, instead, very hands on.

The Advocates were given a rare treat of piloting a commercial jet in MAS' flight simulators.

The event started with Capt Zuraidi, Senior General Manager, Flight Operations and his team of Captains graciously welcoming the Advocates, briefing them on the requirements in recruiting cadets and training to become MAS pilots, and the importance of our flight safety. But as was expected in a hands-on event like this, Capt Zuraidi did not spend too much time on the briefing and presentation, and quickly moved on the main agenda of the day.

With the assistance of the management pilots as co-pilots, the 22 Customer Advocates who attended the event got to try their hand at taking off and landing at different airports, with the respective airplane simulators.

7 Responses to “Just Like The Real Thing! – MH customers test out aircraft simulators”

• faiz777 says:

i once told by someone that the cost for one simulator session costs about 500 dolar, is it true?

November 28th, 2008 at 4:51 pm 

Zaileen Hashim says:

We have introduced a Flight Simulator Experience Programme for our public to test out our simulator aicraft. This programme gives our interested public the opportunity to experience for themselves what’s it like to fly an aircraft.

The session is for 60 minute and open to a maximum of 3 participants. Each person would have to pay RM500.

To find out more about our Flight Simulator Experience Programme, please email to simexperience@malaysiaairlines.com or log on to our corporate website http://www.malaysiaairlines.com

December 2nd, 2008 at 2:12 am 

• Zaileen Hashim says:

Hi Faiz,

Sorry for the confusion. I just found out that we have not launched the Flight Simulator Experience Programme yet. But the programme will only start next year.

December 3rd, 2008 at 4:15 am

• Jhlee says:

Can someone enlighten me;
1. Is scholarship available for trainee flight pilot;
2. What’s duration of training to be full fledge pilot;
3. What other requirements are needed to be a pilot.

Thanks.

February 17th, 2009 at 4:22 pm

• Syarul Azraf says:

Hi Jhlee,

Thank you for your interest in our cadet pilot training program. One can join the airline either :

(a) though MAS cadet pilot training program
(b) self sponsor to any approved flight training operators in Malaysia

If MAS were to sponsor a candidate, the fees will be borne by MAS but bear in mind that the pilot will have to pay back upon working.

For your information, basic flying training is about 18 months in order to obtain Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and Frozen Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). Upon completion, the cadet need to undergo conversion training with MAS for about 11 months. All in, it would take about 2.5 years before one can become a full fledge pilot with the airline.

Minimum academic qualification is SPM with strong credits in Math, Physics and English. Also, candidates are required to pass selection process (test, interview & medical examination) before they can be selected as MAS cadet pilot.

Regards,

Group Human Resource
Resourcing

February 27th, 2009 at 3:11 am

By: Joshua Law (Management)

In Formula 1 Racing, the racing car enters a pit stop during a race for the purposes of re-fuelling, new sets of tires, minor repairs & mechanical adjustments, or in any combination of the above.  Each race team plans a pit strategy prior to the start of every race whereby it takes into account factors such as rate of fuel consumption, weight of fuel, rate of tire wear, the effect of tire wear, the length of pit road and the track's pit road speed limit, and even expected changes in weather and lighting conditions. 

All new process move like clockwork to ensure we deliver better customer experience::

All on stand-by

• The passenger handling staff, ramp workers, baggage and cargo loaders, catering team and cleaning team are all geared up for the arrival of the aircraft into the pit stop. All below wing and above wing activities commence the instant the aircraft is on chock.

Entry of cleaners into aircraft for cabin cleaning

• Once the aircraft is on chock, a mobile stair is positioned at the rear aircraft door. This stair is used by the cleaning team to enter the rear of the aircraft to clean the rear galley and lavatories while passengers are disembarking from the front aircraft door.
• As soon as all passengers have disembarked, a second cleaning team enters the cabin through the front aircraft door. A thorough cleaning of the cabin is done, including vacuuming the carpet, wiping the foldable tables and changing the headrests.
• The cabin crew assists to keep the cabin neat and tidy by collecting any loose disposable items and idle newspapers from passengers before landing.

Catering uplift

• The catering team positions their truck at the front starboard side of the aircraft to enter the front galley. The team removes the catering cart from the previous flight and then starts loading the drinks and meals for our Golden Club Class passengers.

Loading & uploading of baggage/ cargo

• Our baggage and cargo team works efficiently to unload the checked-in baggage and cargo from the cargo holds located in the aircraft’s belly. The baggage are put onto trolleys that will be brought to the baggage carousels by the ramp handlers, just in time to be picked up by our disembarking passengers. 

Refueling

• Meanwhile, the refueling process is in progress. Based on the Pilot’s final fuel requirement, the fuel will be uplifted to the aircraft.

Boarding lounge activities

• At this point, any excess or oversized cabin baggage will be tagged by the ground staff and set aside. The excess or oversized cabin baggage will be collected by the ramp handlers and deposited into the cargo holds. This is to prevent injury to passengers and cabin crew from the lifting of oversize cabin luggage into overhead bins; as well as to avoid delays due to last minute offloading of excess cabin baggage.

Passenger boarding

• Once the cabin is ready, the boarding process begins. All passengers travelling with children and infants, as well as the elderly and the disabled are invited to board the aircraft first. These passengers are seated and given a personal briefing by our cabin crew.

Aircraft push back and take-off

• Upon completion of the turnaround processes, the aircraft door is closed and the passenger loading bridge removed from the aircraft.
• When the aircraft is ready to depart, the tow-tug pushes back the aircraft from the pit stop. The aircraft then moves into the runway for take-off. 

The pit strategy does not just include a schedule of when pit stops will happen; it also includes what service and adjustments are scheduled for each pit stop, particularly in endurance racing, where scheduled changes of wear-limited parts such as brake pads may be planned for specific points during the race. The pit strategy is calculated carefully so that the amount of time to be "given away" to other competitors in pit stops is balanced out by the time gained while on the track, resulting, theoretically, in the shortest possible time to cover the scheduled distance.

Pit stops in Malaysia are not only found in the Sepang F1 circuit, but in airports across the country. Like racing vehicles, aircrafts too, need to be refueled, inspected and loaded before taking off to the next destination. Developing an optimal pit strategy is, hence, crucial in order to reduce ground transit time and ensure passengers arrive at their destinations according to schedule. As such, MAS has embarked on a project to implement several new processes to increase operational efficiency during our aircrafts’ turnaround time, aptly named Project Pit Stop.

Although it seems that the core objective of this project is to reduce the ground transit time for selected flights on our Boeing 737-400 fleet, this project places the following objectives in high precedence:

1.  to ensure continuous high level of safety & customer comfort
2.  to maintain high level of on-time arrivals & departures
3.  to improve the efficiency and productivity of resources
4.  to enhance the asset utilization such as the ramp equipments such as trolleys & etc.

By reducing the ground transit time by five (5) minutes for selected flights and using existing free-pockets of time in the schedule, one Boeing 737-400 aircraft can be released from the current schedule to be deployed on additional domestic and regional routes, hence providing more frequencies and connectivity to our valuable passengers.  This indirectly improves the utilization of our B737-400.

MAS believes that the success of Project Pit Stop is due to the right combination of people and processes. Strong team work by our flight crew, cabin crew, passenger handling staff, ramp workers and baggage and cargo loaders allow for processes above and below wing to run in tandem, while still maintaining safety as our top priority.  Some of the new processes to be put in place include:

Collection and tagging of excess or oversized cabin baggage at boarding lounge to avoid last minute offloading of cabin baggage to cargo holds.

Early boarding of special handling passengers such as the elderly, handicaps, passengers with infants, into the aircraft while catering is being uplifted at the rear galley with the rear curtain extended.

Boarding of passengers by seat number in the alternating sequence to expedite the boarding process.

Relocation of the drop and pick-up point of baby strollers and newspaper trolley from the forward entry door of the aircraft to a designated point at the path to the aerobridge for speedy embarkation and prevent congestion on the aerobridge.

Positioning of mobile steps at the rear aircraft door to provide access to a set of cleaners to commence cleaning of the rear galley and lavatories during passenger disembarkation. A second set of cleaners is to enter the aircraft through the forward entry door after all passengers have disembarked.

Collection of loose disposal items and idle newspapers by cabin crew before the flight descends to further reduce the cabin cleaning time on ground.

Dynamic allocation of manpower for ramp and baggage handling process to expedite baggage and cargo loading at the front and rear cargo holds. As such, additional ramp and baggage loaders will be injected into the team to assist on selected flights with heavy loads.

Improvement in worker efficiency and productivity for below wing activities such as cargo and baggage loading and refueling by standing by the team at ramp site before the estimated time of arrival of the aircraft. This will ensure that unloading of cargo and baggage and refueling exercise can commence the moment the aircraft is on chock.

The above mentioned new processes are, in actuality, an exercise in boosting MAS’ operational effectiveness. MAS passengers can rest assure that the customer experience will not be compromised, as our five-star standards and service offering will not be affected.

6 Responses to “Project Pitstop - Moving Like Clockwork”
 

• anap_ilmi says:

All flight will face the same step like this rite?no special..huhu

November 26th, 2008 at 8:20 pm

• Petra says:

How about passengers safety when all these taking place?
How about the obstruction of exits during this process?

November 27th, 2008 at 9:03 am

• Akunamatata says:

Hmm,its really good to come up with this plan but the major problem is, we really don’t have enough staff to do this. Can’t compare to F1 also because they have many staff but one car while we are on the opposite side.

November 30th, 2008 at 2:19 am

• Joshua Law says:

Ensuring passenger safety is the utmost factor to MAS operations and it is not something which MAS will ever compromise. When all the enhance processes are put in place, Flight Safety Department is engaged to ensure that we do not infringe any safety regulations such as obstruction of exits & etc.

December 1st, 2008 at 8:12 am

• Petra says:

I travelled on MH quite recently and was given a seat at 27D. Upon arrival here in KLIA, your new baby and made famous by cronym of Pitstop has really taken a serious implementation by those departments that directly involved, one of them is the cabin cleaning services.
The moment the aircraft arrived and the engines were shut off, the aft door was opened and these happened:
1. A sudden rush of hot air blowing into the cabin and it was uncomfortable for us to bear. Could not wait to leave the plane. I think, that is what you want it to be?
2. A suddent “evaporating” of body odour from about 5 cabin cleaners which entered the cabin and it was worst when the door was shut closed right after that. Could not wait to leave the plane. I think, that is what you want it to be?
3. Safety
They were 2 crew members and 5 cabin cleaners cramped together in that tiny galley. I supposed there are two main exits at the rear of the aircraft. My question is, were they(the cleaners) trained to jump the slide in the event of immediate evacuation, with their plastic bags, vacuum cleaners etc? I think they could have been SOME of the obstuctions at these exits.

December 13th, 2008 at 10:40 pm

• Lee PK says:

Dear tgpetra,

Good day and thank you for visiting our Living MH Blog!

We regret for the inconvenience caused during your flight with Malaysia Airlines. Your feedback is very much appreciated and it’s important for us to improve our processes.

It’s has always been our objective to ensure passengers comfort when we embarked on this very important project.

For your information, this feedback is being looked at during our weekly meeting and the following are some of corrective actions to resolve the issue.

1. We will limit a maximum of 2 cleaners to enter the aircraft.

2. At the same time, the passenger steps which the cleaner uses to enter the aircraft will be parked longer than before.

3. Curtains will be pulled at the galley for passengers comfort.

4. In the event of emergency, the parked passenger step is the best option for any evacuation. Further all cleaners are briefed and trained on evacuation procedures.

The team has started working on the proposed changes, and we hope you will continue flying with MH. Malaysian Hospitability all the way!

Thank you and best regards,
Lee Poh Kait
Management
Malaysia Airlines

December 19th, 2008 at 3:58 am

By: Capt. Ram Singh Virik (Flight Operations)

Pulau Layang-Layang or Layang-Layang Island is located about 300 kilometres off the coast of Sabah which is in Borneo, Malaysia. An isolated atoll/island located right in the middle of South China Sea, it makes a great getaway for relaxation with the undersea wildlife and migratory birds.

- Warm tropical paradise with turquoise waters -

As you can see from the photos attached, there is a runway and resort located on one side of the island. This allows easier access to the island with comfortable lodging facilities.

Personally, I have not visited the island yet. Nevertheless, viewing it with its greenish-blue lagoon, from 40,000 feet, has certainly created the curiosity in me to find out more about what it may offer.

According to the www.layanglayang.com website, the island is a dream come true for any marine life lover. It offers great underwater visibility and the opportunity to swim with turtles as well as abundant fish and coral life.

"Guess its time to experience more of the underwater world..."

- The airstrip and resort is located at the top end -

One Response to “Views from the cockpit: Pulau Layang-Layang”
 

• Prity Sekhon says:

Wow!!! This is truly a breathtakingly scenic view.Never Knew Malaysia had such beautiful places …leave it to you Ram, to stumble across places like these…I suppose its one of the perks that come with flying.Pulau Layang-Layang does indeed look very inviting. Maybe we should plan a family holiday there soon …then gurdit can go fly his layang -layang there;)!!!!

November 24th, 2008 at 2:52 am

By: Aizzura Rahim (Investor Relations)

We had an Investor Day on 26th of June, the fifth one we’ve had over the past two and a half years. As always, response was encouraging, and because we want our investors and analysts to have the maximum opportunity to engage with our management, we had to put a cap to the number of participants, and unfortunately had to turn down many requests (sorry, guys!). The Investor Day is one of the major events in our Investor Relations calendar, and the IR team scrambled into overdrive to make it happen.

The day kicked off with our CEO, Dato’ Sri Idris, painting the current sombre picture of the airline industry, which was really useful to drive across the message that MAS is indeed not resting on its laurels after achieving record profits in 2007. Our work is far from being done, and with the industry-wide crisis looming, we will double (perhaps even triple!) our efforts in ensuring our long-run profitability and sustainability. Idris shared some insights on MAS’ 4-Pillar Strategy, i.e. aggressive steps taken in countering the alarming levels of fuel prices.

According to Idris, the rampant upward movements in oil prices have left airlines with no choice but to make drastic changes to the way they carry their businesses – or suffer the consequences, i.e. go bankrupt. As MAS sees it, we will raise our fuel surcharges and fares, reduce our capacity, cut our costs even more aggressively and innovate our way in setting new trends of doing business. However, Idris also emphasised that, given the lack of indicators of oil prices trading downwards in the near future, an airline can only do so much to counter the fuel price effects. More important, the world must adjust to higher oil prices, and that means higher price of air travel too.

The CFO, Tengku Dato’ Azmil, took to the stage next to bring the participants up to date on MAS’s hedging and aircraft plans. Since we announced our narrow-body aircraft orders in the earlier part of the year, many have raised questions on when exactly we will announce our wide-body aircraft plans. Tengku made full use of the opportunity at hand to explain that purchasing an aircraft is a tedious task. Apart from analysing the costs, you will need to analyse the feasibility/usability of the said aircraft for the next 10-20 years of its useful life. You do not want to make a mistake in the choice of aircraft, as you may very well need to live with that “mistake” for the next 5 years (until the aircraft is delivered) and for the next 15 years (approximate number of years the aircraft will be in service) – 20 years is indeed a very long time to live with a mistake! So let’s all be more patient in awaiting the final verdict. We’re all excited, I know, I am too, but as of now, the company is evaluating all its options, and we’ll announce a decision in due course.

The afternoon session was spent covering MAS’ various initiatives in more detail. Dato’ Bernard Francis kicked off with the Everyday Low Fares campaign. To this day, many people are wondering if we’re tilting towards becoming an LCC by introducing the ELF concept to our customers. The answer is “NO!”. We’re simply making use of the 30% normally unutilised seats by selling them at low, low prices for the sole purpose of *drumroll* recovering our fuel expenses! It’s a simple concept really, and it all boils down to the crazy prices of fuel. You see, supermarkets do it all the time. Rather than have a perishable good go to waste when it is unsold after its “used by” date, a supermarket may sell the good at half its normal price. So the supermarket at least recovers the money it spent on buying that item, transporting it to the supermarket, and putting it on the shelf for consumers. That is exactly what we’re doing, and successfully if I may add. It’s a win-win situation for both the consumers and us. Our consumers get to travel (5-star, nothing less, thank you very much!) at cheaper prices and we get to increase our revenues to offset higher fuel prices.

Next up was Dr Amin Khan of MASwings. He proudly recounted the steps taken by MASwings when it first took over the Rural Air Services from the previous operator. Although bogged down by a multitude of operational problems, most significantly the fact that only 50% of the aircrafts were airworthy, MASwings rose to the challenge of restoring the high efficiency and quality of air services for rural Sarawakians and Sabahans, a few months ahead of the originally agreed date. Since then, MASwings has introduced many initiatives including Wings for Children, Wings of Borneo, Wings of Inspiration and Wings of Love for the people of East Malaysia. MASwings also aspires to be a truly green airline when it receives its ATR72-500 aircrafts, an aircraft that boasts of fuel efficiency that is 11% better than a typical European car! I haven’t had the chance to fly on MASwings before, but after listening to the presentation by Dr Amin - who spoke of the airline like a doting father speaking of his favourite child – I know I must grab the  Wings of Borneo’s packages before the end of the year. For only US$171, it is indeed a steal for nature lovers.

Dato’ Tajuden (Director of Operations) and En Roslan (MD, MAS Aerospace Engineering or MAE) closed the eventful day with updates on Project Delta and the Engineering Breakthrough Program respectively. Being the presenters with the graveyard shift, when even the event organiser (yours truly) was at risk of falling asleep right off her chair (Blame Euro 2008!), they both rose to the occasion by flawlessly sharing their divisional initiatives and updates. Project Delta, a concept which was first publicly introduced in the BTP 2 book, is tracking well, with the identified strategies reaping savings as projected. The MRO business too is showing tremendous potential, as revenues from the business have been steadily growing since 2006. MAS already has a stable of renowned airlines in its list of MRO clients, and is confident of adding more names to the list as the year progresses. Coupled with the JV it signed with Qantas earlier, MAE looks set to become one of the MRO powerhouses in the region in the next few years.

The fun didn’t end there for the participants though. A session in the B777 simulator was arranged next for them, from which they emerged wondering “Why didn’t I become a pilot?!!!” or at least that is what I think they said…. because unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to sit in the cockpit with them as I was too busy looking for a security pass that one of our participants apparently misplaced *dagger looks*! Heheh. Kidding. (The poor guy eventually found his pass in his bag).

I hope each and every one of our participants found the Investor Day useful and beneficial and enjoyed the event as much as we had fun arranging it. Can’t wait for the next one!

By: Sharul Hezry Isahak (Engineering & Maintenance)

I’m Sharul Hezry Isahak, known to some as “doc”, a nickname I got since my school days maybe due to who my father is, a doctor. I became part of the MAS family since 1993 as a trainee workshop engineer. I did a lot of engineering work during my training period mainly on aircraft engines and finally established as a Workshop Engineer in AERO in the year 1997 just before GE took over.

During my free time, I love to play guitar, travel as well as computers.  It was around 1998 when I started to develop interest in the IT field and started to learn about the world of IT.  I started going to the World Wide Web to do my research and learn more things. It fascinates me on how pieces of hardware can change the way we live.

It is not until the year 2000 that I decided to actually enroll myself at Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) to further my studies in computers. I did part time studies, night classes for 2 years and managed to obtain a Higher Diploma in Information Systems from APIIT. It was a hard 2 years but it was well worth it.

As for my work, it was always technically inclined and revolves around aircraft. I also managed to get some knowledge regarding planning and project management along the way.

As an IT graduate, I have learnt that observation and research is the key to find and solve problems and that was what I did. I took the initiative to go down to the hangar floor and look for issues and problems. It was than highlighted in order to gather interest of solving it. Unfortunately, nobody was interested except a few. I was told that the policy is not to develop anything related to IT. As stubborn as I am, I gathered the precious few and start brainstorming on those issues and how to solve them. The hope was always to start small and build it up as we go along.

The solution that was developed proved to be a success. Along the way, the focus for development revolves around user friendliness and data availability which later produced a number of small systems. The plan was always to one day integrate them into a bigger and more powerful piece of software.

I believe in self development because we know what we are doing better than anyone out there. We just need to dig deep within ourselves and explore our talents and the possibilities.

After countless “teh tarik” sessions, we decided to embark on our biggest project, E-PROMIS (Engineering Project Management System). I took around 6 month to actually lay down all the plan and process. Once finalized, I developed it and that took another 3 month and it was ready around February 2007. Then, the biggest task was to convince others to actually use it. The acceptance level was low at that time with lots of skeptics. I think it is due to the thought that we can’t do it as well as if we outsourced it. It is partially true but do they know what we need? The development of E-PROMIS was always towards what we need and how does the users use it. To me there is nothing more important than the people who are actually using it regularly. E-PROMIS went for a trial run on one aircraft check and to everyone’s surprise, it was a success. It proves to be easy to use, data availability was high and produces what we need.

E-PROMIS is a system that can manage an aircraft check/maintenance. It will handle all material/spare related to that aircraft. It also does some planning and reporting. It provides data to capture cost and capping base calculations. The end result is to be able to charge our customer accurately and in a timely manner.

With the success, it captured the attention of the management. As of today, E-PROMIS is used on all aircraft checks regardless of origin. It proves to be a valuable tool to properly manage what is done and what is needed in an aircraft check.

I would like to take this chance to thank all who has contributed to the development and success of E-PROMIS mainly to the “E-PROMIS Team”. Without their help, E-PROMIS may not be here today. They are :

1.       Sharul Hezry Isahak – Developer

2.       Rodzuan Che Kob – Process & Procedure

3.       Ding Daw Swee – Change Management

4.       Azlie Saufi – Change Management & Procedure

By: Captain Ram Singh Virik (Flight Operations)

This was my second experience seeing a dust storm after all these years of flying (19 years). This recent aerial view shot was taken over western Syria where the surface wind was reported to be above 30 knots, thus blowing the desert sand and creating a harsh surface weather. It was on my return flight from FCO (Rome) to KUL (Kuala Lumpur) MH 15 on 14th Mar, 2008.

An announcement was made to share this rare sighting with our customers/passengers onboard and guess what? One of our business class passengers told me that it was great to see it from the aircraft as he previously worked on the desert oil rigs during such bad weather conditions.

My only other experience with a dust storm was when I was flying the Boeing 747-400 as a First Officer, 10 to 15 years ago. At that time, we were taking-off from DXB (Dubai) when a dust storm started to blow in covering half the length of our take-off runway. It looked like we were taking-off into a brown wall. Yes, it was rather scary then as it was my first experience and thank God, I haven’t experience another like it since.

“Flying allows for such great views and experiences.”

By: Zaileen Hashim (Communications)

I love rainbows! I jump at the sight of a rainbow whenever I see one and it’s like my eyes are just drawn to it. It always feels refreshing to see these spectrums of colors that magically appear in the blue sky. After seeing these magical colors, I feel refreshed as if the rainbow has just cleansed my soul. I know it sounds like a quote written in a soul searching book but it somehow gives me a good vibe like something exciting is going to happen.

I had similar feelings when my friends at work showed me the photos of the 1st of our 14 A330 aircraft that has been refurbished with new colorful seat covers. This aircraft commenced its flight operations on 28 May 2008 flying both the domestic and regional routes.

Malaysia Airlines is undergoing a cabin refurbishment programme which will involve a total of 41 Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 aircraft. The programme is a part of the initiatives to transform the carrier into a Five Star Value Carrier (FSVC), under its Business Transformation Plan (BTP 2).

The major cabin refurbishment programme includes new colorful seats covers, carpet and unpleated curtains. Seat cushion and arm caps will be replaced with a new material designed to enhance the seat comfort level.

The conversion programme is on schedule and by next year, 15 January 2009, all the Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 aircraft will see a new and improved cabin interior.

We have received good feedback from our customers who said that the different colors made the aircraft more vibrant and cheerful. Which goes back to my reasoning that colors do have a life of their own.