Outgoing MAG managing director Izham Ismail said the 2026–2030 roadmap builds on the momentum from LTBP 2.0 (2021–2025), which cut the group’s liabilities by RM15 billion and legacy debt by RM10 billion.
“LTBP 3.0 marks a shift from stabilisation to scaled and disciplined growth. At the core are bold outcomes, including positioning Malaysia Airlines among Skytrax’s Top 10 from the 27th rank today.
“We also want to see the doubling of MAG’s topline revenue and drive more than 60% of growth in third-party revenue across our aviation service businesses,” he said at the launch of the roadmap today.
Izham said the plan is anchored on four strategies: becoming a premium carrier in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening global partnerships, enhancing operational leadership, and building business resilience.
Malaysia Airlines Bhd’s chief operating officer, Nasaruddin Bakar, said stronger aviation infrastructure is critical to achieving LTBP 3.0’s ambitions.
He said the current infrastructure is “not convincing” enough to fully support operational performance, adding that discussions are ongoing between MAG and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to address capacity and growth constraints.
MAG chief strategy officer Bryan Foong said the new roadmap will focus on expanding its network reach in the Asia-Pacific region, where growth potential is strongest.
He said MAG has no plan to invest in new hubs in North America and Africa for the time being.
“The first priority is to focus on deploying more wide-body aircraft in this region to enhance our capacity. The second is elevating customer experiences on all aircraft,” he said.
Izham reflects on proudest moments
Izham, who will retire on Jan 31, expressed pride in his eight years at MAG, particularly in developing strong leadership from executive to managerial levels.
“It was a painful journey to ensure that our succession plan was robust. We have shown improvements in every aspect year on year. I believe that MAG is in good hands,” he said.
He also highlighted MAG’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, increasing non-Bumiputera staff in back-office roles from 30% to 47%.
“We uphold diversity because it’s important for us to deliver Malaysian hospitality. That’s the value of being a true Malaysian,” he said, adding that he hoped other GLCs would take note and follow suit.
Izham, who will be succeeded by Nasaruddin, began his career with Malaysia Airlines as a pilot in 1979, later taking on key leadership roles before being appointed group managing director on Dec 1, 2017, and becoming the company’s longest-serving chief executive.