Izham said the airline must consider its global partnerships and the expectations of premium passengers.

“It’s a very difficult decision because you have partners – Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, American Airlines – and they have their top-tier customers.

“So you cannot ignore that completely,” he said on the Faculty CEO Series podcast hosted by former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Izham also said the airline had made adjustments for Muslim crew members, including the option of wearing hijab.

He added that the Amal crew, previously focussed on flights to Medina and Jeddah, was now also deployed on routes to cities such as London and Tokyo.

Izham said he understood Islamic sensitivities concerning alcohol, but stressed that broader commercial and economic realities must also be considered.

“I am a Muslim and I know that I shouldn’t be advocating alcohol. But I (also) look at the wider economy, global business,” he said.

Malaysia Airlines serves alcohol on international flights longer than three hours, but only upon request by passengers.

PAS has consistently called for a total ban on alcohol by the national carrier, citing Islamic principles and the comfort of Muslim flight attendants. However, tourism bodies have warned that such a move could harm Malaysia’s reputation as a tourist destination.

Fuel costs rising, industry at ‘tipping point’

Izham also warned that geopolitical tensions involving Iran and the US were quietly squeezing the aviation industry through surging fuel prices.

“The airline industry is at a tipping point … The US-Iran conflict is hitting us very subtly without us realising (it),” he said.

He said jet fuel costs had more than doubled from what they were during his time running Malaysia Airlines.

He said the airline’s monthly bill had risen from around RM400 million to between RM1.2 billion and RM1.5 billion.

He suggested that governments consider adopting a “cost-plus” pricing model for fuel to reduce pressure on industries and consumers.

He said this was because geopolitical uncertainty distorted crude oil pricing far beyond actual production and transport costs, making operations difficult across aviation and other sectors.