KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) today announced three new routes to Maldives, Chiang Mai and Da Nang, as part of its business expansion plan by tapping into the leisure market.

MAB is part of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG).

The airline will provide enhanced connectivity from its main hub in Kuala Lumpur, with new direct flights to the said locations, with tickets available for sale beginning today. MAB will begin daily flights to Maldives from August 1, daily flights to Da Nang beginning September 24 and five times weekly flights to Chiang Mai beginning August 15.

"We fairly believe that we are largely competitive in the market. So, if you go down today and buy these fares in MATTA (Fair), I can assure you it will be one of the best deals out there, for a premium carrier, that will give you all those affordable experiences that you get as well,” MAG chief commercial officer of the airline business Dersenish Aresandiran told a press conference today.

"Our strategy is to circumnavigate around number one, overcapacity, and to circumnavigate around markets which are heavily driven by leisure markets-leisure markets are actually budget. So, how do we do that? So, it is very key that we drive international flow," added Datuk Izham Ismail, the group managing director of MAG.

This will mark the airline’s 13th destination in South Asia and 16th in ASEAN, as it seeks to boost its presence within key markets.

The airline also unveiled its new A330neo business class and economy class seats as part of its fleet modernisation plan, ahead of the first aircraft’s scheduled delivery in the third quarter.

The new A330neo cabin will feature many firsts for MAB and historically in its fleet. Among those is the introduction of the Collins Aerospace Elevation Business Class seats, featuring an all-suite cabin with individual privacy doors, as well as wireless charging pods available at all 28 of the Business Class seats.

Chief operations officer of MAG’s airline business, Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi, said that the airline is set to become the world's leading carrier to feature Elevation seats on the A330 airframe, solidifying its position as an industry leader in passenger experience and innovation.