Malaysia Airlines has opted to put its cargo eggs into two baskets, it seems – to the benefit of Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST). MST has become the second Dutch airport for the airline’s cargo services from Kuala Lumpur. It already flies to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (AMS). At the same time, MST is only the second airport in Europe served by Malaysia Airlines. From this month on, Malaysia Airlines will operate a scheduled weekly flight, deploying a “relatively fuel efficient and quieter” Airbus A330F on the route. The year has started well for MST. It welcomed Royal Jordanian Airlines back in JAN24, with its new fleet, and now Malaysia Airlines is the second business win. The airport puts its success down to the recent strategic investments and renovations that were carried out by its two shareholders: RSG (40%) and the province of Limburg (60%). Together, they invested EUR30 million in a new runway (completed last year), and another EUR40+ million are flowing into further infrastructure and hardware upgrades to the airport. Investments that stand it in good stead to deal with possible further fall-out from a slot-limited AMS, around the corner. Jonas Van Stekelenburg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MST, said: “This is an important opportunity for MST, as since Royal Schiphol Group (RSG) invested in 40% of the airport last year, we have seen our operations consistently growing. Our new runway and close partnership with AMS are among the many reasons we can offer MH a great option to fly inbound and outbound cargo to and from. Our location, high-performing team, and efficiency are widely known to attract cargo flights, but being part of RSG is accelerating our growth and popularity within Europe as a top cargo destination.”
