Malaysia’s Malindo Air rapidly grows turboprop operation with new Penang base and Subang expansion

Lion Air Group Malaysian affiliate Malindo Air is focusing expansion in 2014 on its turboprop operation in response to opportunities on short routes within Malaysia. Malindo added five ATR 72-600s in 1H2014 and is taking another five in 2H2014, giving it a fleet of 13 ATR 72s but only eight 737-900ERs.

The heavy reliance on turboprops was not expected but enables Malindo to serve routes that are under the radar screen of all-A320 operator AirAsia. Malindo is instead competing mainly with Malaysia Airlines regional subsidiary Firefly as it has focused most of its expansion so far this year at Kuala Lumpur's second airport Subang.

Malindo is planning to open by the end of 2014 a second turboprop base at Penang and is also looking at potentially opening bases in the east Malaysian cities of Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. The new bases will support several new routes, some of which are completely unserved.