Malindo Air has officially changed its name to Batik Air. The company, Malindo Airways Sdn Bhd, has been granted a new Air Operators Certificate (AOC) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to operate as Batik Air starting 28th April 2022.
To recap, Malindo Air is a Malaysian-based airline that was launched in 2013 through a joint venture between Malaysia’s National Aerospace & Defence Industries Sdn Bhd (NADI) and Indonesia’s PT Lion Group. It currently operates a fleet of Boeing 737s and ATR 72-600s.
Malindo Air started its rebranding process 5 years ago
Interestingly, Malindo Air was supposed to be renamed Batik Air in the second half of 2017. According to the airline’s former CEO Chandran Rama Muthy, the branding change will give the airline a better position in the Lion Air Group and offer seamless domestic and international services. He aimed to promote the Batik Air Malaysia brand across the 16 countries it operated in to boost the country, heritage, and culture.
In May 2017, Malindo Air became the world’s first airline to receive and operate the Boeing 737 Max 8. As seen here, the Malaysian registered 737 Max aircraft was delivered in Batik Malaysia livery, and it promises to offer superior economics and performance compared to its existing 737 next-generation fleet.
After a few months in operations, Malindo’s 737 Max aircraft were eventually transferred to Lion Group. In 2019, Malindo Air confirms it no longer operates the 737 Max following the two disastrous crashes involving Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air.
Batik Air a new identity for full-service airlines within Lion Group
In case you didn’t know, there’s a Batik Air in Indonesia that began operations in 2013. It is a full-service airline with a diverse fleet of Airbus A320, A330 and Boeing 737-800.
According to Malindo’s latest statement, the rebranding exercise to Batik Air is in line with Lion Group’s goal to establish a common identity for full-service airlines within the group. With the approval from CAAM, it said Batik Air will be able to conduct improved business for seamless transfers, leveraging KLIA as a transit hub for the Lion Group of Airlines.
It added that the rebranding exercise will be conducted in phases and Batik Air will communicate to its passengers and partners progressively during the rollout. It was reported that Batik Air Malaysia will be taking deliveries of 10 units of Boeing 737 Max from Lion Group this year.
Despite the announcement, their official website and social channels including Facebook and Twitter are still showing the Malindo Air branding at the time of writing.
[ SOURCE, IMAGE SOURCE ]
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