Fate of troubled Malaysia Airlines hangs by a thread

Published Mon, Nov 9, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Kuala Lumpur

MONEY, time and luck are what Malaysia Airlines (MAS) need at the moment to stay afloat, but realistically have very little of.

The straw that might well break the camel's back was last month's announcement by Malaysia's finance minister that the government will no longer inject cash or capital into the airline through its sole shareholder Khazanah Nasional.

Observers wonder if the 73-year-old airline is on its last legs, with the carrier still figuring out how best to restructure its operations after being forced to ground almost all its flights due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a memo to staff in October, Izham Ismail, the chief executive of MAS and group CEO of parent Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said the negotiations with creditors and lessors are still ongoing and takin…