KUALA LUMPUR, 10 March 2026: ‘AMAL by Malaysia Airlines’ resumed normal operations to Jeddah (JED) and Madinah (MED) as of 8 March 2026, following a suspension of services due to regional airspace closures.
‘AMAL by Malaysia Airlines’ is a specialised brand and subsidiary under the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) dedicated exclusively to providing pilgrimage travel services for Hajj and Umrah.
Last week’s military escalation in the Gulf had a significant operational impact on AMAL by Malaysia Airlines, leading to a total suspension of its pilgrimage services, followed by a phased resumption. Roughly 243 Malaysian Umrah pilgrims were reported stranded in Saudi Arabia during the peak of the closures as the airline waited for safe air corridors to reopen. As regional authorities established “safe corridors,” AMAL began a cautious, limited resumption to support stranded travellers.
To bypass the snarled Gulf hubs, Malaysia Airlines deployed extra A350-900 flights to London and Paris to move passengers who would normally transit through the Middle East.
Codeshare Impact: Services to Doha (typically used for connections to the broader Middle East and Europe via Qatar Airways) remained grounded even as pilgrimage flights began to restart.
Meanwhile, the airline confirms that its flights to Doha (DOH) will remain suspended until 13 March 2026, as it continues to assess the security situation.
The airline advises passengers to update their contact information via ‘My Booking’ for timely updates. Assistance is also available via Live Chat on the website, or by contacting the Malaysia Airlines Global Contact Centre at 1 300 88 3000 (Malaysia) or +603 7843 3000 (outside of Malaysia).
Malaysia Airlines introduced additional flights between Kuala Lumpur and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Kuala Lumpur and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) over the weekend from 6 to 8 March 2026 to support travellers affected by ongoing disruptions across global travel networks.
Malaysia Airlines operates its regular daily services alongside supplementary flights, using its A350-900 aircraft to destinations in Europe. It is also working closely with its partner airlines across Europe and Asia to facilitate onward connections for passengers affected by airspace disruptions in the Gulf states.
Malaysia Aviation Group, Chief Executive Officer of the Airline Business, Bryan Foong, said: “Malaysia Airlines is stepping up by adding capacity where it matters, working closely with our partners and ensuring people can continue moving safely and reliably between Asia and Europe.”
(Source: Malaysia Airlines with additional reporting)
