KLIA, 12 February 2019: Malaysia Airlines today officially launched Amal (formerly known as Project Hope), a pilgrim-centric service dedicated for Hajj and Umrah, with the unveiling of its official name and logo.

The event which was held at its Engineering Complex, was graced by Malaysia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and attended by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Malaysia, His Excellency Mahmud Hussein Saeed Al Qattan, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) Board members as well as its senior management team. Also in attendance were Malaysia Aviation Group Chief Executive Officer, Captain Izham Ismail and Chief Executive Officer of Amal, Hazman Hilmi Sallahudin.

The event included a tour showcasing Amal’s unique onboard experience. This includes Talbiyah, Doa Musaffir, Azan and Tazkirah on board as well as Miqat announcement.

Amal’s offerings reflect the Islamic values and principles and it is confident it will be the hajj and umrah carrier of choice connecting Muslims in Southeast Asia, primarily Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to the Holy Land.

Malaysia Aviation Group Chief Executive Officer, Captain Izham Ismail said, “I am pleased to welcome Amal, the pilgrimage arm of Malaysia Airlines. Amal is the first in the world to offer a dedicated pilgrim-centric airline service. We see big potential for the Hajj and Umrah market and we have the added advantage of having years of experience providing such a service. The opportunity is not just in Malaysia but also in Thailand and Indonesia, which are just next door. Indonesia in particular has a Muslim population 10 times larger than Malaysia and is an under-served market. The aim is to establish an air transport system and infrastructure dedicated for Hajj and Umrah for Muslims not just from these three countries but also other ASEAN countries.”

Chief Executive Officer of Amal, Hazman Hilmi Sallahudin said, “It is a privilege to be part of our pilgrims’ remarkable journey and we envisage Amal to be the best pilgrimage carrier in the world through an enriched onboard experience. The establishment of Amal is also hoped to alleviate the overall quality of services in the pilgrimage market which is often associated to non-premium services. As Saudi Arabia aims to quadruple the number of pilgrims to 30 million by 2030, Amal is honoured to play a part in making Saudi Vision 2030 a great success.”

Amal by Malaysia Airlines commenced its first service in October 2018 and operates up to three daily flights to Jeddah and Madinah on the A380-800 aircraft.