Following some years of political wrangling over philosophical difference over service, the governments of Malaysia and Singapore on May 14, 1968, sign an agreement to conclude their current airline agreement. Separate names and identities are chosen and even some services are operated under the new titles. Most of the assets of the combined carrier,
Including 9 Boeing 707-312Cs, 5 737-112s, and the management and technical bases, are in Singapore. Malaysia and its new MAS is left with the smaller propeller equipment (19 aircraft) and an extensive domestic system to operate in both the eastern and western parts of the nation, separated by between 500 and 1,000 miles of the South China Sea.
On October 1, 1972, the joint Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, Ltd. formally stand down in favor of the two individual state carriers. Despite its apparently unfavorable cut of the former company’s assets, company executives at MAS, led by Chairman G. K. Rama Iyer and Managing Director Saw Huat Lye, are optimistic; when a logo is chosen, it includes the initials MAS, which in the Malay national language spells the word for “gold.” The joint winged tiger logo is retired and in ceremonies at the new MAS headquarters in the Police Cooperative Building at Kuala Lumpur, the new emblem is unveiled, the wau, a traditional kite of Kelantan.
A total of 381,538 passengers are originated during the last quarter.
MAS is built up at its Kuala Lumpur base early in 1973. A fleet is assembled that comes to include 2 B-707-312Cs, 6 B-737-112s, 10 Fokker F.27s, and 4 Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders; several aircraft are held under lease-purchase agreements. Revenue flight operations continue within Malaysia and provide the fastest link between east and west.
Service from Kuala Lumpur to Bandar Seri Bagawan (formerly Brunei City) begins on January 12, while flights are also started to Hong Kong and Jakarta (April 1) and Taipei (October 1).
Customer bookings climb 46.2% to 1,864,000 and freight traffic increases 75.9%.
Airline employment in 1974 stands at 5,422. Another B-707-312C joins the fleet and two more B-737-112s are delivered in September. A DC-10-30 is purchased for 1976 delivery. In addition to expanded frequencies on a revitalized domestic route network, international B-707-312C services are inaugurated to Tokyo on April 1, London via Dubai on July 1, Madras on August 1, Sydney and Manila on October 2. Working solely on behalf of this airline, the Pilgrims Management Board (Lembaga Urusan & Tabung Haji) arranges a significant number of Hadj charter flights to Jeddah.
Passenger boardings climb 26% to 2,201,000 and freight traffic skyrockets 135% to 18.93 million FTKs.
The workforce grows in 1975 to 5,641. The ninth B-737-112 (a QC) arrives in September as a second DC-10-30 is ordered. A route is opened to Melbourne on October 1. A second Sydney frequency is added plus B-737QC freighter service on domestic routes.
Freight soars 40.4% while passenger bookings increase 7.5% to 2,506,000.
The employee population in 1976 swells 15% to 6,759. The company now begins to concentrate on the region’s tourism potential and on July 24, inaugurates Golden Holiday vacation flights to Bangkok and the Thai vacation resort of Pattaya.
The carrier’s first DC-10-30 is delivered on August 2 and is placed in service on October 2 over its new daily Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong, Taipei, and Tokyo route. Meanwhile, a B-707-312C route is started to Perth and Air Vice Marshal Sulaiman Sujah becomes deputy chairman.
Passenger boardings accelerate 6.2% to 2,661,000 and cargo climbs 31.8%.
A new and larger runway is opened at Penang Airport on June 19, 1977; it will allow MAS to fly tourists into that area’s holiday attractions. The second DC-10-30 arrives in September and is assigned to the European service to London on October 30; on November 1, the aircraft inaugurates service to the British capital from Sydney via Kuala Lumpur and Kuwait. On November 30, Frankfurt joins the European network.
While on descent from Penang to Kuala Lumpur on December 4, the pilot of Flight 653, a B-737-2H6 with 6 other crew and 93 passengers, radios that he has lost control of his aircraft to a hijacker (later confirmed as Japanese Red Army). The Boeing continues on toward Singapore when suddenly, at an altitude of 21,000 ft., the nose of the plane is seen to pitch up, control is lost, the ship turns over into a sharp descent, and crashes into a swamp 50 km. from Johore Bharu, Singapore, disintegrating upon impact. There are no survivors. It will later be suggested that the aircraft had either run out of fuel or both pilots had been shot.
Enplanements total 2,642,075.
The employee population in 1978 totals 7,396. Orders are placed for three Airbus Industrie A300B4-203s and a B-737-212. A concentrated drive is undertaken to develop and strengthen existing routes.
Passenger traffic is up 7% to 2,843,812 while freight soars 78.2%. Operating and net profits of $29.5 million and $10 million are, respectively, earned.
The carrier’s first A300B4-203 is delivered in September 1979 as plans are made to retire the B-707-312Cs. With a second on hand, the type begins flying to Jakarta, Madras, Perth, and Hong Kong on November 16. A labor dispute and the temporary grounding of the DC-10-30s as a result of the June 9 Chicago American Airlines crash permit results that are good, but less than forecast.
Passenger boardings jump 13.8% to 3,236,000, but cargo falls 17.3%. On revenues of $251.9 million, expenses grow 10% to $223.3 million, leaving an $18.7-million operating profit.
Airline employment is increased by 14.7% in 1980 to 9,207 and, now that the third A300B4-203 has arrived, Airbus service is inaugurated on January 1 to Taipei, Seoul, and Tokyo. On January 4, Amsterdam joins the list of European DC-10-30 markets. The three B-707-312Cs are thereafter retired. In April, the carrier leases a DC-10-30, a B-737-212, and two F.27s pending delivery of an equivalent number of purchased aircraft plus a fifth Airbus. An Air Service Agreement is concluded on July 24 permitting wide-body service between Malaysia and Singapore and service is extended to Dubai during summer and fall.
During the year, the reconfiguration of all DC-10 — 30s and B-737-112s to high-density seating is undertaken, and a new color scheme is introduced on the B-737-112s and F.27s.
Passenger boardings jump 21% to 4,081,000 and freight leaps 58.8% to 110.13 million FTKs. Although revenues advance by 50.2% to $363.6 million, expenses accelerate 57.5% to $351.6 million. Consequently, the operating profit falls to $12 million.
The employee population is raised by 9.9% in 1981 to 10,116. A third DC-10-30, a fourth A300B4-203, and two F.27-500s begin joining the fleet.
In April, Paris becomes the carrier’s fourth European destination. Two de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300s are ordered for a local Rural Air Service and a shuttle service, jointly operated with Singapore Airlines, Ltd., is opened between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Cargo grows 9% to 133,000 FTKs, while passenger bookings rise 16.8% to 4.9 million. On revenues of $351.6 million, operating and net profits of $3.3 million and $2.6 million are, respectively, earned.
Dato’ Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman is named managing director in March 1982 and two Boeing 747-236Bs, formerly operated by British Airways, Ltd. (2), are delivered on March 12 and April 8, respectively; these are placed into operation on the Kuala Lumpur-London route. By November, the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur shuttle provides 15 daily return flights.
In December, joint services are inaugurated with Thai Airways International, Ltd. (THAI) over routes from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, Phuket, and Hat Yai and from Penang to Bangkok and Phuket.
Enplanements are 4,551,905 for the year.
Airline employment in 1983 is 10,124. From a base at Miri, three DHC-6-300s enter service to 16 destinations on a Rural Air Service into the interior of eastern Malaysia’s state of Sarawak, while one Twin Otter, based at Kota Kinabalu, provides RAS for Sabah. These operations augment service by larger aircraft to 37 other domestic points.
Joint services begin with Royal Brunei Airlines in May on a route from Kuala Lumpur to Bahrain and Cairo. In October, an agreement is signed with SilkAir, Ltd. covering joint services on routes to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur and Langkawai.
Flight 684, an A300B4-203 with 14 crew and 233 passengers on final approach to Kuala Lumpur on December 18, strikes trees 2 km. from the runway that cause it to eventually hit the ground and slide to a point 1,200 m. short of the runway; although the aircraft is damaged beyond repair, there are no fatalities.
Passenger traffic climbs 3.5% to 4,716,665 while freight jumps 15% to 148.16 million FTKs.
The payroll expands by 104 personnel in 1984. One more DHC-6 joins the fleet. A $1- million advertising campaign is undertaken in the U. S., Europe, and Australia to attract tourists. With assistance from Swissair, A. G., the company inaugurates a five-year program to upgrade its KOMMAS computer system, the largest and most varied in Malaysia.
Cargo is up 17.4% to 192.58 million FTKs and passenger boardings increase 7.8% to 5,626,000. A $41-million net profit is reported.
As a result of a joint service agreement signed with Air Lanka, Ltd. in February 1985, services between Kuala Lumpur and Colombo commence in April. Also, a simultaneous joint service with Northwest Airlines is inaugurated from Kuala Lumpur to San Francisco via Tokyo.
A twelfth B-737-212 arrives in June and in cooperation with Alia (Royal Jordanian Airlines) and employing a Jordanian L-1011, joint weekly roundtrip service is started from Amman to Kuala Lumpur in August.
Partial privatization is now authorized and the airline’s shares are put up for sale, all except for a Special Share that the government retains in order to ensure control of major decisions. When privatization is completed in December, the government’s stake is cut to 42%. The airline is the first Malaysian government agency to be privatized.
Enplanements total just over 6 million, including 150,000 flown on the Rural Air Service. On revenues of $461 million, a $39.9-million net profit is realized.
Joint service with Garuda Indonesian Airlines begins in March 1986 over a route from Kuala Lumpur to Denpasar. In May, a new cargo center, with 166,000 square feet of storage area, is opened at Kuala Lumpur. Following delivery of a B-747-3H6C on July 17, twice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Tokyo-Los Angeles flights begin at month’s end as the Northwest Airlines pool ends. The newly delivered Jumbojet employed on the service is the 650th B-747 manufactured by Boeing.
With radical changes ahead, the carrier stops supplying figures at the end of July. Through the year’s first 6 months, bookings fall 3.7% to 3,114,891 while freight dips 3.8% to 118 million FTKs. In August, a B-737-200 is ordered for delivery during the next year. The government elects to privatize the airline and a total of 52.5 million shares are sold by it in October, as the state interest shrinks to 45%.
The semi-state carrier Pelangi Air, Ltd. is established on September 1, 1987, with MAS holding an 11% shareholding. A third weekly roundtrip to Los Angeles is begun via Honolulu. In one of the carrier’s last substantial acts under its name, MAS, also in September, signs another cooperative agreement with Garuda Indonesian Airlines; in exchange for the four-month lease of an Indonesian DC-10, pilots of the two carriers are allowed access to the simulators of each. On October 15, the company is renamed Malaysia Airlines, Ltd. (MAS).
MALAYSIAN AIRWAYS, LTD.: Malaysia (1962-1967). In November 1962, Malayan Airways, Ltd. is reconfigured and renamed Malaysian Airways, Ltd. Previous routes, personnel, aircraft, and agreements remain intact. On December 4, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Comet 4Bs replace Britannia 312s on the company’s new Silver Kiris service from Singapore to Hong Kong via Kuala Lumpur.
The company joins in a pooled service agreement on January 9, 1963 with Cathay Pacific Airways, Ltd. and Thai Airways International, Ltd. (THAI). The first of five Fokker F.27-100s are delivered on May 31 and begin flying the Singapore to Kuala Lumpur trunk route. In September, the two leased Vickers Viscount 760s previously operated under lease from BOAC are transferred to Aden Airways, Ltd. At the same time, the new Friendships inaugurate Silver Kiris flights to Kuching.
Enplanements for this first full year of service under the company’s new name total 228,373.
Merger discussions are begun with Borneo Airways, Ltd. in 1964. A $1-million flight kitchen is opened to serve all airlines operating through Singapore.
A DH-106 Comet 4 with 8 crew and 60 passengers is destroyed as the result of a bad landing at Singapore on March 22; there are no fatalities.
On April 1, a wet-leased BOAC Comet 4 jetliner inaugurates a stop at Jesselton, North Borneo. In June, Chairman Dato Loke Wan is killed in an air accident on Taiwan; he is succeeded by Kuala Lumpur lawyer Yong Pung How.
Passenger boardings rise 18.6% to 280,557 and revenues are reported to have increased by 19.2%.
In April 1965, Borneo Airways, Ltd. is acquired and merged; its Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneers will be replaced on local services with three Cessna 310s. Borneo’s base at Jesselton, a Comet 4B stop between Hong Kong and Singapore, is taken over and enlarged and its Sabah and Sarawak routes are handed over along with its fleet.
Airline employment is 1,953 and the combined fleet now includes 21 aircraft: 5 Comet 4Bs (including 4 purchased from BOAC in May), 1 Cessna 310, 4 DC-3s, 8 Fokker F.27s, and 3 Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneers. Work is begun on a new Singapore headquarters.
Passenger bookings grow 16.7% to 336,803 and revenues are up by 19%.
In 1966, the governments of Malaysia and Singapore purchase majority control of Malaysian Airways from British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), Qantas Empire Airways (Pty.), Ltd., and private interests and begin discussing combined operations. Comet 4 service from Singapore to Manila begins on July 1.
MAL joins in a large pooling agreement on April 13, 1967; its partners include BOAC, Qantas, Air India, and Air New Zealand, Ltd. It also begins flying to Perth and Sydney, Australia.
A Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer 1 fails its takeoff from Limbang on May 17; there are no fatalities.
The carrier’s new headquarters is completed about November 1, when the carrier’s name is changed to Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, Ltd.
MALAYSIAN HELICOPTER SERVICES, SDN. BHD.: Malaysia (1980-1996). Formed at Kuala Lumpur in late 1980 to service offshore oil rigs, MHS is owned by Malaysian Airlines System, Ltd. (MAS) (40%), Malaysia Air Charter, Ltd. (15%), Sabah Air, Ltd. (15%), and Hornbill Skyways, Ltd. (15%) plus the state of Trengganu (15%). The company receives management assistance from Bristow Helicopters, Ltd.
Passenger and cargo charter services and contract flights are inaugurated with a fleet comprising 1 each Sikorsky S-61N, Sikorsky S-76, and Aerospatiale SA-330J Super Puma. Services expand throughout the country and into nearby nations during the next 12 years.
MHS is listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange in November 1990 and a number of private investors acquire shareholding. One of these, Roxy Electric Industries, for example, acquires a 33% stake on February 14, 1991, valued at M$111 (US$41.2 million). Still, by the end of the year, 62% of its shares are owned by Dato’ Tajuddin Ramli’s Malaysian-based telecommunications concern Technology Resources Industry Berhad.
In early 1992, MHS is reformed into a holding company, with the original rotary-wing operation being reformed into MHS Aviation. Tan Sri Saw Huat Lye is named chairman, with Wan Malek Ibrahim as executive director.
The MHS fleet during the remainder of the year and in 1993 includes 4 Super Pumas, 3 Bell 412s, 6 S-61s, 2 S-76As, and 6 S-76Cs. In addition, fixed-wing aircraft are available: 2 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters and 1 BAe 125 Srs. 700B.
A 33.3% interest in Schreiner Airways, B. V. of The Netherlands is purchased in April for M$13 million ($5 million); of the total, 28.3% of the shares are acquired from founder Robert Schreiner (who keeps a token 5%), and the remainder from other shareholders, including KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.)
In November, the carrier pays $27.4 million to acquire a 24.9% stake in the WorldCorp subsidiary World Airways. Since the beginning of the year, the company’s stock has risen 550% from RM2.4 to RM15.7 in December.
After borrowing $694 million, Chairman Ramli, in January 1994, purchases 32% controlling interest (224 million shares) of Malaysia Airlines, Ltd. from the Bank of Negra, the nation’s central bank, which holds a 42% stake. This arrangement, worth M$1.8 billion ($700 million), will make MHS the airline’s largest shareholder, but will not announced until June 11.
The rotary-wing fleet continues to provide support services for the nation’s oil and gas industry during the year.
Operations continue apace in 1995. The fleet now includes 4 Super Pumas, 3 Bell 412s, 8 S-61Ns, 2 S-76As, and 6 S-76Cs. On December 13, the company signs an accord with AR Air Taxi Aereo, S. A. to establish a joint venture helicopter-support company in Brazil.
Early in 1996, the helicopter company MHS Aviation Sdn. Bhd. is spun off as a freestanding company.
MALDIVES AIRWAYS, LTD.: Maldives (1984-1986). MA is created in early 1984 as a new state airline to replace Maldives International, Ltd., which had stopped operations in late 1983. Initial equipment for the new entrant comprises 3 Douglas DC-8-51s and 1 Fokker F.27 and the first international services is flown to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Traffic downturns and cash flow difficulties force the carrier to stop flying in early 1986. Domestic operations are now undertaken by reborn Air Maldives, Ltd.
MALDIVES INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES, LTD. (MIA): Maldives (1977-1983). MIA is formed at Male’s Hulele Airport in September 1977 to succeed Air Maldives, Ltd., which had abruptly halted services in May following the government’s cancellation of its permits and seizure of its assets. The new national airline, jointly owned by the Maldive government and Indian Airlines Corporation, employs a Boeing 737-200 wet-leased from the latter to inaugurate services to Trivandrum via Colombo on November 3. This service is maintained until late in 1983 when it, too, stops.
MALDIVIAN AIR TAXI (PTY.), LTD.: P. O. Box 2023, Male, 20-03, Maldives; Phone 960 315201; Fax 960 315203; Http://www. mataxi. com; Year Founded 1995. MAT is set up at Male by Danish investors on November 4, 1995 to provide domestic scheduled passenger flights under the direction of Peter Selch. Revenue operations commence with a pair of float-equipped de Havilland Canada DHC-6-100s and a DHC-6-200.
Jasper Hougaard becomes general manager in 1996 and the Twin Otter fleet now includes 5 Dash-100s and 2 Dash-200s. In 1997-1999, four DHC-6-300s and two Bell 212s are added. Just after takeoff on December 6 of the latter year, a Bell 212 is forced to ditch at sea and sinks. All 10 people aboard are killed. The disaster is eerily similar to one on January 26 in which a Hummingbird Airways Mi-8 was lost.
MALERT HUNGARIAN AIR TRANSPORT CO. (MAGYAR LEGIFORGALMI): Hungary (1928-1945). The Hungarian Aviation Joint Stock Company, formed in 1922, is reformed and renamed in the middle of 1928. A Fokker F-VIII is acquired; Budapest builder Manfred Weiss acquires a license and builds two more, which are delivered early in the following year.
Two of the three Dutch-built Fokker F-XI Universals (as opposed to the American-made Model 4s) in existence are purchased and placed in service during 1930.
During the year, nearly 3,000 passengers are carried.
The fleet in 1931 comprises 5 aircraft, of which 2 are Fokker F-VIIas.
Late in the decade, the carrier acquires two Savoia-Marchetti SM-73s, which are employed to start service to Prague, Munich, Warsaw, and Bucharest, and five SM-75s. By 1939, the airline owns a fleet that includes the 2 Italian trimotors plus 3 Junkers Ju-52/3ms and averages 5,000 annual passenger boardings.
Although not annexed by Germany but rather an “ally,” Hungary and her airline come under the total influence of the Nazis and Deutsche Luft Hansa, A. G. (DLH), respectively. All of its aircraft are requisitioned and its employees are drafted for military services. The entire fleet is destroyed by the end of 1944 and all of the nation’s airfields are in ruins.
MALEV HUNGARIAN AIRLINES (MAGYAR LEGIKOZ-LEKEDAST VALLALAT, RT): Roosevelt ter 2, Budapest, H-1051, Hungary; Phone 36 (1) 266-9033; Fax 36 (1) 266-2759; http:// Www. malev. hu; Code MA; Year Founded 1946. In a fifty-fifty partnership, Hungary and the Soviet Union on March 29, 1946 form Magyar-Szovjet Legiforgalmi Tarsasag (Maszovlet) to provide domestic operations within Hungary. Maszovlet’s basic regulations are published on May 4 as Hungarian statute ME 4.740/1946. All of the surviving employees of the old Malert are assigned to the new concern on August 1 and 3 days later, 5 Lisunov Li-2s (Soviet-made Douglas DC-3s), the first of 11 to be handed over by the Soviets, begin to arrive at Budapest.
On August 17, members of the Hungarian government tour the Li-2s at Budapest and are given a test ride in one of them. By August 30, work is completed at eight provincial airports plus Budapest.
Five Soviet-made Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes, the first of eight to be received, arrives at Budapest on September 26. One of these drops leaflets over a capital city soccer game on October 6, announcing the pending resumption of airline services.
Four days later, the Hungarian Post Office board of directors votes to contract with Maszovlet for airmail services. The first such flight is conducted on October 15 over a route Budapest-Szombathely via Debre-can. Airmail flights to Szeged are opened on November 4, followed by the initiation of a route from Budapest-Gyocircr-Szombathely on December 16.
Maszovlet begins its first flight attendant training course on January 27, 1947 and the next day the company’s new fares come into effect. The company’s first summer timetable is inaugurated on February 10 and the premier flight attendant class is graduated on April 11. The next day, passenger service is inaugurated from Budapest to Szeged. A branch office of the Central Customs Directorate is opened at Budapest Airport on April 19 and on April 21 the first four stewardesses report for duty with Maszovlet.
An Li-2 scatters leaflets over the May 1 Budapest May Day parade and on May 8 the company undertakes its first foreign flight, a charter for the Hungarian state soccer team from Budapest to Torino via Bari. A pooling contract is signed with TARS, the Romanian airline, on May 10, which enables the two companies to inaugurate roundtrip services on May 23 from Budapest to Bucharest via Arad.
CSA (Czechoslovak Airlines) and Maszovlet sign a marketing agreement on June 9, while on June 10-11 the company performs charters for the Soviet Union, transporting Russian personnel to Zurich and Prague. In cooperation with CSA, joint public flights from Budapest via Bratislava to Prague commence on June 19, followed by the initiation of service to Miskolc on June 23.
A new Hungarian three-year economic plan begins on July 11. One of its paragraphs calls for the full restoration of Ferihegy Airport. Ten days later, two more Li-2s arrive from Moscow.
A Hungarian-Polish aviation agreement is signed at Budapest on August 28 and the eighth Li-2 is delivered on September 17. Employees receive an average 9% pay increase under a new collective bargaining agreement that takes effect on October 1.
Joint frequencies with LOT Polish Airlines begin on October 8 between Budapest and Warsaw. Budapest to Belgrade via Szeged Li-2 services begin on December 1 in cooperation with the Soviet-Yugoslav joint airline Jugoslovenske Sovjet Transport Aviaciza (JUSTA). Later in the month, company Po-2s operate emergency flights for the Ministry of Health and the national ambulance service.
Three more Li-2s arrive from the Soviet Union on January 28, 1948. Following JUSTA’s demise, the Belgrade service is suspended. Chartered Li-2s fly Hungarian athletes to the London Olympic Games between July 29 and August 14. Other highlights of the year include completion of work on Ferihegy Airport, charter flights from Budapest to Venice, a fare reduction, and the first employee newsletter.
While on a Pecs to Budapest flight on January 5, 1949, an Li-2 with 25 passengers is seized by 22 persons, led by the captain, and flown to the U. S. zone of occupied Germany, where the dissidents obtain political asylum after landing at Munich.
Test flights commence at Ferihegy Airport during the spring and in May the company begins an airborne ambulance service, with units assigned to various airfields around the country.
A Hungarian-Bulgarian aviation agreement is signed on June 1. The company hosts an open house at Budapest on August 20. Over 100,000 attend, as parachutists jump from Maszovlet Li-2s.
An Li-2P is lost at Pecs, Hungary, on September 19; there is no information on injuries or fatalities.
A 30% fare reduction is announced on April 4, 1950 and on May 7, after special ceremonies, the new Ferihegy Airport at Budapest is opened. The first flight to Prague departs from Ferihegy next day.
The company is reformed on June 27. Gone is the joint-stock enterprise, replaced by a state-owned carrier. The 2,700 previous shares are replaced by 12 ownership stakes, which are equally divided between the Hungarians and the Soviets.
An agreement is signed between the airline and BELSPED on November 5 for the inauguration of door-to-door delivery services. Later in the year, the Hungarian Post Office contracts with the company to deliver mail overnight to 19 small domestic destinations.
By the end of the first quarter of 1951, the overnight mail service has been expanded to 40 small Hungarian communities. Maszovlet has a fifth birthday celebration at Ferihegy Airport on March 29.
A meeting of freight-hauling companies is coordinated by the airline on April 3; during the conference, Maszovlet makes a pitch for its new door-to-door services, conducted with BELSPED. It also announces that it will soon begin all-cargo services with a dedicated Li-2.
In a humanitarian gesture, 150 children suffering from whooping cough are taken on free rides during June. The frequency of the weekly Prague-Budapest-Sofia service is doubled on July 8, the same day the airline begins flying from the new Nagykanizsa Airport.
The first concession to business travelers occurs on September 14, when those making reservations at least three days in advance receive a discount. Five more Li-2s are received during the fall and just before year’s end, discount fares for children are introduced.
In February 1952, the company undertakes a one-week test delivery of eggs for the Ministry of Food Industry. On April 1, the summer schedule is published; for the first time, it appears in Hungarian, Russian, and English. Fares are simultaneously increased.
In April, Maszovlet transports 35,000 day-old chicks for TERIMPEX from Czechoslovakia to state farms around Hungary. A new cargo delivery campaign is undertaken on May 9 as the airline begins making deliveries for the Debrecen Clothing Factory.
Chartered Li-2s on July 19 flies Hungarian athletes to the Summer Olympic Games at Helsinki. Also during the month, motorcycles built at the Budapest-based Iron and Hardware Wholesale Co. are transported to provincial cities.
The fall schedule begins on September 1. Again, no flights are allowed after 4:30 p. m. The Ministry of Transport and Postal Services delivers the first automated loading equipment (a number of forklifts) to the airline at Ferihegy Airport on September 14.
A general agency contract is signed between Maszovlet and Swissair, A. G. on October 1. An Li-2P is lost at Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, on October 2; there is no information on casualties.
On October 19, the company begins to require that freight shipments be properly packed. Three more Li-2s join the fleet during the fourth quarter.
Spring schedules are resumed in February 1953. Sight-seeing tours over Budapest are offered for the first time on March 22. Summer schedules begin on April 6 and a large-scale open house is held at Ferihegy Airport on June 28. With the public able to view the MIG-15 fighter for the first time, 200,000 visitors pass through the turnstiles.
During the summer, company Po-2s conduct experimental agricultural spraying flights over a state farm. They also spray DDT over crops as they develop. Flights commence from the new airport at Zalaegerszeg on August 31.
Scheduled joint flights to Warsaw with LOT Polish Airlines, suspended the previous year, are resumed on April 19, 1954. On April 27, two Li-2s haul 3,700-kg. of lettuce to Czechoslovakia. Flights to Berlin via Prague commence on May 18. Five Po-2s are hired by the Ministry of Agriculture on July 1 to conduct additional agricultural service flights.
The new airport at Kaposvacuter opens on October 3. The Soviet share is purchased by the state on November 6 and the airline, now completely in Hungarian control, is renamed MALEV on November 26.
An Li-2P is lost near Polna, Czechoslovakia, on December 23; there is no other information on the incident. All Soviet personnel of the former Maszovlet return home by December 31.
Enplanements for the year on the company’s 9 Li-2s and 6 Po-2s total 101,900.
The fleet, on January 1, 1955, includes 16 Li-2s, 7 Po-2s, and 1 Czech Aero-45; orders are placed for Ilyushin Il-14s. On the same day, Department VII (aviation) of the Ministry for Transport and Postal Services is merged into the airline. A general sales agency contract is signed with SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) on January 2. A new Hungarian-Soviet aviation agreement is signed on February 11.
During the summer, the Ministry of Agriculture contracts for agricultural work by four Po-2s. On September 10, a Hungarian-East German aviation agreement document is drawn up.
An Li-2P is lost under unknown circumstances at Brno, Czechoslovakia, on December 16.
Scheduled services to Sofia commence on February 1, 1956. On February 3, a Hungarian-Romanian aviation agreement is concluded.
Return flights to Vienna commence on June 5.
The annual airline open house is held at Ferihegy Airport on July 20-21. Over 100,000 people see a new Aeroflot Soviet Airlines Tupolev Tu-104 jetliner on display. Also on July 21, a Hungarian-Yugoslav aviation agreement is signed at Belgrade. A reciprocal general agency and trade cooperation pact is inked with JAT Yugoslav Airlines on August 6.
During the summer, company Po-2s are again employed by the Agriculture Ministry. Domestic frequencies and destinations are now cut back as a result of road improvements.
On July 13, an Li-2 with 20 passengers en route from Gyor to Szom-bathely is commandeered by 7 hijackers, who win a wrestling match for control of the aircraft. The Soviet-made DC-3 is diverted to a vacant air base near Ingolstadt, West Germany, where the pirates are given political asylum. The Li-2 and 13 hostages are allowed to return to Hungary the next day.
During the Hungarian Revolution from October 23 to November 4, company aircraft ferry aid from Vienna to Budapest. Soviet troops occupy Ferihegy Airport on November 4 and close down Hungarian air transport for the next three months.
Following the restoration of peace, plans for additional domestic and international services are formulated. On January 30, 1957, flights are allowed to resume from Budapest to Debrecen via Miskolc. Scheduled flights to Belgrade commence on February 7.
Direct service from Budapest to Debrecen is initiated on March 1 and Vienna flights resume four days later. Lettuce charters to Prague begin on March 22.
The first Il-14M arrives from the Soviet Union on April 11. As additional aircraft of this type are received, the Po-2s will be taken over by the Hungarian government for industrial use, e. g., crop spraying. Szom-bathely and Zalaegerszeg flights resume on April 15.
On May 7, KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) becomes the first Western airline to open an office at Budapest. A Hungarian-Netherlands aviation agreement is signed at Budapest on May 28, while a similar pact is inked with Belgium on June 1.
Service from Budapest to Bratislava begins on June 3. On June 8, general agency agreements are signed with representatives of CSA (Czechoslovakia Airlines), Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G., LOT Polish Airlines, TAROM, S. A., and TABSO.
Under unknown circumstances, an Li-2P is lost at Budapest on June
9. Between June 14 and 29, chartered Li-2s, on behalf of Hungarofruct, deliver fresh fruit to markets in Czechoslovakia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
Two more Il-14Ms arrive from the Soviet Union on July 8 and on July 28 breeding pigs are transported to Budapest from Sweden and The Netherlands. A Hungarian-Swedish aviation agreement is signed at Budapest on August 2 and scheduled all-cargo domestic flights commence on August 3. Later in the month, chartered Li-2s transport shipments of live frogs from Budapest to East Berlin and London. More breeding pigs are transferred to Budapest on September 26, this time from London.
With the start of the winter schedule on October 6, the carrier now has direct air links with 28 cities in 23 countries. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) inaugurates flights to Cairo via Budapest on October 10. On October 20, the first jet service into Ferihegy Airport is operated, as a Tu-104 of Aeroflot Soviet Airlines arrives from Moscow.
A pooling agreement is signed with Sabena Belgian World Airlines, S. A. on November 6. The next day, astronomers on board an Li-2, flying at an altitude of 3,500 m., make observations of the Soviet Sputnik 2 satellite.
Airline officials and those from the Vienna office of Air France discuss future links on December 10. A pooling agreement is signed the next day with SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System).
A Hungarian-Albanian aviation agreement is signed at Budapest on January 16, 1958. Return service begins two days later from Budapest to Copenhagen via East Berlin. Scheduled roundtrips to Tirana commence on January 23. The air service penetration of Western Europe continues on February 28 with the inauguration of return service from Budapest to Amsterdam via Prague.
Two Il-14Ps arrive from East Germany on March 8. Pooled flights with Sabena Belgian World Airlines, S. A. commence on March 17 from Budapest to Brussels via Prague. An Egyptian-Hungarian aviation agreement is inked at Cairo on March 20. A third East German Il-14P is received on April 21, followed by a fourth on May 16 and a fifth on May 30.
A Hungarian-Danish aviation agreement is signed at Budapest on July 17. Charter flights to the Leipzig International Fair commence on September 6 and continue for a week. Domestic air service is suspended for a week on December 25.
A Hungarian-Swiss aviation agreement is signed at Berne on January 23, 1959. An office is opened at Vienna on February 1 and on February 16 the Vienna terminus is extended to East Berlin. A new Instrument Landing System (ILS) is installed at Ferihegy Airport on March 12.
On April 7, the first scheduled service is opened from Budapest to Moscow via Kiev; it is flown with an Il-14P. A Hungarian-Norwegian air agreement is initialed on April 30.
Scheduled Il-14P roundtrips commence on May 3 from Budapest to Stockholm via East Berlin and Copenhagen. The next day, the company’s Li-2s inaugurate air freight service to seven provincial communities.
Breeding pig Li-2 charter flights from London to Budapest commence on July 14 and scheduled Il-14P roundtrips to Zurich begin on July 21.
The first purchased Soviet-made Il-18 arrives at Ferihegy Airport on November 5 for inspection. The company’s longest charter to date occurs on November 18, Budapest to Tunisia via Tirana.
Domestic air service is suspended for a month as of December 7. The next day, flight crews depart for Moscow for two months of Il-18 training. Meanwhile, company shops install VHF radio sets and ILS equipment on the Il-14s and five Li-2 cargo aircraft are converted back to passenger status.
Scheduled service is inaugurated on February 15, 1960 between Budapest and Frankfurt. During the month, an office is opened at Frankfurt. On March 15, inland “express” letters are initially forwarded by the Post Office to the countryside on the carrier’s morning flights.
The Il-18 with trained flight crews returns from Russia on April 1, followed by a second owned aircraft the next day. When the summer schedule opens during the month, MALEV operates flights to 17 cities in 16 countries.
A Franco-Hungarian aviation agreement is signed in Paris on May 2. On May 15, nonstop Il-18 flights commence from Budapest to Moscow. The first Il-18 service to London is operated on July 4. A week later, an Il-18 flies seven tons of black currents to London.
Chartered MALEV Il-14Ps are employed between August 25 and September 11 to transport athletes to the Rome Summer Olympic Games. Il-14P service to Paris via Frankfurt is meanwhile launched on September 2. An Anglo-Hungarian aviation agreement is inked at London on October 25.
Scheduled service is started on November 23 from Budapest to Rome. Domestic air services are suspended for two months as of December 20. At month’s end, three Li-2s are withdrawn from service and scrapped.
Enplanements for the year total 151,900.
Il-18 service to Moscow is restarted on January 14, 1961, while, beginning on February 1, Il-18 service is initiated from Budapest to Amsterdam via Brussels.
Anew Il-18 is received from the U. S.S. R. on April 1. Four days later, scheduled London service is begun via Paris.
While on a sightseeing charter, an Li-2 with four crew and 23 passengers, crashes at Budapest on August 6; all of the people on the Douglas are killed, along with three persons on the ground.
A Hungarian-Ghanaian aviation agreement is signed at Budapest on October 23 and domestic traffic is again suspended for two months, as of December 11.
A Hungarian-Finnish aviation agreement is signed at Helsinki on February 13, 1962. In March, joint Budapest-London service is started in cooperation with British European Airways Corporation (BEA).
Scheduled flights commence on June 3 from Budapest to Helsinki via East Berlin and Copenhagen. During September, an Il-18 delivers aid to Algiers. A Hungarian-Syrian aviation agreement is signed at Damascus on October 18.
Flight 355, an Il-18B with 8 crew and 13 passengers crashes while on final approach to Paris (LBG) from Budapest on November 23; there are no survivors.
Domestic air traffic is suspended on December 3 and a replacement Il-18 is received on December 27. Bookings this year total 131,138.
The February 15, 1963 date set for the resumption of domestic services must be postponed due to inclement weather. They will restart within a week. A Hungarian-Greek aviation agreement is signed at Athens on April 27 and new company uniforms are introduced on May 1.
Another Il-18 enters service on June 12, while scheduled Il-14 flights are begun on July 25 between Budapest and Munich. Similar service is inaugurated on September 17 from Budapest to Cairo via Athens.
Domestic service is again withdrawn, as of December 14. With a fleet of 20 Il-14s and Il-18s available, the carrier officially retires its entire Li-2 division later in the month.
During this year, enplanements reach 139,578.
An Il-14P is lost at Budapest on February 17, 1964; there are no details concerning the accident. Service is resumed on February 24, to Szombathely, Debrecen, and Zalaegerszeg.
On March 2, one of the retired Li-2s becomes a display at the Pecs amusement park at Szombathely. Another is sent on March 17 to the Debrecen Amusement Park. Two more Soviet-made Il-18s are received on March 28.
Scheduled return service is inaugurated by Il-18s on April 3 from Budapest to Milan. A joint MALEV-IBUSZ office is opened at Frankfurt Airport on April 19.
Weekly flights are initiated to Bratislava and Kosice on May 6. Aviation agreements are signed with the Cypriot government and with Luxembourg on June 2 and November 3, respectively. Improvements are also made at Ferihegy Airport during the summer and fall. Domestic flights end on December 5.
This year’s customer bookings ascend to 154,670.
Domestic service resumes on March 1, 1965. Scheduled service begins on April 21 from Budapest to Damascus via Athens and Nicosia. On May 21, an aviation agreement is signed with Ethiopia.
Il-14 frequencies are initiated from Budapest to Dubrovnik via either Belgrade or Zagreb, on June 5; the same day, Il-18 roundtrips start from Budapest to Kiev. An on-screen passenger travel information system is turned on during September 15 at Ferihegy Airport.
The Berlin Agreement is signed on October 27 covering overall airline operations in the Eastern Bloc countries, as well as commercial and financial activities. Company technicians at Ferihegy Airport on October 28 complete their first general overhaul of an Il-14. Domestic air traffic (with the exception of Debrecen) is halted for the winter on December 4.
Much additional work on Ferihegy Airport is completed this year, including passenger service areas and the installation of new radar and meteorological equipment.
Enplanements fall slightly, down to 152,862.
On February 1, 1966, the Hungarian prime minister and many of his cabinet commence a month-long Il-18 charter that will take them 30,000 km. from Budapest to Nicosia, Cairo, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Asmara, Kuwait, New Delhi, Bombay, Dharan, Nicosia, and back to Budapest.
An air service agreement is signed with India on February 21.
Il-17 service is initiated to Beirut via Sofia on June 2. During the month, a chartered Il-18s transport 400 tons of apricots to London. Orders are placed for Tupolev Tu-134 jetliners.
On February 7, 1967, a two-month flight attendant course begins; 12 women and 4 men are enrolled. Domestic flights, halted the previous December, resume on March 3.
When the summer schedule opens on April 1, MALEV is flying to 33 cities in 24 countries. This day, service to Beirut becomes nonstop, while Damascus flights no longer halt in Nicosia.
Il-18 flights begin on April 28 from Budapest to Istanbul
With the addition of a “D” model on June 21, the Il-18 fleet stands at eight. An Il-18 flies relief supplies to Jordan on July 2.
An international stewardess beauty contest is held at Budapest under MALEV sponsorship between December 4-11; contestants from 11 airlines take part. After domestic service ends, two Il-18s are sent to Moscow for conversion into Il-18D status.
The subsidiary MALEV Air Tours is created on January 1, 1968. Il-18 flights begin on May 17 from Budapest to Luxembourg. On August 8, the company announces that it has purchased four Tupolev Tu-134s from the Soviet Union at a cost of Ft 280 million.
A modified Hungarian-Soviet aviation agreement is signed in Budapest on December 2. The carrier’s first two twinjet Tu-134s join the fleet on December 22 and 26.
The Hungarian government, on January 1, 1969, grants the airline permission to undertake foreign trading in the areas of aircraft acquisition, spare parts, and fuel.
A second international stewardess beauty contest is held at Budapest between March 5-12. Bad weather closes down Ferihegy Airport on March 15, forcing incoming flights to be diverted to Debrecen.
The two new Tu-134s enter service on April 1 with the introduction of the company’s summer schedule. Initial flights take them this day from Budapest to Oslo via Copenhagen and from Budapest to Tunis via Vienna. The third Tu-134 is delivered on April 4.
The first charter flight to Glasgow is undertaken in mid-July. Offices are opened at Rome on September 23, Amsterdam on September 30, and Helsinki on October 1. On October 31, an Il-18 completes the company’s 100th charter flight when it arrives at Budapest from Zurich with a number of passengers, including the 10,000th tourist booked by the Swiss IMHOLTZ concern.
Chartered Il-18s in mid-November transport 145 Yugoslav builders from Budapest to Lusaka via Belgrade, Cairo, and Khartoum.
A Tu-134 overruns the runway while landing at Istanbul on November 19; the aircraft’s landing gear collapses as it runs into the mud. No injuries are reported.
As the year ends, the company removes its Il-14s from service. With the development of the national road and highway program well advanced, domestic services begin elimination as the 1970s commence.
A new office is opened at Copenhagen on January 30, 1970, followed by one in London on April 15. The fourth Tu-134 arrives at Ferihegy Airport from Moscow on May 6. Seasonal flights to Lake Constance commence on May 14, while, on May 23, scheduled service is inaugurated to Leningrad via Warsaw.
The Soviet Union buys back the company’s decommissioned Il-14 fleet between May 30 and June 30. Two more Tu-134s are delivered on August 5 and 30, respectively; they will initially be employed as VIP government transports.
A third international stewardess beauty contest is held in Budapest from October 22-28, with contestants from 14 airlines. New offices are opened at Moscow and Istanbul on October 30. The new Tu-154 demonstrator arrives at Ferihegy Airport on November 23.
On April 2, 1971, scheduled Tu-134 return service is inaugurated from Budapest to Madrid via Zurich. Frequencies are opened on June 1 from Budapest to Burgas and from Budapest to Verna. Il-18 flights commence three days later from Budapest to Dresden and from Budapest to Erfurt. New Tu-134As are delivered on June 19 and June 26, respectively.
En route from Oslo to Budapest on August 28, an Il-18D with 9 crew and 25 passengers and on final approach into an intermediate stop at Copenhagen, descends too low and crashes into shallow water short of the runway, near Saltenholm Island (32 dead).
Coming into Kiev on a September 16 flight from Budapest, a Tu-134 with 8 crew and 41 passengers, crashes; there are no survivors.
On December 1, a government-chartered Il-18 completes a 22,000km. flight across Africa. New offices are opened at Milan, Stockholm, and Vienna before month’s end.
By 1972, the fleet comprises not only the 5 Tu-134 jets, but 7 Il-14s and 7 Il-18s.
Between March 13-17, a company delegation travels to Moscow to negotiate the Ft 726- million purchase of three Tu-154s. An aviation agreement is signed with the U. S. at Washington, D. C. on May 30.
Scheduled Il-18 flights begin on June 1 from Budapest to Leipzig. The company sponsors the fourth international stewardess beauty contest at Budapest on October 14-21; again, there are contestants from 14 carriers. Late in the year, a separate VIP flight unit is established.
Passenger boardings have advanced from the 154,670 in 1964 to the current year’s 339,115.
Chartered by the government, an Il-18 makes a 38-hr. flight on February 12, 1973 from Budapest to Saigon via Damascus, Bombay, Rangoon, and Hanoi. Pilots and technicians depart Budapest for the Soviet Union on April 9 to begin a Tu-154 training program.
The company’s first Tu-154 is delivered to Ferihegy Airport on September 5, followed by a second on October 2.
On November 19, the company finds a way to combine the radio operator’s duties with those of the navigator and thereby reduces the flight crews of its Il-18s from five to four. An office is opened in Madrid during December.
This year’s bookings grow to 394,878.
On March 1, 1974, flight routing according to ICAO regulations comes into force in Hungary; flight paths are widened to 20-km. An air service agreement with Cuba is signed on March 29.
The first in-flight services are introduced aboard company aircraft on April 1, while first-class seating is reintroduced. As the summer timetable starts, the new Tu-154s begin flying to eight destinations.
The general directors of MALEV and the Societe Internationale de Telecommunication Aeronautiques (SITA) sign contracts in Paris on June 17 under which the airline will be integrated into SITA’s GABRIEL reservations system. Three more Tu-154s are purchased on July 5.
A new corporate identity and aircraft livery are introduced on August 18. Two Tu-134A-3s previously employed by the government are turned over for public airline use on August 28.
Enplanements jump to 501,669.
While on a training flight from Budapest on the night of January 15, 1975, bad weather and fog contribute to the crash of an Il-18V with nine crew; there are no survivors.
Two Tu-154s are leased from Aeroflot Soviet Airlines during July. As jetliners begin to arrive in quantity, they gradually replace Il-18s, which are converted into freighters. These will undertake cargo charters to Baghdad, Kuwait, Jedda, and Tehran.
En route from Istanbul to Bucharest on September 22 with 53 aboard, an Il-18 crashes while attempting to make an emergency landing in a field near the latter city (29 dead).
While on final approach to Beirut on September 30, a Tu-154 with 10 crew and 50 passengers, mysteriously crashes into the sea; there are no survivors and no reason for the tragedy is ever determined.
Equipment for SITA’s GABRIEL system is turned on at Bucharest on November 1. Two purchased Tu-154s are delivered in December.
A new office is opened at Prague on February 26, 1976. Withdrawal of the Il-18 fleet is accelerated as the summer schedule begins on April 1. Scheduled flights to Split and Dubrovnik commence on July 1.
Arriving at Beirut on September 29 at the end of a flight from Budapest, a Tu-154 with 60 aboard plunges into the Mediterranean; there are no survivors.
A total of 464,945 passengers are transported this year.
A new office is opened in Leningrad on February 16, 1977. When the summer schedule opens on April 1, flights to Paris are transferred to Orly Airport from Le Bourget.
Scheduled service to Barcelona and Rijeka begins on May 25 and May 31, respectively. New uniforms are introduced on July 1.
Coming in at reduced power—and a gradual loss of altitude not noticed by the crew—a Tu-134 with 8 crew and 45 passengers strikes the ground before landing at Bucharest on September 22 (29 dead).
An Il-18V is lost in a ground accident at Budapest on November 23; no other details of the incident are available.
Although exact figures are not revealed, it is reported that this year, for the first time ever, MALEV carries more than half a million passengers.
In 1978, Director General Jozsef Javor’s fleet comprises 3 Tu-154Bs, 3 Tu-154s, 2 Tu-134As, 4 Tu-134s, and 5 Il-18s, including the 10-year-old “D” model that was converted into a freighter a year earlier.
A chartered Il-18 transports eggs to Luanda on March 2-4. Two more Tu-154s are purchased on March 9. On April 1, joint service is inaugurated with Air France over a route from Budapest to Paris.
One each Tu-154 and Tu-134A are leased from Aeroflot Soviet Airlines on April 3; the latter enters service wearing both MALEV and Aeroflot titles. New offices are occupied at Helsinki on September 26. During the year, two more Il-18s are converted into freighters.
Customer bookings are reported at 697,298.
On January 1, 1979, the company joins IATA. Between February 12-15, a chartered Il-18 transports aid supplies to Cambodia; the 24,200-km. flight requires 40 hrs. 10 min.
Two new Tu-154s arrive from the Soviet Union on March 22. With the opening of the summer schedule on April 1, several new markets are initially visited: Kuwait on April 1, Saloniki on April 5, and Baghdad on May 18.
An Il-18 freighter on November 21 completes a record-breaking 5,071-km. flight from Lagos to Budapest nonstop in 8 hrs. 21 min. A pooling agreement is signed with Alitalia, S. p.A. on December 19.
By 1980 the fleet grows to include 9 Tu-154/154Bs, 6 Tu-134/134As, and 4 Il-18s. On February 13-14, two Tu-134A-3s arrive and are assigned to the VIP flight unit. A contract is signed with Aeroflot Soviet Airlines on April 11 for joint operations.
Chartered Tu-154s handle the transport of Hungarian athletes to the Moscow Olympic Games between July 17 and August 4. A chartered Il-18 delivers aid supplies to Mozambique on September 21. The first MALEV flight to Afghanistan is completed on November 10 when an Il-18 arrives at Kabul with relief supplies. Twenty days later, an Il-18 delivers earthquake relief supplies to Naples. SITA’s BAGTRAC computerized luggage tracking system is turned on at Budapest in December.
The employee population in 1981 stands at 3,216. In January, an Il-18 charter is flown from Budapest to Bamako, Mali. Two new Tu-154Bs arrive at Ferihegy Airport on February 28 and March 7, respectively, while on March 11, the two Tu-134A-3s are taken over from the VIP flight division.
Following a seven-year suspension, flights are resumed to Larnaca on April 3. Pooled flights with Aeroflot Soviet Airlines begin on May 6 from Budapest to Simferopol and from Budapest to Sochi.
A new tradition begins on July 1 as company captains welcome passengers aboard flights and provide brief operational details. Scheduled service to Tripoli begins on November 1, the same day a pooling agreement is inked with Iberia Spanish Airlines (2) (Lineas Aereas de Es-pana, S. A.).
Coming in from Amsterdam on October 21, a Tu-154B-2 with 81 passengers breaks apart upon landing at Prague; there are no fatalities.
Enplanements this year are 1,051,268, marking the first time the airline has transported more than one million passengers. Cargo FTKs operated total 25.4 million.
A high-ranking bureaucrat, Lajos Jahoda, is appointed general director in 1982. On January 3, an all-cargo division is commissioned while the first Tu-154 simulator is turned on at Ferihegy Airport later in the month.
Experienced in importing breeding pigs, the airline flies a shipment of mating hogs by Il-18 to Shanghai in February. Scheduled passenger flights from Budapest to Warsaw are resumed on March 11.
After an 18-month break, service to Baghdad is restarted on May 1. Two more Tu-154Bs are delivered on May 25 and June 23, respectively, while on July 18 the new SITA RAYFIDS reservations system is turned on. A duty free shop is opened by the airline at Ferihegy Airport on July 21.
Scheduled service is begun on November 1 to Algeria. The same day, seat number seating is instituted. A man with a pistol, wearing a uniform, is initially surmised to be a security guard, but is thwarted in his attempt to hijack a Tu-154 during a November 27 Warsaw to Budapest service. The perpetrator’s fellow passengers and the crew overpower him.
Enplanements for the year grow to 1,070,000.
Comfort Class business-class service is introduced on January 10, 1983. Following an eight-year suspension, service is resumed to Beirut on March 19.
On June 1 the SITA CARMEN computerized cargo reservations system is turned on. Scheduled flights from Budapest to Dubai via Kuwait are started on November 1. In early December, flights are halted to Split and Rijeka.
Passenger bookings decline to an even one million.
On January 1, 1984, MALEV becomes the 125th carrier granted full-right membership in IATA. A record 6,474 passengers are boarded on August 31. A chartered Tu-154 is flown on September 13-19 from Budapest to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesian transporting a diplomatic mission. Enplanements remain at one million.
Airline employment is 3,639 in 1985 and the fleet includes 22 jetliners. The modernized SITA GABRIEL II reservations system is turned on during January. New uniforms designed by Pierre Cardin are presented at the Atrium Hyatt Budapest on February 26. A new frequent flyer program is unveiled in March.
A reciprocal general agency contract is signed with Air Canada, Ltd. on May 21. A new Ferihegy 2 terminal is opened at Budapest on Octo-her 28 and will be exclusively employed by the airline; all other carriers will continue to employ Ferihegy Airport’s less modern No. 1 terminal. Flights from Ferihegy 2 commence on November 1; the first landing is from Saloniki while the first departure is made to Sofia.
Passenger boardings increase 7.42% to 1,116,000 and freight traffic jumps 20.54%. On revenues of $114,013,000, expenses are $104.5 million, leaving a $9.4-million operating profit.
The payroll climbs 13% in 1986 to 4,601 and the all-Russian-built fleet now includes 4 Il-18Fs, 12 Tu-154/154Bss, and 8 Tu-134/134As. Two more Tu-154Bs are leased from Aeroflot Soviet Airlines on January 15.
On May 25, 140 winners of the International Children’s Day drawing competition are given an excursion flight aboard a company Tu-154. An office is opened at Szeged on June 12.
In October, the carrier introduces a no-smoking policy on 10 short-haul European routes for the winter travel season. The campaign is initiated with the slogan “Good Air in the Air!” In December, MALEV joins the Association of European Airlines.
Customer bookings accelerate 3.2% to 1,196,622 and cargo moves ahead by 2.6% to 23.68 million FTKs. Revenues are up 10.3% to $125 million and operating profit dips to $9.32 million.
The number of workers is cut 3.8% in 1987 to 4,612 and 3 of the Il-18Fs are withdrawn in February. With the opening of the summer season in March, 17 additional no-smoking flights are offered. At the same time, the SITA AIRFARE CRS is turned on.
On April 18, an Il-18 is donated to the flying museum at Szolnok. A new office is opened at Miskolc on September 3. On September 21, flight attendants begin serving cooled beer on Tu-154 flights.
The company boards its one-millionth passenger of the year on October 29. In November, code-sharing flights begin from Budapest to Madrid and Barcelona in cooperation with Iberia Spanish Airlines (2) (Lineas Aereas de Espana, S. A.). Hungarian aircraft are exclusively employed. After an absence of several years, company officials organize an international stewardess beauty contest, which is held at Budapest on December 15-16.
Passenger boardings this year rise 10.4% to 1,321,000 while freight slides downward by 33% to 15.87 million FTKs. Operating income totals $13.5 million.
The employee population falls again in 1988, down by 2.3% to 4,595. The fleet now includes 6 Tu-134A-3s, 12 Tu-154B-2s, 1 Yak-40, and 1
11- 18F.
On March 30, scheduled service is inaugurated from Budapest to Hamburg. An early Tu-134 completes its last flight on April 14, a charter flight from Dusseldorf; on May 19, it is sent to the flying museum at Szolnok. Also during the month, the MALEV Flying Club purchases a
12- person Antonov An-2 biplane.
Another Tu-134 is withdrawn on July 19; two days later, a new Tu-154B is delivered to Ferihegy Airport. During August, the company negotiates with executives from GPA Group, Ltd. for the lease of three Boeing 737-200s; the company receives permission on August 31 to sign the necessary charter papers to acquire the aircraft. The next day, yet another Tu-154B is received.
A new office is opened at Debrecen is opened on September 7. A week later, company representatives sign a contract with GPA Group, Ltd. for the lease of three “Baby Boeings.”
One-time mechanic Tamas Odor is appointed deputy general director in October. A British Aerospace BAe 146-200QT is leased from TNT International Aviation Services, Ltd. MALEV and the Australian concern create the joint-venture company, TNT-MALEV, on October 21. The BAe enters service in December over an overnight freight schedule linking Budapest with the TNT hub at Cologne. During the day, the freighter operates on the carrier’s own cargo services to North Africa, Europe, and the Mideast. It should be noted that receipt of the BAe Quiet Trader makes MALEV the first East European carrier to take delivery of a Western jetliner.
Beginning on November 18, three Boeing 737-200s are acquired under charter from GPA Group, Ltd.: a Dash-2M8A, a Dash-2Q8A, and a
Dash-2T5A, all painted in the airline’s new livery. Despite political pressure against the arrangement, the airline board proceeds and MALEV becomes the first Eastern European airline to receive these Western aircraft types. The first Boeing flight is undertaken on November 25 from Budapest to Rome.
Noise restrictions are put into effect at Ferihegy Airport during the fourth quarter and no flights are allowed out between midnight and 5 a. m. Also in December, following completion of a bilateral agreement between Hungary and Israel, nonstop Tu-154B-2 flights are inaugurated to Tel Aviv.
Customer bookings dip 3.8% to 1,271,119 and cargo is off by 26.7% to 11.63 million FTKs. Revenues decline 3.5% to $132 million, expenses rise 1.1% to $124.7 million, and the operating profit is reduced to $7.4 million.
The payroll is increased a slight 1.8% in 1989 to 4,676. The fleet adds a second BAe 146-200QT for TNT Worldwide Express and deletes the Il-18F. The latter completes its 27 years of service on January 25 with a cargo flight from Budapest to Constantine, Algeria.
World History
