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Batik Air is moving its seasonal Melbourne-Kuala Lumpur flights to a year-round service.
The service will operate four times per week on a 377-seat A330-300, including 12 business class and 365 economy seats. Batik Air, part of the Lion Air group, already operates a regular service from Melbourne to Denpasar.
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The Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur route is already served year-round by AirAsia X and Malaysia Airlines, and the addition of Batik Air will give more choice for tourists and international students, airport chief executive Lorie Argus.
“Having three airline groups offering year-round service between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur makes this route more competitive than most Australian domestic routes,” Argus said.
“Batik Air prides itself on being a premium carrier and serves more than 70 destinations across India and Southeast Asia, and we are confident both inbound and outbound travellers will welcome the extra choice.
“To keep pace with demand, we’re working with our airlines to deliver an expansion of the international terminal, and a third runway to ensure our airfield has the capacity to serve Victoria’s growing population.”
The news comes as Melbourne records lower overall traffic for February 2025 than the same time last year, with domestic passengers down seven per cent to 1,799,189 and total passengers down 5 per cent to 2,729,545; international passengers, however, were up 2 per cent to 930,356.
It follows the airport’s busiest-ever month in January 2025, surpassing the previous record set in December 2019 just before COVID-19 hit.
Melbourne earlier this year flagged a possible expansion to its international terminal, with growing traffic placing a strain on its existing infrastructure.
The airport is currently in the midst of a $500 million overhaul of its international baggage systems, with a new “tote-based” system to allow any-time check-in and early bag storage to increase capacity.
It is now in discussions regarding an expanded international satellite with up to five new wide-body gates, as well as more room for shops, passenger waiting areas and airline lounges.
The airport’s third runway, greenlit last year and built parallel to the existing north-south runway and 1.3 kilometres to the west, is planned to open in 2031 and will allow for simultaneous take-offs and landings.
