Dhaka: Batik Air, a Malaysian full-service airline, is set to operate year-round flights between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne.

The service will run four times a week, utilizing a spacious Airbus A330-300 with a total capacity of 377 seats. The aircraft will feature 12 business class seats and 365 in economy.

Batik Air is part of the Lion Air Group and the extra Kuala Lumpur services will supplement the carrier’s daily flights between Melbourne and Bali.

With international capacity at record highs, Melbourne Airport says it continues to focus on delivering new terminal, airfield and road infrastructure to cater for current demand and future growth.

In February 2025, Melbourne Airport recorded a total of 2,729,545 people through the terminals, including 930,356 international travellers.

The airport’s chief executive officer, Lorie Argus, said Batik Air’s year-round service would provide more choice for Victorians heading abroad, as well as international students and visitors looking to visit Melbourne.

“Having three airline groups offering year-round service between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur makes this route more competitive than most Australian domestic routes,” she said.

Batik Air markets itself as a premium carrier and the airline currently serves more than 70 destinations across India and Southeast Asia.

Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia X also serve the Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne route.

Separately, on 4 April, Melbourne Airport’s biggest airfield expansion in almost a decade was completed with the opening of the new Taxiway Delta.

The first major taxiway development since the pandemic, the 800-metre taxiway runs parallel with the airport’s east-west (09/27) Runway and will help reduce delays by reducing aircraft congestion on the airfield.

The new taxiway was constructed over 11 months and is the first step in enabling the expansion of Melbourne Airport’s international Terminal 2.

-B