Malaysia Airlines' fate to be decided 'soon' - PM

The airline has struggled to return to profit since the disasters of 2014.
The airline has struggled to return to profit since the disasters of 2014. Photo credit: Malaysia Airlines.

The Malaysian government is considering shutting, selling or refinancing national carrier Malaysia Airlines, says the country's Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad.

The government has been reassessing the future of its national carrier, and Mahathir says a decision will be made "soon".

"It is a very serious matter to shut down the airline," Mahathir told media on Tuesday (local time).

"We will nevertheless be studying and investigating as to whether we should shut it down, or sell it off, or refinance it. All these things are open for the government to decide."

The airline has been struggling to return to profitability after it suffered two disasters in 2014 - the disappearance of MH370 and the shooting down of MH17 over the Ukraine.

Sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd, which made Malaysia Airlines private in 2014, said the government needed to decide on its investment in, and level of support for, the struggling airline.

Malaysia Airlines currently flies daily between Auckland and Kuala Lumpur using an Airbus A330 aircraft.

Reuters/Newshub.