“Wings to fly”
Skytrax rating: 3 stars
Oneworld Alliance member
Operations
Globally (based in Budapest, Hungary)
- Northern hemisphere only (no flights to the USA)
- Oneworld partners
South Africa
- No direct flights (contact us for more information)
General
Malev Hungarian Airlines (Malev) is a small airline that services only Russia, Europe, the Middle East and Libya (in North Africa). Altrhough Malev was privately owned for some time, in 2010 it was taken over by the Hungarian government, who at present has a 95% stake in it. The EU regulators have since launched an investigation into illicit state financial support of the airline.
Malev itself has a very limited network of routes and its planes never cross the equator. It used to provide trans-Atlantic flights to the USA but has since abandoned them due to their non-profitable nature. There is no indication as to when, if ever, they are going to be re-instated.
Malev operates a small fleet of mainly Boeing 737s. The airline previously made use of Russian Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft, but the last one of those ended service in 2001. However, Malev is returning to Russian aircraft with its order of 15 Sukhoi Superjet 100s, which is a smaller passenger jet that has only recently entered production. This order by Malev is also interesting in that it comes at the same time as Ryanair’s involvement with the Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC. If Malev and Ryanair can successfully deploy these aircraft in their operations, other airlines in Europe may well follow suit in seeking alternative suppliers to Airbus and Boeing for the smaller planes that are used on the domestic and/or regional routes, although there is still no competition when it comes to the larger long-haul aircraft.
Malev plane with the national colors of Hungary on the tailfin.
Like Air Canada and Czech Airlines, Malev provides only two cabin classes:
- SkyClub Business Class
- Economy Class
Catering is adequate and there is also a menu of special meals for passengers with specific dietary requirements. However, the special menu is not available on some of the short-range flights. Warm meals are served on flights to Moscow. The food generally reflects Hungarian traditions.
The frequent flyer program is known as the Duna Club and it gives prestige members access to Oneworld airport lounges.
Concerning safety, Malev has not had a fatal accident since 1977.
If you are considering flying to Hungary or in that part of the world, please feel free to contact us so that we can arrange your trip in a prompt and professional manner.
