TORONTO — Malaysia Airlines, once maintaining a strong local presence in the Toronto region, held a dinner event last week at the Prince Westin in northern Toronto to announce they’re once again targeting the Canadian market.

Dean Dacko, senior VP of marketing for Malaysia Airlines, was on hand to emphasize how far the once-embattled airline has come over the past few years.

Dacko had no reservations starting his presentation off by indicating that in 2011 Malaysia Airlines saw a US$2.1 billion operating loss, the single largest loss in Malaysia’s history, including both private or public sectors.

Since then the airline has taken significant strides to regain profitability, increase efficiency and load factors, as well as expand market share. The legacy airline posted a 87.9% load factor in August 2013, while operating 17% more flights with roughly the same number of aircraft. In 2013 Malaysia Airlines increased passenger numbers by 69%, while the market itself only grew by 3%.

With a re-commitment to effective global marketing campaigns based on emotional and thematic concepts, Dacko claims that “Malaysia Airlines is back.”

Dacko went on to illustrate the commitment Malaysia Airlines is now making within the Canadian market by announcing that the airline will be represented in Canada by Discover the World Marketing. Barbara Dirnberger, who herself has a past history with Malaysia Airlines, is now the national manager of the airline.

Through the One World Alliance network, Malaysia Airlines offers Canadian travellers several codeshare and transfer routes. Through the airline’s primary North American hub, LAX, it operates daily direct flights to Kuala Lumpur.

For photos of the event see www.travelweek.ca/photos/index.php?galleryID=43.