Editing Malaysia Airlines (section)

===1972–1997: Incorporation and international expansion===
[[File:Malaysian Airline System McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Fitzgerald-1.jpg|thumb|[[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]], the first [[wide-bodied aircraft]] operated by the company]]
The differing needs of the two shareholders, however, led to the break-up of the airline just six years later. The Singapore government preferred to develop the airline's international routes, while the Malaysian government had no choice but to develop the domestic network first before going regional and eventually international. MSA ceased operations in 1972, with its assets split between two new airlines; Malaysian Airline System (MAS), and [[Singapore Airlines]]. With the Singapore government determined to develop its airlines' international routes, it took the entire fleet of seven [[Boeing 707]]s and five [[Boeing 737]]s, which would allow it to continue serving its regional and long-haul international routes. Since most of MSA's international routes were flown out of Singapore, most of the international routes were in the hands of Singapore Airlines. In addition, MSA's headquarters, which was located in Singapore, became the headquarters of that airline.

The initials MSA were well regarded as an airline icon, so both carriers tried to use them. Malaysian went for MAS by just transposing the last two letters and choosing the name Malaysian Airline System, while Singapore originally proposed the name Mercury Singapore Airlines to keep the MSA initials,<ref>[http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19720210.2.124.1.aspx 'Singapore doesn't need the archaic image of Mercury'], ''[[Straits Times]]'', 10 February 1972</ref> but changed its mind and went for SIA instead. Acronyms for airline names later became less fashionable, and both carriers then moved on to their descriptive names.

{{Rail freight
|title=Revenue passenger-kilometers, in millions
|float=left
|1975|1633
|1979|2825
|1981|4290
|1990|11909
|1995|22558
|2000|37939
|source=''Air Transport World''}}

MAS took all domestic routes within Malaysia and international routes out of that country, as well as the remaining fleet of [[Fokker F27]]'s. It began flights on 1 October 1972 with 19 aircraft and soon expanded, including introducing flights from Kuala Lumpur to London.<ref name=nst_72>{{cite news |title=Notice to All Debators|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19720922&id=Ed0qAAAAIBAJ&pg=916,3775278 |work=New Straits Times |date=22 September 1972 |via=Google news |access-date=30 August 2014 }}</ref><ref>Airlines ''[[Australian Transport]]'' November 1974 pages 14/15</ref> In that year, MAS operated flights to more than 34 regional destinations and six international services. In 1976, after receiving its [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10|DC-10-30]] aircraft, MAS scheduled flights to Europe, with initial flights from Kuala Lumpur to [[Amsterdam]], [[Paris]], and [[Frankfurt]]. The Boeing 707s were then removed from the fleet.

1980 sees the entry of the Airbus A300B4 fleet which were occasionally deployed to Asian and domestic routes and the addition of additional DC-10s onto the fleet. In 1982 the airline received its first Boeing 747-200 which was used as the carriers long haul flagship.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

An economic boom in Malaysia during the 1980s spurred the growth of MAS. By the end of the decade, MAS was flying to 47 overseas destinations, including eight European destinations, seven [[Oceania]]n destinations, and [[United States|American]] destinations of [[Los Angeles]] and [[Honolulu]]. In 1993, MAS reached [[South America]] when the airline received its first [[Boeing 747-400]] aircraft. MAS became the first airline in [[Southeast Asia]] to fly to [[South America]] using its Boeing 747 via stopovers in [[South Africa]]. MAS also flew to [[Mexico City]] for a brief period from 1994 to 1998, with [[Freedoms of the air|fifth freedom rights]] to transport passengers from [[Los Angeles]] en route from [[Kuala Lumpur]] (with a stopover in [[Narita International Airport|Tokyo-Narita]].)

Further expansion in the fleet were executed by the airline in the 1990s with the short term leasing of the MD-11 fleet. The airline has also begun replacing its Boeing 737-200 and Fokker 27 fleet with the addition of the Boeing 737-400, Boeing 737-500 and Fokker 50. In 1995 the airline received its Airbus A330-300 which effectively replaced the Airbus A300B4 and DC-10-30. A small number of its MD-11, DC-10s and Boeing 747-200 were converted and transferred to its air cargo division Maskargo.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

The late 1990s saw MAS' final widebody fleet modernization with the first Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, brand new at the time. This aircraft then became MAS' primary long-haul and medium-haul routes.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://boeing.mediaroom.com/1997-04-25-Malaysia-Airlines-Receives-First-Boeing-777| title=Malaysia Airlines Receives First Boeing 777}}</ref>