Malaysia Airlines Cancels Five Flights Amid Severe Weather

(KOTA KINABALU) Malaysia Airlines cancelled five flights in the first week of September 2025 due to severe weather, leaving passengers in Mulu, Miri, Kota Kinabalu, and Kathmandu facing unexpected overnight stays and missed connections. The airline identified the affected flights as MAS3633, MAS2616, MAS2645, MAS114, and MAS115, and apologized for the disruption.

The carrier also said it will pare back flight operations until December 2025 to improve reliability and safety performance. These cancellations are the latest in a string of operational problems that have marked the carrier’s 2024–2025 schedule, prompting closer attention from regulators and consumer advocates.

What happened and immediate impacts

Malaysia Airlines said the severe weather that hit key points along its network triggered the cancellations. Dozens of travelers were affected across multiple airports, and the headcount may climb once connecting itineraries are counted.

• In Malaysian Borneo (Miri, Mulu, Kota Kinabalu) passengers faced long waits to rebook or claim entitlements.
• Passengers on Kathmandu routes sought clarity on new travel dates and hotel coverage.
• The airline apologized publicly and signalled a temporary reduction in capacity through December 2025.

Industry analysts note that shorter schedules can restore on‑time performance but also mean fewer same‑day reaccommodation options when weather disrupts services.

Rights, rules and the “extraordinary circumstance” issue

Malaysia and EU frameworks treat bad weather as an “extraordinary circumstance”, which typically limits automatic cash compensation for missed plans. Even so, two core passenger rights remain:

• Care — meals, refreshments, accommodation, and ground transport when needed.
• Refunds — a full fare refund when the airline cannot offer a suitable rebooking or when delays meet statutory thresholds.

Under the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection (Amendment) Code 2024, effective September 1, 2024:

• Airlines must provide a full refund of the original ticket price when a flight is cancelled or delayed by five hours or more.
• Refunds must be processed within 30 days of the claim.
• Airlines must disclose full, all‑in fares at booking and in advertisements to avoid surprise fees that complicate refunds.

EU Regulation 261/2004 applies when flights depart the EU. It can provide compensation up to €600 per person for cancellations or long delays — but not when an extraordinary circumstance (like severe weather) is proven. Even then, EU rules still require care and refunds for affected passengers.

In short: weather usually cancels monetary compensation, but it does not cancel your right to food, lodging, transfers, and a prompt refund when thresholds are met.

Practical steps Malaysia Airlines recommends (and what passengers should do)

Malaysia Airlines says the fastest route for refunds is the self‑service option on its website: enter your booking reference in “My Booking,” check proposed new dates, then select Manage to choose between a refund or a rebook.

Passengers should:

1. Check the airline’s “My Booking” page and confirm the status of your trip. If a new date does not work, choose a refund and keep the confirmation email.
2. Request care if stranded: meals, refreshments, and — when overnight — hotel and transport. If you pay, keep every receipt.
3. Ask staff to document whether the cause is severe weather. This clarifies entitlement expectations.
4. If the delay reaches five hours or more under Malaysian rules, opt for a full refund (submit via the manage‑booking flow).
5. If departing from the EU, remember EU261 gives care and refunds even during bad weather; monetary compensation is usually not payable in such cases.
6. Track the 30‑day refund clock and escalate to customer service or the regulator if it passes without a refund.
7. Keep a single file of documentation: boarding pass, rebooking notes, hotel invoices, ride receipts, and screenshots of airline messages.

Documentation and evidence: why it matters

Legal specialists stress that airlines will often argue extraordinary circumstances to avoid cash compensation. When disputes arise, tidy documentation makes a big difference:

• Boarding passes, emails, chat logs and timestamps
• Receipts for hotels, meals, transport
• Any written confirmation of offers or vouchers from staff

Well‑kept records speed up claims and help when travel insurers or regulators become involved.

How the rules apply across jurisdictions

• Malaysian code: full refund if delay is five hours or more; refunds processed within 30 days.
• EU261: up to €600 possible when the airline is at fault; when weather is the cause, EU261 still mandates care and refunds, but typically not monetary compensation.
• For mixed‑leg itineraries, different rules may apply to different parts of the trip; care and refund rights often persist even when compensation does not.

Special notes on care and reimbursements

• Airlines usually provide hotel rooms and transport directly, or via vouchers. If staff are overwhelmed and you pay out of pocket, keep receipts for reimbursement claims.
• If offered a voucher, remember that a cash refund remains the baseline entitlement for cancellations and long delays meeting the five‑hour test.
• If you accept an offer or voucher, get written confirmation stating what you accepted and what you declined.

Official guidance and complaint routes

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) publishes guidance on passenger rights under the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code. For official guidance and complaint routes, consult: https://www.mavcom.my/en/consumer/passenger-rights/macpc/

This resource explains what airlines must provide, how to file complaints, and refund deadlines under the 2024 amendments.

How reduced schedules affect choices

Malaysia Airlines’ plan to cut capacity through December 2025 could:

• Improve on‑time performance and reduce cascading cancellations.
• Reduce same‑day alternatives for stranded passengers (fewer seats to rebook).
• Push more passengers toward taking refunds rather than late rebookings when time‑sensitive commitments are involved.

Passengers will weigh whether to wait for a rebooked flight (with provided care) or request a prompt refund to seek alternatives.

Insurance and non‑refundable costs

Some costs (prepaid tours, event tickets) may be covered by travel insurance. Insurers typically require the same evidence airlines ask for: cancellation notices, receipts, and time‑stamped messages. Keep everything in one folder for quicker claims.

Key takeaways and recommended checklist

• Confirm flight status and options immediately via “My Booking.”
• Claim care (meals, hotel, transport) when stranded; keep receipts.
• If delay ≥ 5 hours, request a full refund under the Malaysian code; expect processing within 30 days.
• For EU departures, know EU261 guarantees care and refunds; compensation rarely applies for weather events.
• Document everything: boarding passes, emails, chat logs, receipts.
• If refunds stall past 30 days, escalate to the airline’s customer service or file a complaint with MAVCOM.

The week’s cancellations in Mulu, Miri, Kota Kinabalu, and Kathmandu highlight how quickly weather can ripple across networks. While the law cannot clear the skies, strengthened rules on care, refunds, and all‑in fare disclosure give passengers practical tools to manage disruption. With Malaysia Airlines trimming capacity to stabilise operations through the end of 2025, those rules will shape many travelers’ choices in the months ahead.