Malaysia-based Malindo Air is today rebranding as Batik Air. The low-profile mid-market carrier received the green light from Malaysia's Civil Aviation Authority to rebrand, complete with a new air operator's certificate in the Batik Air name, to take effect from Thursday, April 28. Batik Air's part-owner, the Lion Air Group, is keen to establish a common identity within the broader airline group for its full-service airlines.

Lion Air Group consolidates its full-service airline brands

If Batik Air already rings a bell, that's because there is an Indonesian airline, also owned by Lion Air Group, flying under that brand name. The Jakarta Soekarno Hatta Airport-based Batik Air is a full-service airline servicing the Indonesian archipelago with a fleet of narrowbody Airbus and Boeing jets.

The Lion Air Group operates a clutch of airlines around the Southeast Asian region, including Lion Air, Indonesia's biggest privately run airline and perhaps best known outside the region for its ill-fated Boeing 737 MAX flight in October 2018. Other than Lion Air, the Group also owns or part-owns the Jakarta-based Batik Air, Thai Lion Air, Wings Air, Malindo Air, Lion Air Australia, and Lion Air Langkawi.

Malindo Air ATR 72 Getty-1235263991
The ATR series of aircraft have high wings, keeping engines and flaps further from the ground. Photo: Getty Images

New opportunities for full-service airline growth and expansion

The various Lion Air versions are a bit like the various AirAsia guises - a combination of paper airlines, shelf companies, and real airlines. With no real difference between the various versions that are flying, passengers onboard can rarely tell the difference. But both Batik Air and Malindo Air were the Lion Air Group's more upmarket offerings, and the Group believes that market is served better with one Lion Air Group brand rather than two. Batik Air will also be able to use busy Kuala Lumpur International Airport as a transfer hub, offering the standard benefits of flying more upscale airlines, like seamless transfers.

"With the rebranding exercise and the reopening of the borders taking place in the region, we are very excited for the opportunities presented to us for the potential growth of our airline, and with the new brand, we will be able to offer fresh and new services," said Malindo Air CEO Captain Mushafiz Bin Mustafa Bakri.

Batik Air Boeing 737 MAX
Photo: Boeing.

Building awareness of the Batik Air brand

Alongside Batik Air's existing fleet of 53 planes, Malindo Air brings another 15 planes to the brand. However, 12 of those 15 planes are ATR turboprops. The biggest difference passengers might see from this is Batik Air branded ATR aircraft flying regional routes where the Batik Air brand hasn't ventured before. A statement issued by Malindo Air on Thursday says the rebranding will be conducted in phases, and Batik Air will communicate to its passengers and partners progressively during the rollout

The plans to rebrand are not new, but red tape in Malaysia has held up the exercise. The Lion Air Group wants to build up awareness of its full-service offering, and Batik Air takes on local legacy airlines like Garuda Indonesia and Malaysia Airlines - both of which have extensive domestic and regional networks.