In 1960, Malév was the first airline from the former socialist countries to enter the Il-18 turbo-prop aircraft into service. After initial difficulties experienced in adjusting to the new technology, it was proved that the Il-18 aircraft was extremely reliable, able to be economically operated, and a highly successful construction. The aircraft received a gold medal at the Brussels World Exhibition in 1958.
From 1960-67 Malév bought a total of eight Il-18-types from the Soviet Union. The airline initially operated an 89-person Il-18, and later a 105-person type. Based upon the abilities of this aircraft, the 1960s saw an expansion in Malév's route network, and the first flights were opened to the Middle East and North Africa.
By 1969, Malév had opened scheduled flights to London, Helsinki, Munich, Athens, Cairo, Milan, Nicosia, Damascus, Kiev, Beirut and Istanbul. In 1969, Malév aircraft were operating from Ferihegy to 33 cities in 28 countries.
Many famous charters were handled courtesy of the Il-18-type. Between February 1 and March 1, 1966, a Malév aircraft - chartered by the government - flew a total of 30,000 km during the Hungarian prime minister's round trip to Africa, the Middle East and India. This flight also marked the first crossing of the Equator by a Hungarian passenger aircraft.
The 1960s witnessed a gradual restriction in, and then the complete closure of Hungarian domestic air traffic. In 1946, the overriding consideration was not economic but that of necessity, because limited overland transport means made essential the earliest possible development of air traffic. But subsequent improvements in rail transport and road building works meant that the time-benefits offered by flight increased on the 100-200 km routes.
At the same time, where fares did not cover costs the state support was gradually reduced and then cut altogether. By 1968, neither the government nor Malév could bear the losses - then running into the millions - incurred on domestic flights.
Furthermore, the maintenance of domestic flights was made difficult because the Li-2 fleet had been scrapped in 1963, and the Il-14-type could fly in to and out of the poorly equipped provincial airports with grass runways only within certain limits. Finally, taking all these points into consideration, Malév closed domestic air traffic in Hungary in 1969.
After the introduction of the new system of economic management in 1968, Malév received independent foreign trading rights which allowed for the establishment of an own tourist office, Malév Air Tours. In the same period a tender was drafted for designs for a new Malév Budapest air terminal, and the long-term development concept of Hungarian aviation was also completed. There was a note of expectancy in the air: Malév had arrived at a new important milestone - it was on the threshold of the jet age.