Between 1996 and 2007, numerous key milestones were reached: the fleet was upgraded, many new services were inaugurated, and a new route network was born. Malév also took over a new catering centre.
The appearance of low-cost airlines in Hungary represented a new situation and challenge for the national carrier. However, despite increasingly intense competition, Malév has been able to maintain its position on the market.
Starting in 1996, Malév expanded its fleet with six new 67-seater Fokker 70s and, from 2002, with four 50- and 48-seater Bombardier CRJ 200 aircraft designed to meet the demands of business travellers. Parallel with this the company began a rolling programme of aircraft exchange. In 1998, Malév bade a fond farewell to its Tu-134s, which had been in service for over 30 years, and in 2001 to its last Tu-154 aircraft.
From January 2003, a major programme was launched to replace the company's older Boeings with the very latest Next-Generation Boeing 737-600s, 700s and 180-seat 800 aircraft. Malév's first brand-new Boeing 737NG touched down on the tarmac at Ferihegy on 30 January 2003, and the last in the programme, the 18th, arrived in April 2005. Malév become one of Europe's most youthful fleet operator.
The official Malév website appeared on the Internet in 1997. The site was constantly being developed to meet the latest demands of users; online ticketing was introduced on 22 December 2003. This service quickly became extremely popular with the travelling public. From 2005, the airline continuously extended the availability of e-Tickets.