Category Archives: Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines to acquire 20 Airbus A330neo for widebody fleet renewal

Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), parent company of Malaysia Airlines, has selected the Airbus A330neo for the carrier’s widebody fleet renewal programme. The initial agreements cover the acquisition of 20 A330-900 aircraft, with 10 to be purchased from Airbus and 10 to be leased from Dublin-based Avolon.

The announcement was made at an event in Kuala Lumpur, attended by MAG CEO Izham Ismail and Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International Christian Scherer, who signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the aircraft to be ordered from Airbus. The agreements with engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and Avolon were also signed at the ceremony.

Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330neo will join the carrier’s fleet of six long range A350-900s and gradually replace its 21 A330ceo aircraft. The carrier will operate the A330neo on its network covering Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East. Malaysia Airlines will configure its A330neo fleet with a premium layout seating 300 passengers in two classes.

In addition to the renewal of the widebody fleet, Airbus and MAG also signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to study a wider collaboration in the areas of sustainability, training, maintenance and airspace management.

The A330neo is the new generation version of the popular A330 widebody. Incorporating the latest generation engines, a new wing and a range of aerodynamic innovations, the aircraft offers 25% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2-emissions. The A330-900 is capable of flying 7,200nm / 13,300km non-stop.

The A330neo features the award-winning Airspace cabin, providing passengers with a new level of comfort, ambience and design. This includes offering more personal space, larger overhead bins, a new lighting system and the ability to offer the latest in-flight entertainment systems and full connectivity. As with all Airbus aircraft, the A330neo also features a state-of-the-art cabin air system ensuring a clean and safe environment during the flight.

As at the end of July 2022, the A330neo has received more than 270 firm orders from over 20 customers worldwide

Malaysia Airlines unveils its premium class experience on its Boeinmg 737-800 fleet

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-8H6 WL 9M-MXU (msn 40158) BKK (Michael B. Ing). Image: 934563.

Malaysia Airlines has unveiled its newly refreshed Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, which boasts a new and premium cabin experience with truly unique features including new seats, innovative in-flight entertainment – MHstudio, and refurbished interior that pays homage to Malaysian identity from the moment they board the flight.

The newly refreshed cabin is scheduled to take to the skies end of July 2022 and will be progressively rolled out to more domestic and regional destinations as more of the 38 refurbished aircraft are completed.

Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer of Malaysia Airlines, Lau Yin May, said: “We are thrilled to roll out the newly refreshed B737-800 NG, which will deliver future travel experiences through innovative features from seats to highly customisable inflight entertainment while staying true to our roots by incorporating Malaysian elements in the overall interior cabin design.

-The cabin refurbishment exercise began in 2021, a bold step taken by the airline in response to feedback and suggestions received through customer surveys and various focus group sessions in 2020 to better understand the needs of our customers. This demonstrates Malaysia Airlines’ commitment to adapt to changing consumer needs and in improving overall customer experience in the post pandemic era. We are pleased to share that our in-flight entertainment is a game changer offering extensive media content, including award-winning local and international movies and TV series, as well as in-flight shopping. All of these are done to give our guests a taste of the warmth and hospitality that Malaysia Airlines is known for whenever they travel with us.”

With a fresh and premium cabin environment that features a bright and refreshing colour scheme that is unique to Malaysia Airlines’ identity, the new interior design represents a progressive step forward. The airline’s guests will notice an infusion of the iconic Malaysian and the national carriers’ batik motif that is recognisable worldwide and has such deep representation of the rich Malaysian heritage included throughout the cabin, from the upholstery to the curtains, an ode to the airline’s roots. The symbiotic, synergistic design creates a smooth flow across cabin classes.

Meanwhile, the new seats are ergonomically built with lightweight upholstered leather and designed to provide passengers greater comfort and with enhanced functionality as it comes with personal device holders and power outlets to charge their own personal devices.

These refreshed Boeing 737-800 NG will also debut, the next generation wireless in-flight entertainment called MHstudio that gives guests complete control and flexibility to stream content and truly enjoy a wealth of entertainment from preferred TV programmes, movies, podcasts, music and reading materials. For the best experience, passengers are encouraged bring their own listening devices and charging cables on board.

For those who have missed the duty-free shopping, they can now easily do so with MHstudio at their fingertips by purchasing on Temptations and can even add on in-flight snacks from its buy-on-board catalogue called MHskysnacks and have them delivered straight to their seat. These services will be made available on selected flights in the fourth quarter of this year.

“It is becoming increasingly important that we do everything with sustainability in mind. The all-new features of our refreshed Boeing 737-800 NG fleet will reduce our carbon footprint from the reduction of the weight of each aircraft – with the much lighter seats, use of soft cabin dividers and moving away from seatback screens to offer innovative in-flight entertainment features allowing for wireless streaming on board at their convenience,” added Yin May.

The wireless in-flight entertainment, leaner seats, and soft cabin dividers made of lightweight materials, contribute significantly to the airline’s ongoing sustainability efforts in which the aircraft fuel burn per passengers will improve by 8%, resulting in a lower carbon footprint on the planet.

The refreshed cabin also comes with a new configuration of cabin seats. It offers 12 Business Class seats and 162 Economy Class seats, with a 2-2 and 3-3 seat configuration respectively.

Malaysia Airlines received a 7-star rating for COVID-19 health and safety measures from Airline Ratings and is a member of Travel Safe Alliance Malaysia; strengthening its commitment to ensuring safe and seamless travel by adopting safety and hygiene excellence on-ground and on board their flights so passengers can continue to Fly Confidently.

Video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRkHsuhqyMU&w=560&h=315%5D

Top Copyright Photo: Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-8H6 WL 9M-MXU (msn 40158) BKK (Michael B. Ing). Image: 934563.

Malaysia Airlines aircraft slide show:

Malaysia Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

 

Malaysia Airlines flies its first passenger flight with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel supplied by Petronas

Malaysia Airlines made this announcement:

In conjunction with World Environment Day, Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia, today operated its first passenger flight using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM (SAF) on flight MH603 from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Singapore (SIN), which was refuelled at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

The historic flight was operated with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft fuelled by a blend of conventional jet fuel and Neste’s SAF, which is produced from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as animal fat waste that was used for the SAF fuelling on this flight.

Produced by Neste, the world’s largest SAF producer, the fuel was supplied through a supply deal with PETCO Trading (UK) Ltd, which is PETRONAS’ marketing and trading arm based in Europe, while product handling and refuelling was carried out by PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) at KLIA.

Following this milestone, the long-term supply of SAF will be made available at KLIA from hereon for potential airline customers, as well as future flights operated by sister airlines under Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), including Firefly.

The send-off event in KLIA today follows the historic SAF-fuelled commercial cargo flight MH7979 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in December last year, proving the feasibility of SAF as a cleaner and more viable fuel option.

To further drive the advocacy, promotion and adoption of SAF in line with the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and commitment toward a lower carbon future, a special taskforce has been formed by the National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO) and led by Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Other members include the relevant Ministries and industry players including MAG and PETRONAS.

Both MAG and PDB entered a partnership in 2021 to jointly explore potential collaborative opportunities that advance sustainability, including the supply and adoption of SAF at KLIA. They also aim to strengthen awareness of aviation sustainability through a united communication and advocacy strategy around carbon emission reduction.

In anticipation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) mandatory phase in 2027, PETRONAS is evaluating planned developments of greenfield and brownfield biorefineries as well as co-processing at existing PETRONAS facilities. With this strategic growth, PETRONAS will be well positioned to supply SAF domestically and internationally, with additional operational flexibility to also produce hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) or Renewable Diesel.

*) Calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology.

Malaysia Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

 

Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines unveil an enhanced strategic partnership

Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines unveil the roadmap outlining the next phase of their strategic partnership, following Malaysia Airlines’ announcement to launch a nonstop service from Kuala Lumpur to Doha from May 25, 2022.

The two partners will significantly expand their codeshare cooperation, allowing passengers to travel the world and enjoy seamless connectivity via their leading hubs in Kuala Lumpur and Doha.

The codeshare expansion, which adds 34 destinations to the existing 62 codeshare destinations, marks another milestone in the long-standing relationship between the two countries’ national carriers and oneworld partners. The agreement benefits travellers from across the globe who will have access to a much greater combined network and enjoy a seamless travel experience on both airlines with a single ticket including check-in, boarding and baggage-check processes, frequent flyer benefits and world-class lounge access for the entire journey.

Starting on May 25, 2022, customers flying on Malaysia Airlines’ new Kuala Lumpur to Doha service will have access to 62 codeshare destinations within Qatar Airways’ broad network to the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.  Likewise, Qatar Airways customers travelling from Doha to Kuala Lumpur can seamlessly transfer to 34 Malaysia Airlines’ destinations including their entire domestic network and key markets in Asia, such as Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Ho Chi Minh City, subject to governmental approval.

In linking both route networks, the partners are striving to develop Kuala Lumpur as a leading aviation hub in the Southeast Asia Region connecting Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand with the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Furthermore, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines will leverage synergies across multiple business areas and develop innovative products to benefit their customers worldwide.

The enhanced cooperation will also include reciprocal loyalty benefits allowing Qatar Airways Privilege Club members to earn and redeem Avios points when flying on Malaysia Airlines, with similar benefits for Malaysia Airlines Enrich members when travelling on Qatar Airways’ services.  Privilege Club and Enrich members will also enjoy a wide range of other unique benefits, depending on tier status, such as complimentary lounge access, complimentary extra baggage allowance, priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage delivery on Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways.

Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways’ strategic partnership evolved progressively beginning 2001 and have significantly expanded the collaborative partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2022 to leverage each other’s network strengths and provide robust access for passengers to travel to new destinations beyond their individual network, and ultimately lead Asia Pacific Travel.

Netherlands and Australia to sue Russia over Malaysia Airlines flight MH17

 

From the Associated Press:

“The Dutch and Australian governments have launched a legal case against Russia at the International Civil Aviation Organization seeking to hold Moscow accountable for its alleged role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

The case announced Monday in The Hague and Canberra is the latest bid to hold Russia legally responsible for the missile strike that brought down the passenger jet over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board.

An international investigation concluded that the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight was shot down from territory held by separatist rebels using a Buk missile system that was driven into Ukraine from a Russian military base and then returned to the base. Moscow denies involvement.”

Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines sign MOU for a strategic cooperation

Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines Berhad today announced a new chapter in their long-standing relationship by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The new agreement will further facilitate a strategic cooperation that will see both airlines working closely together across multiple areas of the business to offer an unrivaled and range of value-added services to passengers.

With the enhanced partnership, both airlines will leverage each other’s network strengths and provide more access for passengers to travel to new destinations beyond their individual networks while offering new and exclusive product to their customers soon. Qatar Airways’ passengers will gain better access to the wider domestic Malaysia market and key destinations in Asia such as Penang, Langkawi and Medan, Indonesia. Operated by Malaysia Airlines via its hub, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Passengers will enjoy seamless connectivity to popular destinations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas with Qatar Airways’ extensive network via Doha.

Building on the close links between Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines’ networks and rapid expansion of codeshare flights, the two oneworld partners have also agreed to maximize synergies in other areas of the business such as air cargo, operations or commercial services, that will create a game-changing innovative synergy for both carriers in leading the new travel demand ahead.

Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines launched their codeshare cooperation in 2004 and have significantly expanded the partnership in recent years, which today comprises of 62 codeshare destinations in Malaysia, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Africa.

60 Minutes Australia: Finding MH370: New breakthrough could finally solve missing flight mystery

Photo: Laurent Errera.

From Wikipedia:

More from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370

Video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq-d4Kl8Xh4&w=560&h=315%5D

More from the Daily Mail:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10532455/MH370-missing-Malaysian-Airlines-plane-Experts-bombshell-theory.html

ALC to lease 25 Boeing 737-8 MAX 8s to Malaysia Airlines

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) today announced long-term lease placements for 25 new Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 aircraft with Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), parent company of Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB).

The aircraft are scheduled to deliver to the airline starting in early 2023 through the beginning of 2026 from ALC’s order book with Boeing.

In addition to these 25 Boeing aircraft, Malaysia Airlines currently has six Airbus A350-900 aircraft on long-term lease from ALC.