Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, selected the Airbus A330neo for the carrier's widebody fleet renewal program. The initial agreements cover the acquisition of 20 A330-900 aircraft, 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 Commercial Director and Head of International Christian Scherer, who signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the aircraft to be ordered. to Airbus. Agreements with engine makers Rolls-Royce and Avolon were also signed at the ceremony.
Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330neo will 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 layout seating 300 engers in two classes.
Izham Ismail said: “The acquisition of the A330neo is a natural transition from our current A330ceo fleet. The A330neo will not only provide fleet modernization and improved operational efficiency, but will also meet environmental targets by reducing fuel consumption per seat, keeping enger safety and comfort at its core. This is a significant milestone as MAG moves towards the successful execution of our Long Term Business Plan 2.0 to position itself as a leading aviation services group in the region.”
In addition to renewing the widebody fleet, Airbus and MAG also signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to explore broader collaboration in the areas of sustainability, training, maintenance and airspace management.
Christian Scherer says: “Malaysia Airlines is one of Asia's great airlines and we are proud and honored to be their preferred supplier of widebody aircraft. The decision is a clear endorsement of the A330neo as the most efficient option in this size category for operations. It is also the clear winner in of onboard comfort and we look forward to working with Malaysia Airlines to define an exceptional cabin experience.”
Street: Airbus
