Malaysia Airlines has selected the state-of-the-art Airbus A330neo for their widebody fleet renewal and will purchase 10 of the aircraft from Airbus, while leasing an additional 10 from Dublin-based aircraft lessor Avalon.
On Monday (August 15, 2022), Airbus announced that Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), parent company of Malaysia Airlines, will acquire 20 Airbus A330neos for their widebody fleet renewal program. Ten A330neos will be purchased from Airbus, while an additional 10 will be leased from Dublin-based aircraft lessor Avalon. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the deal was signed today at an event in Kuala Lumpur, which was attended by MAG’s CEO, Izham Ismael, Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, Christian Scherer and representatives of both Rolls-Royce and Avalon. Malaysia Airlines’ new A330neos will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and will gradually replace the airline’s 21 Airbus A330ceos. The aircraft will be configured for 300 passengers in two classes, and will be deployed on routes throughout Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East.
In Monday’s announcement, Malaysia Aviation Group’s CEO, Izham Ismail, said,
“The acquisition of the A330neo is a natural transition from our current A330ceo fleet. The A330neo will not only provide fleet modernisation and enhanced operational efficiency, but will also meet environmental targets through reduced fuel-burn per seat, while keeping passenger 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 within the region.”
Also commenting on the order, Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International, Christian Scherer, added,
“Malaysia Airlines is one of the great Asian carriers and we are proud and humbled to be its preferred supplier of widebody aircraft. The decision is a clear endorsement of the A330neo as the most efficient option in this size category for premium operations. It's also the clear winner in terms of in-flight comfort and we are looking forward to working with Malaysia Airlines to define an exceptional cabin experience.”
In addition to the A330neo acquisitions, MAG also signed an Letter of Intent (LOI) with Airbus for the study of greater collaboration in areas of sustainability, training, maintenance and airspace management.
The latest generation of the popular widebody A330 aircraft, the Airbus A330neo incorporates the newest generation engines with a new wing, along with advanced aerodynamic innovations to deliver a 25 percent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The A330neo has a range of 7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km), and features the award-winning Airspace cabin, offering guests an elevated level of comfort, ambience and design. The aircraft offers more personal space, larger overhead bins, a new ambient lighting system, the latest in-flight entertainment (IFE) and full connectivity. At the end of July 2022, the Airbus A330neo had won over 270 firm orders from 20 customers worldwide.
Source: Airbus
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