Malaysian flag carrier Malaysia Airlines has been named as the Official Commercial Airline for English football club Manchester United as the airline announces new destinations on its international network and new seats on its Airbus A330 fleet.

In a significant move to enhance its global reach, Malaysia Airlines has signed a strategic, multi-year partnership with the Manchester United football club as its Official Commercial Airline.

In a press statement, the national carrier of Malaysia says that through this partnership, Malaysia Airlines is poised to extend its renowned Malaysian hospitality to Manchester United’s vast community of over 1.1 billion fans and followers worldwide by leveraging co-branded marketing initiatives to boost brand recognition to a diverse global audience, while delivering quality service and immersive experiences associated with both brands.

The statement adds that at the same event held in tandem with MATTA Fair 2024, Malaysia Airlines also announced the launch of flights to three new destinations to Malé in Maldives, Da Nang in Vietnam and Chiang Mai in Thailand.

The airline says it will provide enhanced connectivity from its main hub in Kuala Lumpur with new direct flights to the three destinations with tickets available for sale beginning March 22. The airline will commence its daily flights to Malé from August 1, daily flights to Da Nang on September 24 and five times weekly flights to Chiang Mai beginning from August 15.

The statement adds that this will mark the airline’s 13th destination in South Asia and 16th in ASEAN as it seeks to boost its presence within key markets, strengthening its position as the gateway to Asia and beyond in line with its commercial elevation journey.

It says that as a member of the Oneworld alliance, Malaysia Airlines currently offers superior connectivity to more than 900 destinations in 170 territories across the globe.

In the same event, the airline also unveiled its new A330neo business class and economy class seats as part of its fleet modernisation plan, ahead of the first aircraft’s scheduled delivery in the third quarter of this year. The statement adds that the new A330neo cabin will feature many ‘firsts’ for the airline and historically in its fleet. Among those is the introduction of the Collins Aerospace Elevation Business Class seats, featuring an all-suite cabin with individual privacy doors, as well as wireless charging pods available at all 28 of the business class seats. The airline is set to become the world’s leading carrier to feature Elevation seats on the A330 airframe, solidifying its position as an industry leader in passenger experience and innovation.​

Meanwhile, its Recaro CL3810 economy class seats feature an ergonomic design and enhanced support, coupled with thoughtful amenities such as coat hooks, cup holder and ample stowage for added cabin comfort and practicality. The seat covers throughout the cabin will feature the airline’s signature songket motif, paying homage to Malaysia’s cultural heritage by seamlessly blending tradition with contemporary style. The A330neo will comprise 297 seats, with 28 in business class and 269 in economy class, of which 24 seats come with extra legroom.

“Malaysia Airlines has undergone a chequered journey over the last decade, however through it all, our resilience has remained steadfast. Having stabilised our balance sheet and recording our strongest-ever financial year performance since the past decade, we are now in a stronger position to steer our focus towards accelerating investments into our product and service delivery to elevate the customer experience,’’ says Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG).

“With our Manchester United collaboration, the expansion of our network to three new routes, and the unveiling of the new cabin seats on our new A330neo; this sets the benchmark of exciting things to come as we redefine what it means to travel onboard Malaysian Hospitality. These milestones not only set a new standard in the airline’s transformation journey but also promise a future filled with unparalleled experiences beyond the confines of the aircraft. As we move forward, our focus remains unwavering on delivering excellence and fostering continued growth, ensuring that every aspect of our service exceeds expectations and leaves a lasting impression for our valued passengers,” Ismail adds.