Malaysia Airlines has ordered a total of 20 Airbus A330-neos
Malaysian national carrier, Malaysia Airlines, which is a member of the Oneworld global alliance, says it has taken delivery of the first of 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft it has on order.
In a press statement, Malaysia Airlines says that the aircraft departed from Airbus factory at Toulouse in France and was received with pomp when it arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), escorted by Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and it landed to a grand water salute, as is the tradition to welcome new aircraft at an airport.
The statement adds that the A330neo features 28 state-of-the-art business class seats, offering fully-flat beds, direct aisle access, and 17.3-inch (44 cm) high-definition entertainment screens.
The economy class cabin features 269 ergonomically designed seats equipped with 13.3-inch (34 cm) HD entertainment systems with 4K content capabilities.
The airline says that compared to the previous generation A330ceo, the A330neo has an increased range of over 13,300km or 7,200 nautical miles and 25 pc lower fuel consumption and emissions.
Malaysia Airlines says it has become the 20th airline worldwide to operate the A330neo.
It adds that the addition of the aircraft and subsequent deliveries will facilitate an increase of flight frequencies, including from double to triple daily to Melbourne and Sydney, and to up to double daily to Auckland, ahead of its return to Paris from March 2025.
The delivery of Malaysia Airlines’ first A330neo was pushed back several times owing to delays caused by manufacturer Airbus and its supply chain.