Broughton: Malaysia Airlines signs deal to acquire 20 Airbus A330neos

Malaysia Airlines has selected the 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.

As with all Airbus commercial jets – apart from the A220 – the wings are made here in Flintshire.

Malaysia Airlines says it 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.

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.”

Malaysia Airlines has also signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Airbus to study a wider collaboration in the areas of sustainability, training, maintenance and airspace management.

Christian Scherer said: “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.”