Malaysia Airlines To Acquire 20 Airbus A330neos

Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), parent company to Malaysia Airlines, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for the acquisition of 20 A330-900 aircraft.

The aviation company plans to split the order with 10 being purchased directly from Airbus, and the other 10 being leased from Irish-based leasing company Avolon. The Rolls-Royce powered aircraft will join the airline as they continue modernizing its fleet. The A330neos will replace the current A330s (15 Airbus A330-300s and 6 A330-200s), over the next few years starting from 2023 through 2028. It is expected that the new Neos will operate flights across Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East.

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.

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.”

Besides these upcoming additions, Malaysia Airlines’ newer aircraft include 6 Airbus A350-900s and an upcoming order of 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and another 10 MAX 10s. The MAXs which are expected to be delivered from 2024 will slowly replace their current fleet of 44 Boeing 737-800s.

[Featured Photo: Airbus]

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