Malaysia Airlines welcomes its first A350-900

Malaysia's second minister of finance Johari Abdul Ghani (left) with MAS' Izham Ismail

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) last week took delivery of its first A350-900, a member of the Airbus A350 XWB family of wide-body aircraft, intended to replace the airline’s Airbus A380-800 starting January 15, 2018.

The aircraft is said to be more fuel efficient compared with the A380 and offers a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, as well as lower maintenance costs.

Malaysia’s second minister of finance Johari Abdul Ghani (left) with MAS’ Izham Ismail

The Edge Markets quoted MAS group CEO, Izham Ismail, as having said: “With its technological advancements, the A350 XWB will help boost our competitiveness on our longhaul flights, and underlines our commitment to operate a young and modern fleet.”

The aircraft is the first of its kind in Asia to feature a First Class cabin, with four seats in First Class, 35 seats in Business Class and 247 seats in Economy class. It will also have inflight Wi-Fi and ambient LED lighting designed to reduce jetlag.

Syed Razif Al-Yahya, group managing director of Sutra Group of Companies, believes the new aircraft will help MAS to stay competitive and reduce their operating costs on this route.

He added: “In terms of passenger numbers, the A380 aircraft it replaces could carry more – up to 486 passengers. In terms of how it will affect passenger demand, however, he opined that the difference will be insignificant.

MAS will receive five more A350-900s in stages by 2Q2018.

Sponsored Post