Malaysia Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing B737MAX-8 aircraft. Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) held a launch ceremony at Hangar 5, MAB Engineering Complex to commemorate the arrival of a new aircraft type.
Expansion begins
Malaysia Airlines has taken delivery of its first B737MAX-8 aircraft. The airline has 25 of these on order, through an operating lease with Air Lease Corporation (ALC). The aircraft will be delivered progressively through to 2026.
Malaysia Airlines’ B737MAX features the recently unveiled refreshed seats for its B737-800NG (Next Generation) fleet. The aircraft seats 12 passengers in Business Class and 162 passengers in the Economy cabin. The Kuala Lumpur-based carrier says that these aircraft will “feature state-of-the-art wireless in-flight entertainment, showcasing a wide variety of content that is set to elevate the in-flight entertainment paradigm providing passengers with ample choices”.
With the induction of our new Boeing 737-8, it will allow us to enhance customer experience, improve operational and fuel efficiency, and meet our future network growth requirements to support our vision for the national carrier. The inclusion of the 737-8 in our fleet holds more significance than just refreshing our ageing aircraft. It acts as a meaningful bridge, connecting our history with a new era, aligning with our Long-Term Business Plan 2.0 goals as we work towards becoming Asia’s leading travel and aviation services group.
said Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, Group Chairman of MAG.
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The airline says that it is working on introducing onboard Wi-Fi on its narrow-body fleet which will be launched in the coming months. This will mark the first time MAG incorporates this feature into its narrowbody fleet.
The B737MAXs will initially fly to domestic destinations across Malaysia, before expanding to other networks across ASEAN and Asia as more of the aircraft type enters into service.
At today’s event, AeroDarat, the ground handling arm of MAG, showcased its latest ground operation technology adoption by operating the electrical towing of the 737-8 utilising the Mototok Spacer 8600NG. The first of 12 towbarless tug units arrived in October 2023, allowing ADS to operate electrical pushback on customers’ narrowbody fleet. This makes MAG the first organisation in Asia and second in the world to operate this particular electrical pushback model
As part of its fleet modernisation plans, MAG is currently undergoing a refurbishment on 39 of its 47 B737-800NG aircraft, which is targeted to be completed in early 2024. In addition, the Group recently acquired one A350-900 aircraft to support its growth requirements, and will be receiving 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft, with the first delivery scheduled in September 2024. MAG currently owns a fleet size of 102 through its subsidiaries Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings and MASkargo.
Meanwhile, as part of its broader expansion strategy, Malaysia Airlines recently expanded in India with three new destinations.
Featured image by Planespotters/flee
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