Ascend Airways Malaysia (AU, Kuala Lumpur International) has taken delivery of its first passenger aircraft, a B737-800, which arrived at Kuala Lumpur Subang on April 26, 2026, the company said in a social media post. The nascent ACMI specialist expects to receive two more of the type in May.

Currently registered in the United Kingdom as G-HODL (msn 38175), the 14.4-year-old narrowbody was ferried from Nottingham East Midlands to Kuala Lumpur Subang via Cairo International and Muscat on April 24-26.

The aircraft is powered by CFM International CFM56 engines and is configured for 189 passengers in an all-economy layout. It was last known to be owned and managed by Aero Capital Solutions.

Boeing originally delivered the airframe to Pegasus Airlines in December 2011. It subsequently operated for Flyr (Norway) and KlasJet before joining UK-based Ascend Airways in January 2024. It was recently stored at Nottingham East Midlands ahead of its ferry flight to Malaysia.

Ascend Airways Malaysia said it expects to launch commercial passenger operations from July 2026 onwards. It is working with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia to secure the approvals needed to place the aircraft into passenger service.

The carrier launched dedicated freighter operations after securing certification in November 2025, using a single B737-800(SF).

Ascend Airways Malaysia is part of Avia Solutions Group, which also owns sister carrier Ascend Airways. However, on April 28, 2026, Ascend Airways said it would surrender its UK AOC and return its aircraft to their lessors. Avia Solutions Group said that Ascend Airways Malaysia would continue to operate as normal and had not been affected.