15.08.2022 - 22:53 UTC
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) has placed an order for twenty A330-900s for its wholly-owned subsidiary Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur Int'l). A total of 10 aircraft will be directly purchased from Airbus with a back-to-back sale/lease-back arrangement with Avolon, while the remaining 10 will be leased directly from Avolon.
"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," Chief Executive Izham Ismail said.
The Malaysian flag carrier currently operates six A330-200s (14.8 years old on average) and fifteen A330-300s (10.2 years), the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. All of the A330ceo will be gradually replaced by the -900s. The airline leases all -200s and six -300s, and owns the remaining nine -300s.
The A330neo, which are scheduled to be delivered to MAG starting from the third quarter of 2024 through...
08.07.2022 - 16:29 UTC
Philippines AirAsia (Z2, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) plans to launch more direct flights to the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo and is looking into opening a route to Sandakan as part of these ambitions, according to chief executive Ricardo Isla.
The Capital A (ex-AirAsia Group) subsidiary currently operates one route to Malaysia, flying 2x weekly from Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l to Kota Kinabalu, according to the ch-aviation capacities module. Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah.
"We want to sustain the travel momentum, and for Sabah we are not just looking at beaches but eco-tourism and agrotourism, which are educational. We are looking into the prospect of opening a new destination in Sandakan, which has one of the highest Filipino populations in Sabah, as part of our expansion plans," Isla said during a news conference held in Kota Kinabalu together with the Sabah Tourism Board on July 5.
However, Sandakan is only a domestic airport. Thai AirAsia links it with Kota Kinabalu (23x weekly) and...
24.06.2022 - 04:51 UTC
Oman Air (WY, Muscat) has been approved as a member designate of Oneworld and will join the alliance in 2024 once it completes its integration with other partner carriers.
The Omani flag carrier will become the third Middle Eastern member of Oneworld, following Qatar Airways, which is Oman Air's sponsor, and Royal Jordanian. Oman Air announced plans to join the alliance in September 2021.
Oman Air currently has codeshare agreements with four members of Oneworld (Malaysia Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Royal Jordanian) and expects to complete its integration with all other members by 2024. In line with its strategy of growing through partnerships, the airline is also forging closer ties with SalamAir, a low-cost carrier which is also majority owned by the government of Oman but operates independently of the flag carrier.
The addition of Oman Air positions Oneworld as the leading alliance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Star Alliance's only member in the region (excluding Turkey) is...
22.06.2022 - 01:07 UTC
Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) intends to announce its selection for the replacement of its fleet of six A330-200s and fifteen A330-300s by mid-July 2022, Chief Executive Izham Ismail told Reuters during the 2022 IATA AGM in Doha.
"We are in a late stage of the process. We are looking at one-to-one replacement on our A330 fleet," he said, without disclosing any further details concerning the potential type or whether the aircraft would be ordered from the manufacturer(s) or lessors.
The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows Malaysia Airlines operates six A330-200s, which are 14.7 years old on average, and fifteen -300s, which are 10.1 years old on average. The carrier owns nine of the -300s and leases the remainder, the ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows. The airline's widebody fleet also comprises six A350-900s. Malaysia Airlines owns six A380-800s, which it has retired from revenue service and has been trying to sell for nearly a year.
Malaysia Airlines had a non-binding order for eight B787-9s but...
