Malaysia Airlines will renew its widebody fleet with 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft, the European manufacturer confirmed.
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of the airline, will purchase 10 A330-900 aircraft from Airbus and lease a further 10 from Avolon, Airbus said in a press release on August 15, 2022.
The A330neo aircraft, which will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, will join the carrier’s fleet of six long range A350-900s and gradually replace its 21 A330ceo aircraft.
Avolon, which currently has four aircraft on lease to MAG, said the A330neo aircraft will be delivered from 2024 onwards. The transaction means Avolon has only two unplaced A330neos in its orderbook.
“As the Asian aviation market continues to emerge from the pandemic, this A330neo transaction will help MAG renew its fleet and position them to capitalise on market recovery,” Andy Cronin, Avolon CEO Designate, commented.
“The acquisition of the A330neo is a natural transition from our current A330ceo fleet,” MAG CEO Izham Ismail said. “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.”
Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International Christian Scherer commented: “Malaysia Airlines is one of the great Asian carriers and we are proud and humbled to be its preferred supplier of widebody aircraft. The decision is a clear endorsement of the A330neo as the most efficient option in this size category for premium operations.”
In addition to the order, Airbus and MAG also signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to study collaboration in the areas of sustainability, training, maintenance and airspace management.