- Malaysia Airlines has unveiled new A330neo cabins with doors for premium privacy and wireless charging.
- The A330neo economy class features tradition-meets-modern seat covers with songket motif.
- The airline recorded its first profit since 2014 and saw a nearly 50% increase in passengers in 2023.
Malaysia Airlines has unveiled the cabins for its new Airbus A330neos, which are expected to join the fleet later this year.
Getting ready for the A330neo
One of the most exciting announcements in the aviation industry is when an airline unveils new hard products, enhancing the passenger experience. Earlier today, Malaysia Airlines unveiled the new cabins for its upcoming Airbus A330neos, generating a lot of buzz in the industry. The first A330neo is expected in Q3 this year and will feature an all-new business-class cabin and a new economy product. Three of 20 A330neos will join the fleet in 2024. It will first be deployed to Melbourne before being added to routes in North Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South Asia.
Following what is becoming ‘normal’ for business class cabins, Malaysia Airlines’ new seats will feature doors, increasing the privacy offered to passengers in the premium cabin. The seats, Collins Aerospace’s Elevation business class product, will also feature wireless charging technology. This is the first time Malaysia Airlines has had doors on its business-class product, and it will become the biggest airline to install the new Collins seat on an Airbus A330 aircraft.
Today’s announcement about the A330neo cabins was one of several made by the airline, and Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), said,
“With our Manchester United collaboration, the expansion of our network to three new routes, and the unveiling of the new cabin seats on our new A330neo; this sets the benchmark of exciting things to come as we redefine what it means to travel onboard Malaysian Hospitality. These milestones not only set a new standard in the airline’s transformation journey but also promise a future filled with unparalleled experiences beyond the confines of the aircraft.”
Malaysia Airlines chose the Recaro CL3810 for its economy cabin, which features coat hooks, cupholders, and plenty of storage. The songket motif will feature on all the seat covers in the cabin, paying tribute to the country’s cultural heritage by combining tradition with modern style. The A330neos will carry 297 passengers, 28 in business class and 269 in economy, including 24 extra legroom seats.
Last November, Malaysia Airlines announced that WiFi would be free in all of its cabins, starting with some of its widebodies and later expanding to its narrowbodies. In this announcement, the airline did not mention WiFi connectivity on its A330neos, but it is safe to assume that the new planes will be equipped with wireless connectivity.
A record-breaking year
Earlier this week, Malaysia Airlines shared that 2023 was a record-breaking year, having recorded the first profit since 2014. Last year, the airline’s net profit was $162 million, a significant change compared to 2022, when it experienced a loss of $73 million. The profit was primarily driven by a considerable increase in passenger numbers. All the airlines in the Malaysia Aviation Group carried 14.5 million passengers, a nearly 50% increase over the 9.9 million passengers transported in 2022.
