News
Malaysia Airlines revives B747 and notes Mainland passenger growth
March 24th 2016
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) will bring one of its parked B747-400s back into service while its A380 fleet undergoes scheduled maintenance. Read More » The B747 in question, 9M-MPP, line number 1296, joined MAB’s fleet off-factory in February 2002. It has been stored since May 2013. The aircraft is being repainted in the carrier’s 1970s retro livery and is expected to fill in for the out-of-service A380s on the double daily London route. MAB last month announced it would retain its six A380s at least until 2018.
MAB this week officially launched its A330-300 business class product. The full-flat bed product will pioneer on the Sydney route from Wednesday. MAB CCO, Paul Simmons, said there is room for improvement in the carrier’s premium products. It is looking to update its lounges and improve its catering. "That does not mean we will focus only on premium products, [it’s] just that our economy products are already strong," said head of marketing, Charles McKee.
MAB carried 22% more passengers from Mainland China year-to-date, compared with last year, an indication confidence in the carrier is gradually being restored, thought McKee. "We believe the worst is over,” he said.
Malaysia’s AirAsia has wet-leased an A330-300 from sister carrier, AirAsia X, to satisfy demand on the popular Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu trunk route. AirAsia Group CEO, Tony Fernandes, has said AirAsia X is considering launching flights to Russia, following discussions with Valentina Matvienko, chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council.
