Malaysia Airlines takes delivery of first Airbus A350-900

Malaysia Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, becoming the 17th airline to operate the world’s newest twin engine widebody airliner.

Malaysia Airlines Airbus A350-900

The aircraft is the first of six Airbus A350-900s for Malaysia Airlines, all of which are being leased from Air Lease Corporation.

Malaysia Airlines will initially deploy the aircraft on flights within Asia. Then, from the first quarter of 2018, the A350 will fly on the airline’s premier long haul service from Kuala Lumpur to London.

Malaysia Airlines is the first carrier to offer a First Class cabin in the A350-900. The aircraft is configured in a three class cabin layout with a total of 286 seats. This comprises four in First Class, 35 in Business, featuring convertible seats to fully flat beds and 247 in Economy.

Malaysia Airlines already operates 24 Airbus aircraft including six A380s, 15 A330-300s and three A330-200Fs on its regional routes and long haul services.

Malaysia Airlines CEO Captain Izham Ismail said, “We are very excited to welcome this new addition to our family. With its technological advancements the A350-900 is an important milestone for us on this journey, helping boost our competitiveness on our long haul flights. The addition of the A350-900 also underlines our commitment to operate a young and modern fleet.”

The A350 XWB benefits from the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines.

John Plueger, CEO and President of Air Lease Corporation, said, “Our first A350-900 represents a milestone for ALC, and for Malaysia Airlines. We are very confident that the A350-900 will deliver outstanding performance, efficiency, and economics for our airline customers.”

To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 858 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 45 customers worldwide, already making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.