Malaysia Airlines Takes Delivery of its First A380

Malaysia Airlines has taken delivery of its first A380, becoming the eighth operator of the world’s largest commercial aircraft.

Malaysia Airlines has ordered six A380s. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, the aircraft feature a three class layout, with accommodation for a total of 494 passengers.

Malaysia Airlines’ A380 has a seat configuration of 494 comprising 8 First Class and 350 Economy Class seats on the main deck and 66 Business Class and 70 Economy Class seats on the upper deck.

 Seats in all classes are equipped with the latest individual inflight entertainment systems, USB ports and satellite telephone facilities.

“The A380 showcases our latest premium offering in products and services. This will be our flagship aircraft, offering new levels of comfort, luxury and convenience for long haul travel,” said Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, MAS Group Chief Executive Officer. “With the A380 in our fleet, MAS will reinforce its position as one of the world’s preferred premium carriers bringing great Malaysian Hospitality to our customers.”

The national carrier will commence thrice weekly commercial operations of the A380 on the Kuala Lumpur-London-Kuala Lumpur route effective 1 July 2012.

Daily A380 operations on this route will start from 25 August 2012 when the second aircraft joins the national carrier’s fleet.

Since first entering service in 2007, the A380 has exceeded all expectations, flying more people further at lower cost, while significantly reducing carbon emissions.

The spacious, quiet cabin and smooth ride have also made the A380 a firm favourite with passengers, resulting in higher load factors and increased profitability on many of the routes where the aircraft is operated.

The A380 is capable of flying 8,300 nautical miles or 15,300 kilometres. This enables non-stop service with a full payload from Kuala Lumpur to any destination in Europe or one-stop service to major destinations in the US.

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