Airline Doubles Original 2022 Airbus Order

Malaysia Aviation Group, parent company of Malaysia Airlines, announced it has exercised its options for an additional 20 Airbus A330-900neo wide-body jets, bringing its total to 40 aircraft under the original 2022 order that included 10 directly purchased and 10 A330 neos leased from Avolon.

The airline has already placed four of those aircraft into service on routes including Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne, Auckland, and Bali. Deliveries from this newly-added order are slated to begin in 2029 and continue through 2031.

Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of MAG said, “The A330neo continues to deliver the right balance of operational efficiency, range, and cabin comfort to support our network and growth strategy.  This additional order reinforces our long-term vision of building a future-ready fleet that supports sustainable growth, delivers consistent value to our passengers, and strengthens our competitiveness in key markets.”

The exercise of the options was announced as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Paris visiting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The move is aligned with MAG’s strategy to modernize and expand its long-haul fleet.

Macron characterized the agreement as “historic” and signals a boost in aviation cooperation between the European Union and Asia as U.S. tariff pressure may soon affect Europe.

The addition to Malaysia Airlines’ fleet will strengthen its position in markets across the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), China, India, and Australasia.

Airbus naturally welcomed the expansion of the order, with Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President of Sales for Commercial Aircraft at Airbus explained, “This repeat order is a strong endorsement of the A330neo’s exceptional performance, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.”

FMI:  www.airbus.com/