Malaysia Airlines Welcomes New A350

Malaysia Airlines has secured another Airbus A350-900 as part of its commitment to widebody flying.

Malaysia Secures 7th A350-900

The Malaysian-based carrier has acquired its seventh A350-900 from Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).

The unit was previously registered as SE-RSB, delivered to SAS in February 2020, and ferried from Toulouse (TLS) to Copenhagen (CPH).

However, the aircraft was ultimately stored toward the end of 2022 before JP Lease (JLPS) acquired it and deployed it to Malaysia Airlines.

After Malaysia acquired it, it was ferried from Victorville (VCV) to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL).

Malaysia Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 in 2017, becoming the 17th airline to operate the widebody.

At the time, Malaysia Airlines wanted to deploy the aircraft in Asia. However, it also planned to use the A350s long-term for more long-haul destinations.

The expectation is that the newly acquired A350 from SAS will begin flying in December, after it’s deployed to Australia.

What Happened To SAS?

SAS faced significant financial woes recently and, as a result, had to cut back across its business to reduce costs radically.

As a result, the fleet came under scrutiny. The airline put Airbus A350s and A330s on the chopping block as it fought to emerge more sustainably.

More Airbus A350s On The Way?The

New Straits Times reports Malaysia Airlines Group is raising its A350 commitment to seven aircraft.

When speaking to Business Times, the MAG Group Managing Director said a verdict could come in the first quarter of 2024.

As the company looks to expand its fleet and introduce more fuel-efficient aircraft, the A350 is the focus.

The Fleet

Malaysia Airlines operates 67 in-service aircraft, according to the latest data from planespotters.net.

The company relies heavily on the 737 series for its narrowbody operations, with 41 in service.

However, its widebody operations have seen massive streamlining recently, especially following the global pandemic.

Malaysia now operates 7 A330-200s and 14 A330-300s in its widebody fleet. These aircraft are alongside seven A350-900s. Planespotters.net data shows five are in service, with two being stored.

One of the two units in storage is the newest acquisition, awaiting its scheduled passenger flights from December 2023.

Notably, the airline said goodbye to its Airbus A380 fleet during the height of the global pandemic. This followed a review that deemed them surplus to requirements and inefficient to operate.