Malaysia Airlines gets third Airbus A380

Neelam Mathews

Nov 15, 2012

MAS has received its third A380. The fourth will be delivered by the end of this week. Malaysia Airlines is the eighth operator of this new aircraft and will receive its remaining two A380 by the first quarter of 2013.

Malaysia Airlines will use two 494-seater aircraft to commence day-time flights from KLIA to London Heathrow starting Nov 24. Flight MH4 will depart KLIA at 10.45am daily to arrive London Heathrow the same day at 4.15pm. The return flight MH1 departs London daily at 10.00pm and arrives KLIA the next day at 6.20pm.

This day service will complement Malaysia Airlines’ current daily A380 night service to the UK capital, where MH 2 departs KLIA at 11.40pm and arrives in London at 5.50am the following day with the return flight MH3 departing London at 12.00 noon and arriving KLIA at 7.25am the next day.

With the introduction of the double daily A380 services effective 24 November 2012, Malaysia Airlines will cease the 359-seater B747-400 flight operations between KLIA and London.

The double daily A380 operations by Malaysia Airlines, the only full service carrier to offer direct services between Malaysia and the UK, will also improve weekly seat capacity by 37% in both directions of the KLIA-London Heathrow route.

The A380 services will offer 6916 seats weekly compared to 5026 seats offered through the earlier double daily B747-400 operations, allowing more passengers to  travel on the latest super jumbo aircraft.