(From second left) Manchester United legend Wes Brown, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) chief executive officer of airlines Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi, Izham, Timpson, Manchester United legend Patrice Evra and MAG chief commercial officer of airlines Dersenish Aresandiran at the signing of the partnership.
IN a significant move to enhance its global reach, Malaysia Airlines has signed a strategic, multi-year partnership with the Manchester United football club as its official commercial airline.
Through this partnership, Malaysia Airlines is poised to extend its renowned Malaysian Hospitality to Manchester United’s vast community of over 1.1 billion fans and followers worldwide by leveraging co-branded marketing initiatives to boost brand recognition to a diverse global audience, while delivering quality service and immersive experiences associated with both brands.
At the same event held in tandem with MATTA Fair 2024, Malaysia Airlines also announced the launch of flights to three new destinations including Malé, Maldives (MLE), Da Nang, Vietnam (DAD) and Chiang Mai, Thailand (CNX), with tickets now available for sale.
The airline will commence its daily flights to MLE beginning Aug 1; daily flights to DAD beginning Sept 24 and five times weekly flights to CNX beginning Aug 15.
This will mark the airline’s 13th destination in South Asia and 16th in ASEAN as it seeks to boost its presence within key markets, strengthening its position as the gateway to Asia and beyond in line with its commercial elevation journey.
As a member of the oneworld alliance, Malaysia Airlines provides extensive connectivity to over 900 destinations globally, spanning 170 territories.
At the same event, the airline also unveiled its new A330neo Business Class and Economy Class seats as part of its fleet modernisation plan, ahead of the first aircraft’s scheduled delivery in Q3 2024.
The new A330neo cabin will feature many ‘firsts’ for the airline and historically in its fleet.
Among those is the introduction of the Collins Aerospace Elevation Business Class seats, featuring an all-suite cabin with individual privacy doors, as well as wireless charging pods available at all 28 of the Business Class seats.
The airline is set to become the world’s leading carrier to feature Elevation seats on the A330 airframe, solidifying its position as an industry leader in passenger experience and innovation.
Meanwhile, the award-winning Recaro CL3810 Economy Class seats feature an ergonomic design and enhanced support, coupled with thoughtful amenities such as coat hooks, cup holder and ample stowage for added cabin comfort and practicality.
The seat covers throughout the cabin will feature the airline’s signature songket motif, paying homage to Malaysia’s cultural heritage by seamlessly blending tradition with contemporary style.
The A330neo will comprise 297 seats – 28 in Business Class and 269 in Economy Class, of which 24 seats come with extra legroom. Shoppers who attended the MATTA Fair had the exclusive opportunity to experience these new seats for a limited time only, as they were showcased at the MAG Arena at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur.
“Malaysia Airlines has undergone a chequered journey over the last decade, however through it all, our resilience has remained steadfast,” said MAG group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail.
“Having stabilised our balance sheet and recording the strongest-ever financial year performance since the past decade, we are now in a stronger position to steer our focus towards accelerating investments into our product and service delivery to elevate the customer experience.
“With the Manchester United collaboration, the expansion of our network to three new routes, and the unveiling of the new cabin seats on our new A330neo; this sets the benchmark of exciting things to come as we redefine what it means to travel onboard Malaysian Hospitality.”
“These milestones not only set a new standard in the airline’s transformation journey but also promise a future filled with unparalleled experiences beyond the confines of the aircraft.
“As we move forward, our focus remains unwavering on delivering excellence and fostering continued growth, ensuring that every aspect of our service exceeds expectations and leaves a lasting impression for our valued passengers.”
Manchester United alliances and partnerships chief executive officer Victoria Timpson said, “Manchester United has a long-standing and proud connection with Malaysia, with a history of passionate support from across the country.
“We have three official Malaysian supporter’s clubs, with the Kuala Lumpur branch boasting one of the club’s largest supporter communities, reflecting the country’s love of all things United.
“We are very pleased to welcome Malaysia Airlines to our family of partners and look forward to sharing with our global fans its trusted, welcoming and hospitable service.”
