Done deal: Ahmad Luqman (third from left) presenting a token of appreciation to Timpson after the signing ceremony. With them are Manchester United legends Patrice Evra (second from right) and Wes Brown (far left), Capt Izham (second from left) and MAG chief commercial officer Dersenish Aresandiran. — ART CHEN/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) has entered into a multi-year partnership agreement with UK football club Manchester United as its official commercial airline.
Under the partnership, the national carrier is looking to tap into the football club’s over 1.1 billion fans and followers worldwide by leveraging co-branded marketing initiatives to boost brand recognition to a diverse global audience.
“The market that we now serve has over 577 million Manchester United fans. If we are able to target as low as 0.3% of that number, it goes straight to our top line numbers.
“By aligning ourselves with a globally recognised football club like Manchester United, Malaysia Airlines strategically positions itself in front of a large global audience, significantly amplifying brand recognition, particularly in Europe and South-East Asia where the club boasts a substantial fanbase,” Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) group managing director Datuk Capt Izham Ismail told a press conference yesterday.
“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,” Manchester United chief executive officer of alliances and partnerships Victoria Timpson said.
She added that the Premier League club has three official Malaysian supporters’ clubs with the Kuala Lumpur branch boasting one of the club’s largest supporter communities.
Meanwhile, the airline is keen on reinvesting in its business with a focus on cabin comfort, in-flight dining and cabin crew service.
“Investments will be directed towards these areas to ensure that we offer industry-leading product propositions at these touch points – including through fleet enhancements,” said MAG chief executive officer of airlines, Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi.
Malaysia Airlines also announced the launch of flights to three new destinations - Malé in the Maldives, Da Nang in Vietnam and Chiang Mai in Thailand.
The airline will commence daily flights to Malé beginning Aug 1; daily flights to Da Nang beginning Sept 24 and five times weekly flights to Chiang Mai beginning Aug 15. Tickets to these new destinations are available for sale beginning March 22.
As a member of the oneworld® alliance, Malaysia Airlines currently offers connectivity to more than 900 destinations in 170 territories across the globe.
The carrier 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 the third quarter this year.
The new A330neo cabin will feature the Collins Aerospace Elevation business class seats, an all-suite cabin with individual privacy doors, as well as wireless charging pods available at all 28 of the business class seats.
Meanwhile, the Recaro CL3810 Economy Class seats feature an ergonomic design and enhanced support, coupled with amenities such as coat hooks, cup holder and ample stowage. The seat covers throughout the cabin will feature a songket motif.
The A330neo will comprise 297 seats (28 in business class and 269 in economy class, of which 24 seats come with extra legroom).
“Malaysia Airlines has undergone a chequered journey over the last decade. However, our resilience has remained steadfast,” said Capt Izham.
