Malaysia Airlines' First A380 To Land In KLIA On Wednesday Afternoon

by Joshua Foong TOULOUSE (France), May 30 (Bernama) -- The world's largest and most eco-efficient aircraft, the Airbus A380, is now in the hands of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and will touch down on Malaysian soil on Wednesday at around 3.00pm. MAS took delivery of its first A380 out of the six ordered Monday and is the eighth operator of the the passenger aircraft. Airbus Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Brégier handed over the plane to MAS Group Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya in Toulouse. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, the aircraft feature a premium three class layout, with accommodation for a total of 494 passengers. Features include fully flat beds in First and Business Class, plus new wider seats in Economy. Seats in all classes are equipped with the latest individual in-flight entertainment systems, USB ports and satellite telephone facilities. Upon inspecting the plane for the first time, Ahmad Jauhari was clearly impressed. "The A380 showcases our latest premium offering in products and services. This will be our flagship aircraft, offering new levels of comfort, luxury and convenience for long haul travel," he said. "With the A380 in our fleet, MAS will reinforce its position as one of the world’s preferred premium carriers bringing great Malaysian Hospitality to our customers." "We are extremely proud to welcome Malaysia Airlines as the latest operator of the A380," said Brégier. "The A380 has set new standards of comfort, fuel-efficiency and respect for the environment. The combination of these features and MAS's world-famous in-flight service represents a winning formula, enabling the carrier to offer its passengers the best the industry has to offer." Since first entering service in 2007, the A380 has exceeded all expectations, flying more people further at lower cost, while significantly reducing carbon emissions. The spacious, quiet cabin and smooth ride have also made the A380 a firm favourite with passengers, resulting in higher load factors and increased profitability on all routes where the aircraft is operated. The A380 is capable of flying 8,300 nautical miles or 15,300 kilometres. This enables non-stop service with a full payload from Kuala Lumpur to any destination in Europe or one-stop service to major destinations in the US. The superjumbo's commercial debut is set for July 1 as a thrice-weekly KL-London service (MH002/MH003) before going daily in August. Malaysia Airlines will also introduce the A380 onto its Sydney-Kuala Lumpur route beginning September 25th running as the daily MH122/123 service also replacing the current Boeing 747-400. -- BERNAMA