Airbus reports it has a new order to supply 20 A330neo aircraft to Malaysia Airlines for its planned renewal of its wide-body fleet. The agreement with Malaysia Aviation Group covers a direct purchase of 10, and 10 more to be made available under an agreement with Avolon, a jet-leasing group.
The jet-builder did not announce the value of the order, the A330neo’s book value suggests the contract could be worth up to $5.93 billion.
The airline also contracted with Rolls-Royce for Trent 7000 engines to power the twin-engine jets.
The A330neo (“new engine option”) is a wide-body aircraft updated with fuel-saving engines, new wing configurations, and other aerodynamic improvements to gain a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to the previous, A330ceo variant.
Airbus reports it has drawn over 270 firm orders for the A330neo since it introduced the updated variant in 2010.
“The acquisition of the A330neo is a natural transition from our current A330ceo fleet,” stated Malaysian Aviation Group CEO Izham Ismail. “The A330neo will not only provide fleet modernization and enhanced operational efficiency, but will also meet environmental targets through reduced fuel-burn per seat, while keeping passenger safety and comfort at its core.”
The airline will configure the A330neos to carry 300 passengers in a two-class arrangement, for service on network of routes in Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East.
MAG and Airbus also signed a letter of intent to study sustainability, training, maintenance, and airspace management.
