31 January 2013 : Malaysia Airlines today rolled out its first aircraft decorated in the livery of the oneworld alliance – which the flag carrier of Malaysia joins at midnight tonight in one of the most significant steps in its 40-year history.
The aircraft in its new-look design was unveiled at a special ceremony at KL International Airport this morning - ahead of a formal joining ceremony and press conference this afternoon - by Malaysia Airlines’ Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya accompanied by visiting counterparts from oneworld and its other member airlines, including New York-based oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby and, from Sydney, Qantas Group Chief Executive Alan Joyce. Qantas has supported Malaysia Airlines through its alliance joining programme as its oneworld sponsor.
oneworld requires all member airlines to decorate a number of their aircraft in its standard alliance livery as part of oneworld’s promotional activities.
The first Malaysia Airlines aircraft decorated with this design is one of its 10 latest Airbus A330-300s. The special alliance livery features “oneworld” in 6 ft (2 metre) high blue letters along a white fuselage and the airline’s standard tailfin, serving as a massive flying billboard to highlight that Malaysia Airlines starts offering oneworld services and benefits from tomorrow.
It will make it first commercial flight in its new look tomorrow, operating as flight MH129 from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne, departing at 10.15 am.
Another two aircraft in its fleet will be decorated in this alliance livery in the coming months.
The rest of its 88-strong fleet will retain the standard Malaysia Airlines livery – but with a 30 cm diameter oneworld logo placed on the fuselage by the main passenger entry door.
Also this morning, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Bruce Ashby and Alan Joyce, placed the first of those logos on the side of one of Malaysia Airlines’ 15 Boeing 737-800s.
The oneworld logos will be applied to the other aircraft in the airline’s fleet overnight after the end of operations today, as part of a massive overnight rebranding programme that will also see the alliance branding added virtually wherever the Malaysia Airlines’ name is displayed – in particular at airport check-in desks and signage, on its website, tickets, boarding passes and all items of stationery.
The full story of Malaysia Airlines’ integration into oneworld will be detailed at its formal joining ceremony at 5.30 pm today, when Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Bruce Ashby, Alan Joyce and senior executives from other oneworld member airlines will be available to the media for interview.
About Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines serves more than 60 destinations in almost 30 countries across Asia, Australasia, Middle East, Europe, and North America, including oneworld hubs Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Sydney and Tokyo Narita.
Malaysia Airlines serves more than 60 destinations in almost 30 countries across Asia, Australasia, Middle East, Europe, and North America, including oneworld hubs Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Sydney and Tokyo Narita.
Its present fleet of 88 aircraft – including its flagship Airbus A380s – operates more than 250 departures a day. It boarded 13 million passengers in 2011, generating revenues of MYR 13.6 billion (US$ 4.5 billion).
Malaysia Airlines describes its distinctive brand as an extension of the special culture of warmth and friendliness unique to Malaysians. This inimitable Malaysian sense of graciousness is branded as “Malaysian Hospitality” and symbolized by the acronym MH, which is also the airline’s flight code.
Both Malaysia Airlines and its Kuala Lumpur hub are among the industry’s most frequent winners of awards for quality service. Malaysia Airlines itself has won the ‘World’s Best Cabin Staff’ award from the UK based Skytrax airline quality rating agency in seven of the past 11 years.
Last year, Malaysia Airlines marked the entry of its first A380 into its fleet by having its Five-Star Airline status renewed by Skytrax – as the airline embarked on a series of improvements to reposition it as a premium carrier.
-Malaysia Airlines.
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