Malaysia Airlines launches A380 service from Heathrow
The A380 painted in its full celebration livery arrived into London Heathrow from KLIA as flight MH002 early this morning before departing on its schedule from the UK at 12.00 GMT.
Malaysia Airlines’ Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya was joined by Malaysian dignitaries, the first A380 passengers and UK travel trade partners to celebrate the airline’s inaugural non-stop Airbus A380 flight from Heathrow to KLIA.
Speaking at the event, held in Malaysia Airlines’ newly refurbished Golden Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4 prior to the departure of flight MH003, Jauhari Yahya said: “The A380 showcases our latest premium offering and it was imperative that the first of these new aircraft was inaugurated on the prestigious London route, a route we have been operating from Kuala Lumpur since 1974. The A380 is our latest flagship aircraft offering new levels of comfort, luxury and convenience for long-haul travel and we look forward to delivering our great Malaysian Hospitality to our UK guests.”
Colin Matthews, CEO of BAA, added: “We are delighted to welcome Malaysia Airlines to the list of carriers that operate A380s here at Heathrow. The A380 represents a significant step forward in improved environmental performance on Heathrow’s airfield and we are proud to accommodate this latest addition to the fleet.”
The A380 has a capacity of 494 seats, comprising of 350 economy and eight fully-flat first-class seats on the main (lower) deck, and 66 fully-flat business-class and 70 economy seats on the upper deck. The new interiors have been designed by aviation design consultancy, Priestmangoode.
Malaysia Airlines preparation for the A380 and its forthcoming membership of the oneworld alliance, which it is set to join in the last quarter of 2012, has also included front and back of house upgrades on the ground at London Heathrow Terminal 4. These include the introduction of more desks enabling faster check-in and swifter bag-drop for those who checked-in online; increased baggage reclaim capacity and the recent refurbishment of Malaysia Airlines’ Golden Lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal 4 for Business and First Class passengers as well as the Gold and Platinum category members of its Enrich Frequent Flyer programme.
