News
02 December 2009
MASWINGS RECEIVES ITS 7TH ATR 72-500 aircraft
Langkawi: MASwings signed an acceptance agreement for its 7th ATR72-500 worth RM80 million in an official ceremony at the LIMA '09 exhibition in Langkawi today.
MASwings Managing Director, Mr Mohd Salleh Ahmad Tabrani and ATR General Manager Sales for South-East Asia and Pacific, Mr Christophe Potocki sealed the agreement for the aircraft which will commence operations in East Malaysia on 18 December 2009.
The aircraft which is currently on display at the exhibition will replace the Fokker 50, and serve the following routes: Kuching - Sibu, Sibu - Bintulu - Kota Kinabalu as well as Kota Kinabalu – Bintulu – Kuching, Kuching – Bintulu – Miri and vice versa.
By April 2010, MASwings will receive another 3 ATR72, completing its fleet of 10 ATRs. All Fokker aircraft will be phased out.
“The new fleet will enable us to expand our capacity by 150%, meeting the future demand in air travel within Sabah and Sarawak, and connect more customers worldwide to the two states which are ideal destinations for business and leisure,” Salleh said.
The 6 ATR72 aircraft which are currently in operations in Sabah & Sarawak have received excellent passenger reviews. The new ATRs have enabled MASwings to increase the number of passengers carried to 70,000 per month as the airline has increased its flight frequencies from 700 weekly to 900.
“Passengers choose us as we offer more frequencies and better connectivity. Our services are also aligned to Malaysia Airlines’ flights allowing customers to enjoy seamless connectivity with just one ticket. Our offerings and new fleet will establish our position as the preferred carrier in the region,” he added.
The ATR72-500 aircraft are compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) noise regulations. It also features the lowest fuel consumption and carbon emissions, making the ATR an environmentally friendly aircraft.
Salleh said, “We are proud to operate green aircraft to support the development of sustainable tourism in East Malaysia. As part of our green initiatives, we have introduced bio-degradable meal boxes on all our flights since September 2008.”
The ATR aircraft which is on display has been specially configured for MASwings. It offers 68 plush leather seats with 31”inches pitch seats. It is also equipped with an in-flight entertainment screen, not normally found in other ATR aircraft.
A unique feature offered on MASwings’ ATR is the ‘Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System' (ACARS), an advance communications system seldom found in other turbo propeller aircraft. It enables faster and more accurate flow of information between the aircraft and the operations centres as well as real time monitoring of the aircraft. This increases MASwings’ operational efficiency and enhance flight safety.
During LIMA, MASwings will offer promotional fares of up to 50% discount for all routes. The travel period is from 1 December 2009 to 31 March 2010. The offer is only available to LIMA visitors and is on sale at MASwings’ booth.
Issued By: Corporate Communications MASwings