In 2022, Malaysia Airlines placed an order for 20 Airbus A330neos. There’s now a major update, as the airline has doubled that order, meaning the oneworld airline must have some serious growth plans.
Malaysia Airlines has 40 Airbus A330neos on order
In August 2022, Malaysia Airlines placed an order for 20 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, with 10 of the planes being purchased directly from Airbus, and 10 being leased from Dublin-based Avolon. Now, in July 2025, the airline has doubled that order, with an additional 20 firm orders. This means that the airline now has 40 of these aircraft on order.
The Kuala Lumpur-based airline took delivery of its first of these jets in November 2024. So far, four have been delivered to the airline. The plan is for the first 20 to be delivered through 2028, and the next 20 to be delivered between 2029 and 2031.
Prior to taking delivery of the latest generation Airbus A330neo, Malaysia Airlines had a fleet of 20 A330s, including seven A330-200s and 13 A330-300s. These planes are an average of around 15 years old, and the plan is for A330neo aircraft to progressively replace these.
We can expect to see Malaysia Airlines operate the A330neo on many flights within Asia, as well as on flights to the South Pacific and the Middle East. In theory, the planes also have the range to operate many routes to Europe, though that’s not shared as a priority with these aircraft.
For context, the A330neo has both the -800neo and -900neo variants:
- The A330-800neo has a standard three-cabin capacity of 257, while the A330-900neo has a standard three-cabin capacity of 287
- The A330-800neo has a range of 8,100nm, while the A330-900neo has a range of 7,350nm
The A330-900neo has been much more popular with airlines than the A330-800neo, and has seen exponentially more orders. So it’s not surprising to see Malaysia Airlines exclusively go with that jet.
Here’s how Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Airlines Group, describes this increased order:
“The A330neo continues to deliver the right balance of operational efficiency, range, and cabin comfort to support our network and growth strategy. With its enhanced fuel efficiency and flexibility across both regional and long-haul routes, the aircraft is a strong fit for our evolving market needs. It also allows us to offer a product that aligns with our premium positioning – streamlined, modern, and designed around passenger comfort and expectations. This additional order reinforces our long-term vision of building a future-ready fleet that supports sustainable growth, delivers consistent value to our passengers, and strengthens our competitiveness in key markets.”
What to expect onboard Malaysia Airlines’ A330neos
Malaysia Airlines is equipping all 40 of its Airbus A330-900neos with 297 seats. This includes 28 fully flat business class seats with direct aisle access, plus 269 economy class seats.
In business class, Malaysia Airlines is offering reverse herringbone seats with doors. Specifically, the airline has selected the Collins Aerospace Elevation product, which is essentially a rebranding of the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond product. This is the same product you’ll find in British Airways’ Club Suites, as well as in Etihad’s A350 business class. As you can see, the cabin looks nice, though the finishes seem quite generic.
This is an exciting new product for the airline, and represents quite an improvement over Malaysia Airlines’ old business class. The A330neos also have Wi-Fi, plus all the features you expect on a new aircraft, like larger overhead bins.
How the A330neo fits into Malaysia Airlines’ fleet
Malaysia Airlines should have a pretty young fleet in the coming years. Before the A330neo, Malaysia Airlines’ fleet consisted of:
- Seven Airbus A350, which are an average of seven years old
- 20 Airbus A330s, which are an average of 14 years old
- 52 Boeing 737s, which are an average of 12 years old (these planes are in the process of being refurbished); this includes 40 737-800s and 12 737 MAX 8s
Malaysia Airlines used to have six Airbus A380s, but the airline retired those years back.
When it comes to fleet renewal:
- Malaysia Airlines is going to replace A330ceos with A330neos
- Malaysia Airlines is making good progress with taking delivery of the 50 Boeing 737 MAXs it has on order, which are progressively replacing existing 737s
A fleet of A350s, A330neos, and 737 MAXs, sounds pretty modern to me. But what’s really quite surprising here is that the airline isn’t just replacing its existing A330s, but is literally doubling that portion of the fleet. That represents some major growth for the airline.
Malaysia Airlines has such a small ultra long haul fleet (with A350s), while it’ll have such a big fleet of wide bodies intended to operate within the Pacific region. Then again, I guess the A330neos can operate most of the long routes that the airline could be considering.
Bottom line
In 2022, Malaysia Airlines placed an order for 20 Airbus A330-900neos. Now in 2025, that order has been doubled, to 40 of these aircraft. While the initial order of 20 jets will replace existing A330s, the additional order for 20 more jets represents pure growth for the airline, so expect a lot of new routes to be added between now and 2031.
I’m looking forward to flying on this jet, especially given the new onboard product the airline is offering!
What do you make of Malaysia Airlines’ fleet refresh with the A330neo?
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