Melbourne debut for Malaysia Airlines’ new jet, business class

Malaysia Airlines’ new long-range business class takes to the skies this month on board the first of 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft, and travellers between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur will be among the first to experience the factory-fresh jet.

The inaugural flight of the Malaysia Airlines A330neo will take place on Thursday December 19 as MH149, departing KL at 10.30pm to reach Melbourne at 9.25am the following morning.

The MH148 return leg departs from Melbourne at 3.10pm, arriving into Kuala Lumpur at 9.25pm.

Malaysia Airlines says the A330neo will feature on the KL-Melbourne route as MH148/MH149 six days a week.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo.

The airline has previously indicated Auckland was likely to follow in early 2025, followed by Tokyo and Doha from March 2025 as more jets arrive.

Beyond those first four cities, Ismail described the early A330neo network as also including “India (and) a bit of Southeast Asia,” Captain Izham Ismail, CEO of the Malaysia Aviation Group, told Executive Traveller earlier this year, following the announcement of daily A350 flights to Paris.

The Malaysia Airlines A350 now running between Kuala Lumpur and Doha will mov across to bootstrap KL-Paris on March 22, with Ismail describing the Qatari capital as “a signature route for us,” being the cornerstone of a codeshare partnership with Qatar Airways.

“We need to put on a product which is equivalent to Qatar’s, (especially for) connecting flights beyond Doha… we do not want customers to feel the difference (in business class), so they will see the consistency in the new product of the A330neo.”

Growing the Malaysia Airlines A330neo network

The A330neo is an updated version of Airbus’ best-selling A330 – a stalwart for scores of airlines on both domestic and short- to medium-range international flights.

And while the neo suffix denotes a fuel-efficient ‘new engine option’, the jet also incorporates a range of passenger-friendly updates such as a quieter cabin, ambient LED lighting schemes and larger overhead bins which increase capacity by some 66%.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo.

Malaysia Airlines expects to have five A330neos by the first quarter of 2025, with the jets initially flying to Melbourne, Auckland, Tokyo and Doha.

The remaining 15 jets from Malaysia Airlines’ initial 20-strong A330neo order will then stream through until 2028.

The A330neo will steadily take over routes flown by the ageing A330s, which Ismail said would begin exiting the MH fleet from early 2025 on a “one in, one out” basis.

However, Malaysia Airlines has also inked an ‘options’ agreement with Airbus for the purchase of up to 20 more A330neo jets.

Any second batch of A330neos would fuel growth of the MH network to new destinations, along with the possibility of adding more flights to current routes – although some of this might even be achievable with the first batch of A330neos.

“The strategy of the company is to grow, but we do not want to grow blindly,” says Malaysia Airlines chief Ismail.

“I need to grow Australia… with the current demand, our load factor is sitting in the 90s, so I need to increase Sydney to three times a day.”

Ismail also earmarked Melbourne for three MH flights per day, and double-daily to Auckland. 

Malaysia Airlines A330neo business class

Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo marks the debut of a new ‘signature’ business class suite which will also find its way onto the Airbus A350s as part of a retrofit program beginning in early 2026.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo business class.

These business class suites will also replace the A350’s four first class suites, which have since rebranded as Business Suites.

Malaysia Airlines' A350 Business Suites (previously First Class).

And they’ll immediately be familiar to globetrotting Executive Traveller readers, as Malaysia Airlines has chosen Collins Aerospace’s Elevation platform – also used for British Airways Club Suites business class and Etihad Airways’ A350 Business Studio suites.

Etihad Airways' A350 Business Studio suite.

An earlier iteration of this same design, known as the Super Diamond, populates the pointy end of long-range jets flown by Air Canada, Qatar Airways and Taiwan’s China Airlines, among others.

Business class passengers on Malaysia Airlines’ A330neo will find 28 suites, each with individual privacy doors, arranged in a 1-2-1 layout with direct aisle access.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo business class.

The window seats are angled towards the window and away from the aisle, for added privacy even when the door is open.

The paired middle seats are also angled away from the aisle and thus towards one another, with a sliding screen which can be opened if you’re flying with a partner.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo business class.

Each Malaysia Airlines A330neo business class suite delivers increased personal space.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo business class.

A panel on the side shelf opens up to reveal a conveniently located stowage nook, which should also be fitted with AC and USB-C sockets (which ar e not present in this mockup version shown below).

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo business class.

Just ahead of that nook is a concealed wireless charging spot for smartphones, earbuds and tablets.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo business class.

Passengers will also be treated to generous video screens, although it’s not yet known if these will come with Bluetooth audio streaming.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo business class.

Happily, we can confirm that Malaysia Airlines’ amazing business class satay will remain on the menu.

Malaysia Airlines’ business class satay.

Back behind the curtain on the Malaysia Airlines A330neo will be 263 new-design economy class seats laid out in rows of 2-4-2, with ‘enhanced in-flight entertainment screens’ and USB-C charging outlets.

Malaysia Airlines' A330neo economy class.

And from tip to tail, the Malaysia Airlines A330neo jets will continue to offer fast and free WiFi to every passenger.