Malaysia Airlines close to selecting new destination in Europe

CAPA - Centre for Aviation, in a report entitled: 'Malaysia Airlines' fleet strategy: still a work in progress following A330-200 and 787-9 deals', stated (04-Oct-2017) Malaysia Airlines is in final negotiations with a European airport and intends to announce a new long haul route within the next few weeks. As CAPA has previously reported, the airline has been considering several potential destinations in Europe for the last two of its six A350s. Malaysia Airlines has six A350s on order and decided two years ago to use four A350s to replace A380s on its twice daily Kuala Lumpur-London route. Malaysia Airlines initially looked at using the fifth and sixth aircraft for Auckland and other potential routes within Asia Pacific before deciding earlier this year to pursue a new long haul route. Malaysia Airlines previously served four destinations in Europe in addition to London. Amsterdam and Paris were suspended in early 2016 while Frankfurt and Istanbul were suspended in 2015. CAPA stated that "Malaysia Airlines would prefer to wait for its new fleet of 787-9s, which are being delivered from 2H2019, to resume expansion in Europe. However, the airline has determined that it has no other viable option for its last two A350s and needs to somehow utilise the last two aircraft. Essentially Malaysia Airlines has to find a route where it can cover as much of the lease costs on the last two A350s as possible. Once the first batch of 787-9s are delivered in late 2019, this route can potentially be transferred from the A350". [more - CAPA Analysis]