The Airbus A350 is increasingly becoming a favorite across the aviation spectrum. Passengers appreciate the widebody’s comfort while airlines value its economics. Notably, both parties are also paying attention to the environmental aspects of the twinjet. This factor is prevalent among Malaysia Airlines’ staff and customers.
Savings to be had
The A350 is the quietest aircraft in its class, reducing noise by 50% compared to previous-generation models. Moreover, the plane was also designed to help lower NOx output. With several savings amid the fight to cut down on emissions, Malaysia Airlines is proud to have the aircraft on its popular Kuala Lumpur to London route.
“Sustainability is very important, and customers are also on the same page. The aircraft that we have out of London is the A350. It’s very fuel-efficient, far more fuel-efficient than the previous A380s were used to operate several years ago. It saves a lot on fuel and emissions, so passengers can fly with us with confidence that they are traveling in a more socially responsible way,” Malaysia Airlines UK regional manager Daniel Bainbridge told Simple Flying.
“Overall, sustainability is key. We have pledged to become net-zero by 2050, and there are several initiatives that we have in place to help reach this goal.”
A recent addition
In total, the airline has six A350-900s in its fleet. The first of these arrived in November 2017, and the latest joined in July the following year. According to ch-aviation, all of these units are active, offering a total capacity of 1,716 seats.
In comparison, all six of the operator’s A380s are grounded. Malaysia Airlines announced that it was retiring the type last year and then went on to list them for sale during the summer.
Several airlines have been phasing out the quadjet superjumbo in favor of more efficient twinjets. In practice, it’s been concluded that on a one-way flight, the A350 can save a minimum of 16 tons of carbon dioxide per block hour against the A380.
Additionally, the superjumbo can leak around 80% more CO2 per block hour than the A350. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that Malaysia Airlines is opting to deploy the plane on some of its most prominent routes in 2022.
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Part of a broader strategy
One of Malaysia Airlines’ other Airbus widebody types, the A330, is also helping the carrier with its sustainability targets. Last month, one of the operator’s A330-200s flew from Amsterdam Schiphol to conduct the first flight of the airline with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The flight consisted of a 38% blend, and the company is looking to continue its collaborations with the likes of Neste to scale up usage as part of its strategy in the coming years.
Airbus itself recognizes the importance of SAF when it comes to greener activity. All of the manufacturer’s planes are 50% SAF certified. However, it looks to ramp up to 100% SAF certification by 2030.
Across the board, the Malaysia Aviation Group, the parent of Malaysia Airlines, has over 60 sustainability initiatives in action in differing phases. Programs such as using GE Digital’s Aviation Software solutions have been helping to reduce fuel burn by 15%. It’s not just the fuel that the company is trying to stop wasting. It has been decreasing and reusing food waste produced across its operations to mitigate the environmental impact by transforming it into organic fertilizer and animal feed, utilizing black soldier larvae tech.
With Malaysia Airlines keen to reach net-zero by the middle of its decade, we can expect plenty of additional advancements in technology and future aircraft solutions in the coming decades. Until then, the A350’s efficiency will be a valuable asset in the long-term mission.
What are your thoughts about Malaysia Airlines’ sustainability targets for the coming years? What do you make of the carrier’s initiatives? Let us know what you think of the plans in the comment section.
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