Malaysia Airlines extends Airbus support for A330 fleet

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines has extended its flight hour services (FHS) contract with Airbus for its A330ceo fleet, reinforcing a maintenance partnership that has been in place since 2017.

The agreement, announced yesterday at the MRO Asia Pacific event in Singapore, provides long-term, power-by-the-hour support covering component services, on-site stock, pool access, repairs and component reliability engineering.

Malaysia Airlines will also have access to Airbus' engineering expertise and regional FHS representatives to support its day-to-day maintenance operations.

The extension makes Airbus FHS the primary maintenance support programme for the airline's A330ceo fleet, while the arrangement also covers its newer A330neo aircraft, which entered service in 2024.

Malaysia Airlines chief operating officer Aida Salfaraz Ahmad Fadzil said the extension reflects the value the programme continues to deliver to the airline.

"The extension of this agreement reflects the value that the Airbus Flight Hour Services programme continues to bring to our operations."

Since 2017, Airbus has supported the performance and reliability of our A330 fleet through its component services and technical expertise, he added.

"As we continue to focus on operational efficiency and service excellence, this programme remains an important part of our support framework, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Airbus," Aida said.

Airbus Asia Pacific president Anand Stanley said the extension reflected Malaysia Airlines' confidence in the FHS programme.

"This A330ceo contract extension is a strong testament to the trust Malaysia Airlines places in the Airbus Flight Hour Services programme," he said.

"We have been working closely with Malaysia Airlines for almost a decade to enhance our services activities, and look forward to continuing to support the performance and reliability of its A330 fleet."

Airbus said its FHS programme is designed to help airlines maximise fleet performance while controlling operational costs through integrated maintenance support.

The programme combines Airbus' engineering expertise, technology and data-driven insights to improve component availability, maintenance efficiency and fleet reliability.