Malaysian Airline fits with widest seats in the sky

DHAKA: Malaysian Airline System Bhd. (MAS) has taken a 5-inch lead over Singapore Airlines Ltd.

That’s how much wider the carrier’s first-class seats will be than Singapore Air’s when it starts flying the Airbus SAS A380 in July.

In total, passengers will have more space than on a single-bed mattress, with seats measuring 40 inches by 87 inches.

The new seats, costing about $9,000 for a round trip to London, will spearhead Malaysian Air’s push to win corporate and long-haul travellers after higher fuel prices and competition from budget carrier AirAsia Bhd. (AIRA) led to a $795 million loss last year.

Thai Airways International Pcl (THAI) will also get its first A380s this year, adding a further challenge for Singapore Air.

‘Malaysian Air has to improve on their premium services in order to be able to compete’, said Joshua Ng, an analyst at RHB Research Institute Sdn. in Kuala Lumpur.

‘There is a bit of national pride involved as well -- especially when you’re talking about competing with Singapore Air.’

The carrier, the eighth A380 operator, will start flights with the plane on July 1 with a trip to London.

Daily services on the route will begin August 25.

Flights to Australia and another country will be added as more of the planes enter service, Anbarasu Sundram, a spokesman for the airline based in Subang outside Kuala Lumpur, told media by telephone.

BDST: 1426 HRS, MAY 26, 2012

Edited by Robab Rosan, Cultural Affairs Editor