MALAYSIAN AIRLINES: to upgrade Business Class suites with doors on A330neo and A350 jets

A contemporary version of the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond, not monickered ‘Elevation,’ is to upgrade Business Class suites on Malaysian A330neo and A350 aircraft. Expect the A330neos to start arriving in the third quarter of 2024 and the refurbished cabins on the A350 fleet in early 2026.

The Collins Super Diamond is the suite chosen for British Airways Club Suites and Etihad’s A350 Business class, so the ‘Elevation’ suite will be very familiar to regular travellers.

Expect more personal space, privacy and comforts in these reverse-herring bone doored suites compared to the current Malaysian Airlines 2-2-2 business class in their mature A330 fleet.

Improvements include larger video screens, USB-c power and the new obligatory woreless charging. Cabins will also change to a 1-2-1 layout, and what was First Class, but is now sold as Business Suites will disappear from the A330s.

The Malaysian Airlines A330-900neos

Ordered to replace the workhours current A330 fleet, the 20 new Airbus A330-900neos, will start arriving, with an initial four delivered from later this year. They will feature 297 seats, with 28 business class doored suites and 269 economy class seats. In economy, 24 seats will be marketed as having extra legroom.

The jets were originally scheduled for delivery late in 2023, but have been delayed by a little over 6 months – nothing unusual in the airline industry. Expect them to start by servicing existing markets including featuring on the Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne route.

The new business suites will be configured a little tighter than on the A350s. The aircraft are not as wide as on their larger cousin.

Airbus A350 Fleet

Malaysian Airlines has six A350s in its current fleet. From 2026, the same business class Collins ‘Elevate’ suites will be retrofitted on the Airbus A350s. They will replace the current Business Class and what used to be the old Malaysian First Class.

The A350 fleet largely services the Malaysia to London route. The refreshed Business Class interiors will bring it into line with many of its competitors, including British Airways.

2PAXfly Takeout

Travellers will welcome these upgrades to Business Class cabins of the new A330neos, and the existing A350 fleet. They are significant and will add to the comfort and experience of business class passengers.

Although the retrofitting timeline has been announced, Malaysian Airlines is not famous for the stability of its planning strategy. (One word—A380!)