Malaysia Airlines flies with oneworld today

Top carrier joins world’s leading airline grouping; unveils first aircraft in oneworld livery

Marking one of the most significant steps in its 40-year history, Malaysia Airlines yesterday formally joined the oneworld alliance and rolled out its first aircraft decorated with its livery.

oneworld is an alliance of the world’s leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers. oneworld airlines include airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines, and around 30 affiliates. SriLankan Airlines and Qatar Airways are on track to join soon.

Thumbs up! Officials of oneworld member alliance show thumbs up after the Malaysian Airlines’ aircraft with oneworld livery was unveiled in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe on left

From left: oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby, Malaysia Airlines’ Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, and Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (far left) unveiling the oneworld logo

SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe (right) with Cathay Pacific’s CEO John Slosar. Cathay Pacific is the sponsoring airline of SriLankan Airline’s entry into oneworld

A show of Malaysian dance and drumming with Malaysian Airlines A330-300 (right) with oneworld livery and its first A380 on left

A Malaysian Airline staffer carrying the airline’s flag

The Malaysian Airlines aircraft in its new-look design was unveiled at a special ceremony at KL International Airport yesterday morning with international media including Sri Lanka in attendance ahead of a formal joining ceremony and press conference this afternoon – by Malaysia Airlines’ Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya accompanied by visiting counterparts from oneworld and its other member airlines, including New York-based oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby and, from Sydney, Qantas Group Chief Executive Alan Joyce. Qantas has supported Malaysia Airlines through its alliance joining program as its oneworld sponsor.

Top officials of member airlines were present including SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe.

oneworld requires all member airlines to decorate a number of their aircraft in its standard alliance livery as part of oneworld’s promotional activities.

The first Malaysia Airlines aircraft decorated with this design is one of its 10 latest Airbus A330-300s. The special alliance livery features “oneworld” in six ft high blue letters along a white fuselage and the airline’s standard tailfin, serving as a massive flying billboard to highlight that Malaysia Airlines starts offering oneworld services and benefits from today.

It will make it first commercial flight in its new livery today (Friday) operating as flight MH129 from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne, departing at 10:15 a.m.

Another two aircraft in its fleet will be decorated in this alliance livery in the coming months.

The rest of its 88-strong fleet will retain the standard Malaysia Airlines livery – but with a 30 cm diameter oneworld logo placed on the fuselage by the main passenger entry door.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Bruce Ashby and Alan Joyce, placed the first of those logos on the side of one of Malaysia Airlines’ 15 Boeing 737-800s yesterday as well.

The oneworld logos will be applied to the other aircraft in the airline’s fleet overnight after the end of operations today, as part of a massive overnight rebranding program that will also see the alliance branding added virtually wherever the Malaysia Airlines’ name is displayed – in particular at airport check-in desks and signage, on its website, tickets, boarding passes and all items of stationery.

The full story of Malaysia Airlines’ integration into oneworld was detailed at its formal joining ceremony last night when Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Bruce Ashby, Alan Joyce and senior executives from other oneworld member airlines will be available to the media for interview.

Malaysia Airlines serves more than 60 destinations in almost 30 countries across Asia, Australasia, Middle East, Europe, and North America, including oneworld hubs Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Sydney and Tokyo Narita.

Its present fleet of 88 aircraft – including its flagship Airbus A380s – operates more than 250 departures a day. It boarded 13 million passengers in 2011, generating revenues of MYR 13.6 billion (US$ 4.5 billion).

Malaysia Airlines describes its distinctive brand as an extension of the special culture of warmth and friendliness unique to Malaysians. This inimitable Malaysian sense of graciousness is branded as “Malaysian Hospitality” and symbolised by the acronym MH, which is also the airline’s flight code.

Both Malaysia Airlines and its Kuala Lumpur hub are among the industry’s most frequent winners of awards for quality service. Malaysia Airlines itself has won the World’s Best Cabin Staff title from the UK based Skytrax airline quality rating agency in seven of the past 11 years.

Last year, Malaysia Airlines marked the entry of its first A380 into its fleet by having its Five-Star Airline status renewed by Skytrax – as the airline embarked on a series of improvements to reposition it as a premium carrier.

oneworld is an alliance of the world’s leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers. oneworld airlines include airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines, and around 30 affiliates. SriLankan Airlines and Qatar Airways are on track to join soon.

The member airlines of oneworld serve some 860 airports in almost 160 countries, with more than 9,300 daily departures; carry almost a million passengers a day on a combined fleet of more than 2,500 aircraft and generate nearly US$ 120 billion annual revenues in total.

oneworld member airlines work together to deliver consistently a superior, seamless travel experience, with special privileges and rewards for frequent flyers, including earning and redeeming miles and points across the entire alliance network. Top tier cardholders (Emerald and Sapphire) enjoy access to some 550 airport lounges.

 oneworld is currently the holder of three leading international awards for airline alliances - named the Best Airline Alliance by Global Traveler in its GT Tested Reader Survey 2012 Awards for the third year running, the World’s Leading Airline Alliance in the 2012 World Travel Awards for the 10th year running, and Australian Business Traveller Best Airline Alliance in 2012 for the second year running.