In a statement today, MAG said the 737-8 is part of the group’s fleet modernisation strategy to enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, and meet future network growth requirements.

“The aircraft, bearing registration number 9M-MVA, departed from Boeing’s Seattle delivery centre last Monday at 10.20am local time to Honolulu and Guam before continuing its journey home to Malaysia.

“Flight MH5041, flown by Ezaddin Roslan, Izahariman Ibrahim and Arian Syazwara Adenan, landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 10.30am with a total flight time of 21 hours and 45 minutes,” the statement read.

The 737-8, said MAG, will feature state-of-the-art wireless in-flight entertainment and provide a wide variety of content to passengers.

It will also offer seating configurations comprising 12 seats in business class and 162 seats in economy class, similar to the refreshed B737-800 NG aircraft.

The new aircraft is scheduled to take its maiden commercial flight on Nov 20 from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu.

‘Moved on’ from Brahim’s

Yesterday, MAG announced that it has “moved on” from talks with Brahim’s Food Services (BFS) and is pursuing the idea of setting up its own airline catering unit.

MAG managing director Izham Ismail said the group is currently evaluating the proposal and has invited prospective international technical and financial partners to participate in the venture.

The termination of MAG’s contract with BFS on Aug 31 after more than 25 years had abruptly disrupted Malaysia Airlines’s in-flight catering operations which led to a host of hiccups.

MAG has since then established a temporary distribution centre – the MAG Catering Operations (MCAT) – to manage the assembly of F&B items and the uplifting of meals onboard.

The airline is now self-handling an average of 18,000 meals daily, collaborating with its partners, and equipped with 24 hi-lifts, six freezers, two chillers and two ware wash machines.