1st ATR72-500 for MASWings

[Kenneth Chong WT 0]

Other than safety video demo, I wonder why MASwings will need IFE for the ATRs as they will be operating only short flights.

 

Short features on the various destinations maybe...right before it lands...hehehe! Cant wait till next week...KCH spotters! SERBU!!

 

wow, nice pics!!

 

Those removable curtains reminds me of the narrow bodies of European airlines (BA, Lufthansa etc.) Would be interesting to find out if the front rows offer a better pitch than those in the back?! If one buys a business class ticket, does MASWing block the seat next to you?

 

You think so?? Mayb no lar...just a "curtained off area"...seat pitch looks the same...

 

1 thing about the ATR, boarding is from the back, it they "curtain off" the front area, VIP or C class passengers will not get to disembark 1st, Malaysian "Kiasu" culture will make sure just that...then, where is the "exclusiveness" in that right?

 

Then again, they could block just the last 2 rows for this (VIP/C class purpose), thus the moveable curtains...lets see how thing goes...hehehehe!

Edited September 4, 2008 by Kenneth Chong WT

[Andi C 0]

According to GDS' seatmap for MASWings' AT7 is as follows:

 

6 C seats, 1-1 config, rows 1-3

56 Y seats, 2-2 config, rows 4-18, No row 13

 

_ 0 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ 1 2 3 _ 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 4 5 6 7 8

F C C C _ Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

D X X X _ Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

 

C X X X _ Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

A C C C _ Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

 

[H C Chai 4]

I am assuming that the purpose of the curtain is to separate the Y cabin from the premium cabin. And the reason it is the movable (as opposed to a solid partition) is the size of the cabin can be increased/decreased according to the demand of premium seats for each flight?!

 

Anyway, lets wait and see! If there really is a premium cabin, I wonder what Maswing will call it? Premium economy or Economy extra sound more appropriate than Business IMO.

 

 

 

 

[H C Chai 4]

According to GDS' seatmap for MASWings' AT7 is as follows:

 

6 C seats, 1-1 config, rows 1-3

56 Y seats, 2-2 config, rows 4-18, No row 13

 

Hah! Thanks for the info Andi!

 

Btw which website did you use to access the seatmap?

[Kenneth T 0]

From the picture, i dont see one to one seat on the so called GCC Cabin.

[BC Tam 2]

Other than safety video demo, .....

TV adverts perhaps ?

Would be another source of revenue

[Andi C 0]

Hah! Thanks for the info Andi!

 

Btw which website did you use to access the seatmap?

 

Copied & pasted from email sent to me by a travel agent friend.

(Whom also copied & pasted from GDS screen)

[Jinprayer 0]

we will call SUPER Economy,

anyway MWA will depart monday etd 1300 from Subang to BKI

[Fitri Shukri 0]

You think so?? Mayb no lar...just a "curtained off area"...seat pitch looks the same...

 

1 thing about the ATR, boarding is from the back, it they "curtain off" the front area, VIP or C class passengers will not get to disembark 1st, Malaysian "Kiasu" culture will make sure just that...then, where is the "exclusiveness" in that right?

 

Then again, they could block just the last 2 rows for this (VIP/C class purpose), thus the moveable curtains...lets see how thing goes...hehehehe!

 

The middle-class jealous of super-duper-rich-elite class in me hope the Malaysian Kiasu culture does happen!!!

 

[Mushrif A 3]

From the picture, i dont see one to one seat on the so called GCC Cabin.

 

It is European style premium class...they just block the seat next to you. Physically same seat.

 

I recall that a BA franchise airline (perhaps, Brymon?) in the past had premium class on its ATR42 or 72 or Dash-8, and this class was actually right at the back, before the main door. (The aircraft had no front pax door) So, they get to board last and get off first without whY folks getting in the way. Also, it was said that the noise levels at the rear were less than at the front.

 

[Kenneth Chong WT 0]

Taken from THE BORNEO POST, today 5/9/2008.

 

ATRs to take over Fokker routes

By Philip Kiew

 

 

MIRI: The proposed ATR 72-500 flights by MASwings, starting this month, is expected to change the aviation landscape by eventually taking over the national air routes within Sabah and Sarawak from the Fokker 50 aircrafts, which will be phased out.

 

It is to be launched in Kuching by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud on Sept 12.

 

This was revealed by a flight administrative executive of MASwings.

 

More of the new aircraft, the first for MASwings, a wholly owned company of MAS, have been ordered to replace the ageing Fokker aircraft.

 

It was also revealed that this fleet of aircraft would eventually take over all Fokker routes under the Rural Air Services (RAS) in East Malaysia including Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Limbang, Mulu and in Lawas when the proposed new airport project is completed.

 

Industry sources said the first ATR 72-500 aircraft for MASwings is expected to serve the increasingly busy KK-Mulu route as tourist traffic to this world natural heritage site had increased recently.

 

The more fuel-efficient twin-prop aircraft could accommodate more passengers than the ageing Fokker Friendship aircraft which has served the RAS routes for decades.

 

The flight administrative executive said it could be configured to accommodate business and economy class, a move which MASwings is considering. It can carry a maximum of 70 passengers in economy class.

 

A Fokker 50 aircraft could carry up to 50 passengers but this reliable twin-prop aircraft was hampered by the difficulty of securing spare parts and short lifespan. Hence MASwings has opted for the ATR 72-500.

 

The first ATR 72-500 aircraft was handed over by manufacturer Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) to MASwings, the RAS operator and subsidiary company of national airlines MAS at Toulouse in France on Aug 29 this year.

 

A fleet of ATR 72-500 aircraft to service the RAS routes will free the wider-bodied aircraft operated by MAS for longer haul routes such as KL-Miri, KK, Sibu and Kuching where MASwings provide the intra and inter-state linkages in East Malaysia.

 

Malaysia Airlines and ATR signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth about US$285 million on Nov 9 last year for the purchase of 10 ATR 72-500s with options for five additional aircraft.

 

It also signed an MoU with ATR in July last year to acquire 10 ATR 72-500s with options for 10 additional aircraft for Firefly, another of Malaysia Airlines’ wholly-owned subsidiary.

 

This fleet renewal was undertaken in response to the Malaysian government’s request to enable MASwings to expand its services in Sabah and Sarawak.

 

The first ATR 72-500 for MASwings was received in time to take to the sky in conjunction with the 45th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16 this year.

 

Another four are expected by 2009 and the remaining a year later.

 

The new fleet of aircraft will enable MASwings to expand its capacity by 150 per cent to meet future demand in air travel within Sabah and Sarawak, and connect more customers worldwide to the two states which are ideal destinations for business and vacations.

 

At the onset, MASwings said it would progressively add new frequencies in addition to expanding its services to more destinations in East Malaysia.

 

This means it may eventually take over links currently served by the Boeing 737s flights between Kuching, Sibu, Miri in Sarawak and smaller towns in Sabah from Kota Kinabalu.

 

ATR 72-500 is known to be the most profitable means to transport 70 passengers on short-haul sectors.

 

The aircraft features the lowest seat-mile costs in its market segment.

 

It features exceptional economics compared to similar-sized turboprop and jet competitors on typical regional sectors.

Edited September 5, 2008 by Kenneth Chong WT

[Ashmil Abd Ghani 0]

This means it may eventually take over links currently served by the Boeing 737s flights between Kuching, Sibu, Miri in Sarawak and smaller towns in Sabah from Kota Kinabalu.

 

Emm look somewhere in future there will be no more B737 serve at inter-Borneo route..It good idea for MAS to cut cost of operation but they need more ATR for this I guess..

[Sung 0]

MWA today flew back to bki in the noon. should be arrived now.

[Samuel Chy 0]

MWA today flew back to bki in the noon. should be arrived now.

 

is the flight is something like 8xxx?

[BC Tam 2]

Sam,

You managed to get her ?

Caught a glimpse of something with a 'high tail' doing what was presumably finals manoeuvre for runway 02 approach just now - was at Lok Kawi and rushing, so cannot even get handphone out in time !

[Andi C 0]

No worries. It will be a daily feature in BKI. It will be stationed in BKI solely for the BKI-LDU-BKI until they get the 2nd, 3rd... and so on aircraft.

 

[BC Tam 2]

Yes I know, but it's the kind of rush one gets when a 'first of a kind' bird makes its maiden visit