Massive plane: Mohd Salleh (centre) and MAS staff members giving the thumbs up in front of the Airbus A380.
SEPANG: Hundreds of thrilled Malaysians got a joyride onboard the new and massive Airbus A380 which took to the home skies for the first time.
Organised by Malaysia Airlines (MAS), the joyride also served as a route proving flight for it to obtain the regulatory approvals ahead of its first commercial flight on July 1.
Among the guests was former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who beamed jovially as he shook hands with excited passengers on the plane yesterday.
The other passengers comprised MAS staff, members of the media and its BigFlight competition winners.
One of them, Amirul Ashraf Md Yazid, 19, said he thoroughly enjoyed the ride despite some turbulence during the journey.
He was impressed with the amenities, including its extensive in-flight entertainment selection.
“This was a fantastic opportunity for us to enjoy what would otherwise be a very expensive trip,” he said, adding that his winning video had been a collaboration with friend Raja Syahiran Raja Azharianshah, 19.
MAS Customer Experience head Datuk Mohd Salleh Ahmad Tabrani said the Airbus A380, which is the world’s biggest passenger airliner, was a launch pad for its new branding efforts.
He told reporters that numerous changes have been made to enhance its passengers’ experience with the airline, with “high quality” and “consistency” being the keywords.
Mohd Salleh said significant fuel savings on the aircraft were also due to the new technology used in creating the materials onboard, including tableware.
He said compared to the old tableware, the new tableware used in economy class alone would reduce the plane’s weight by as much as 250kg.
With 494 seats, including 350 on the main deck and 70 in the upper deck, the plane is also equipped with a Muslim prayer area, snack counters and bassinet points.
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