Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has retired all of its Boeing 737-400s after the last member of the fleet served its final flight, numbered MH1165, from Penang to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
The airline has operated a total of 54 B737-400s since May 1992 but as it began receiving the newer Boeing 737-800 Next Generation in 2010, a process also commenced to phase out the -400 model. In addition to being more fuel efficient, the B737-800 also boasts longer range capabilities.
MAS group chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said: “The Boeing 737-400 has been a real workhorse for us, reliably flying our guests for the past 22 years. Now it is time to make way for newer aircraft for our guests’ greater comfort”.
MAS primarily used the B737-400 on its domestic routes, including the high-traffice ones between Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo destinations such as Sabah and Sarawak. In addition, the aircraft also serviced selected short-haul Southeast Asia destinations such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
The retirement of the B737-400 will reduce the average age of MAS’s fleet from 4.7 years to 4.35 years by the end of the year.
For more information, visit www.malaysiaairlines.com
Clement Huang
