SEPANG – The arrival of flight BA33 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 2.30pm today marked the return of British Airways to Malaysia and the start of the airline’s newest long-haul route.
Arriving passengers and crew on the inaugural non-stop flight were greeted by Y.B. Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, the Deputy Minister of Transport Malaysia, Y. Bhg. Dato’ Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Datuk Sri Dr. Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah, Chairman of Malaysia Airports, Y. Bhg. Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, Jamie Cassidy, British Airways Area General Manager, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, Robert Williams, British Airways Regional Commercial Manager, South East Asia and Vivian Tan-Loh, British Airways Commercial Manager, Malaysia.
The non-stop service between London Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur will operate daily using a four-cabin Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.
Customers will have a choice of four cabins, including the airline’s new First class, the award-winning Club World business class, World Traveller Plus premium economy and World Traveller economy class. British Airways is the only airline to offer premium economy seating between London and Kuala Lumpur.
All flights from Kuala Lumpur arrive at Terminal 5, British Airways’ home at Heathrow. The terminal was recently named by Skytrax as the world’s best airport terminal for the fourth consecutive year. In addition to luxurious lounges and world-class shopping and dining, passengers arriving at Terminal 5 will be able to take advantage of fast and convenient transfers to the largest choice of UK and European cities from London.
Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, Managing Director of Malaysia Airports said, “We would like to welcome British Airways back to Malaysia. The start of this service is the result of many months of preparation and will no doubt further strengthen the historic ties between our two countries. As the newest destination in British Airways’ global network, I’m confident that visitors from the UK and across Europe will appreciate the many opportunities for business and tourism that Malaysia has to offer.”
Willie Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, said, "We are delighted to be returning to Malaysia, and today marks a new chapter in our history with the country. Malaysia’s economy has been growing steadily in the last decade and the country’s recovery has been astounding . It is fast emerging as an economic and tourist hub, as well as a vital trading partner for the UK.”
"Our daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and London Heathrow offer customers an award-winning long-haul experience that includes four classes of travel, comprehensive in-flight entertainment and an excellent selection of cuisine. Our flights arrive into London Heathrow early in the morning, giving customers a full day in the city or plenty of time to connect to our extensive networks across the UK, Europe and North America.”
British Airways, then operating as Imperial Airways, first began flying to Malaysia on December 9, 1933 using an Armstrong Whitworth Atlanta. The flight left from London Croydon Airport and made 22 stops before eventually reaching Alor Star (now Alor Setar) nine days later, compared with 12 hours and 45 minutes for the new flight.