“Pilgrimage Planes” May Solve Airbus’ Superjumbo Problem
Sarah C. Thomas October 21, 2016
Malaysia Airlines, which is struggling to rebuild its brand since the loss of two jets to tragedy in one year, may have found a solution to its problem of how to fill its giant Airbus superjumbos: by turning them into “pilgrimage planes” for Muslims visiting Mecca.
The double-decker planes, many of which have been only 1/5 filled on flights to London, would be modified to seat 700 passengers, up from the current 550, and would include the addition of baths and prayer facilities.
The strategy means these planes would be used solely for dedicated flights to the holy city in Saudi Arabia. Although the majority of pilgrimages are made during Hajj in the last months of the Islamic calendar, the airline is confident there will be enough demand to fill the planes year-round.
The plans center on A380s, of which Malaysia Airlines has six, but they hope to increase that number to 20 since Saudi Arabia is rumored to soon ban aircraft older than 20 years old.
The re-imagining of the airline is being led by Peter Bellew, former executive at Ryanair. As the brand struggles to rebuild its reputation after the mysterious and tragic losses of flight MH370 and MH17 in 2014 (one lost over South China Sea; the other was determined to have been shot down by a missile over the Ukraine), Bellew’s plan calls for cutting one third of it’s 18,000 staff, at least until it returns to profitability. Ownership of the airline has been taken over by Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Since the dual tragedies suffered by Malaysia Airlines, the country has dealt with wounded pride and possibly a loss of confidence from other nations. The reworked plan includes not only the surface goal of increasing returns, but also the deeper goal of reestablishing national pride of Malaysia.
[Photo: Airbus]
