Malaysia Airlines increases daily flights to Adelaide with new Airbus A330neo deployment

The additional capacity comes at a time when demand is high from both tourists and international students. Cox noted that "this service is popular with international students flying from Malaysia and further afield."

Malaysia Airlines has traditionally operated Airbus twinjets on this route. While most flights use the A330-300 in a two-class configuration (27 business class flatbeds and 263 economy seats), data shows that some November flights will use the Airbus A350-900. This aircraft features four first-class 'Business Suites', 35 business class flatbeds in staggered layouts, and 247 economy seats.

The new A330-900neo jets have 297 seats: 28 in business class arranged in a consistent 1-2-1 layout without staggering, and 269 economy seats (including 24 with extra legroom) arranged eight-abreast in a 2-4-2 configuration. Malaysia Airlines currently has six of these aircraft with an average age of just under half a year old.

Flight schedules remain unchanged: MH139 departs Kuala Lumpur at 22:25 arriving in Adelaide at 07:00+1; MH138 leaves Adelaide at 09:50 reaching Kuala Lumpur at 16:00.

This expansion aligns with broader trends as airlines deploy newer aircraft models for improved efficiency and passenger experience on long-haul routes.