A video review of my flight from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Johor Bahru (JHB) on Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 in May 2022.
I flew on the day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Eid al-Fitr), the largest festival celebrated in Malaysia.
Flight Details:
Airline: Malaysia Airlines
Route: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Johor Bahru (JHB)
Flight No: MH1051
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Registration: 9M-LJK
Flight Time: 45min
Music © Bensound
Video © 2022 Viman Photography
After a long absence due to the ongoing pandemic, Emirates will re-introduce its flagship Airbus A380 superjumbo to Kuala Lumpur from July 2nd 2022.
Emirates used to operate its two class 615-seater A380s to Kuala Lumpur on the EK 346/EK 347 rotation before the pandemic hit in early 2020.
The flights are currently operated by a Boeing 777-300ER.
The proposed schedule of the A380 flights between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur looks like this:
EK 346 DXB D 0310. KUL A 1425. A380
EK 343. KUL D 0240 DXB A 0530. A380
The afternoon arrival is a great opportunity for plane spotters to catch the arrival of the superjumbo at KUL. With the MH A380s not likely to return to service in the future, this would be the only A380 operation at KUL for the time being.
Of course, all this is *IF* this upgrade actually materialises, subject to Malaysian border restrictions/reopening in the next few months.
Selangor Aviation Show 2021 is the first ever airshow brought together by the Malaysian State of Selangor through Invest Selangor Bhd. and its dedicated aerospace division, S-DAICO. It is being held at the Skypark Regional Aviation Centre, Subang between November 25th and 27th, 2021. The Selangor Aviation Show 2021 is an event dedicated to business aviation, general aviation and helicopters.
Malaysia’s premier aviation event – LIMA, held in Langkawi every two years was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Selangor Aviation Show was a much needed boost at least for the business/general aviation sector in Malaysia.
The main exhibitors during this edition are Embraer, Dassault Aviation, Bell Helicopters, Piaggio Aerospace, Turkish Aerospace & Robinson Helicopters.
The star of the show is the Embraer E-195 E2. This aircraft adorned in the “Profit Hunter” colours is an eye-catcher wherever it visits, and it was the same here.
Turkish Aerospace is displaying their T625 GÖKBEY multirole helicopter
Piaggio Aerospace is displaying their cute little P-180 Avanti EVO
Also on display is the Robinson R66 Turbine aptly registered 9M-FLY
Airbus Helicopters AS350 Écureuil
Diamond Aircraft displaying their DA-42 Twin Star
Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin 2
Apart from the static aircraft display, the Selangor Aviation Show also has the exhibition area, showcasing the latest technologies, products and services in the business/general aviation and related sectors.
As mentioned earlier, the Selangor Aviation Show 2021 was a great opportunity for the general aviation sector to network and display the latest on offer after nearly two years of disruption caused by the pandemic.
I recently flew from KUL to LGK on AirAsia’s Airbus A321neo. This was my first flight in nearly a year because of COVID-19 related lockdowns and travel restrictions.
Here is a video report on the flight:
Flight Details
Airline: AirAsia
Aircraft: Airbus A321neo
Rego: 9M-VAB
Flight No: AK 6304
Route: KUL – LGK
Flight Time: 1hr 10min
Video © 2021 Viman Photography
It certainly feels great to be back in the air once again. Hope everyone is able to take a flight to their favourite destination soon!
Russian Helicopters holding company (part of Rostec State Corporation) recently concluded their South Asian Heli Tour with the last stop in Malaysia. The company showcased their latest offerings – the Mi-171A2 medium lift multi-purpose helicopter and the Ansat light multi-purpose helicopter. The South Asian Heli Tour began with participation in the Zhuhai airshow in China, followed by demonstrations of the two helicopters in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Malaysia was the final pit-stop in a long tour of South East Asian countries. Russian Helicopters held a demo event showcasing the two above mentioned helicopters at the Sepang Formula One circuit located near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
The day began with a a session introducing the Russian helicopters company along with an introduction to the Mi-171A2 and the Ansat helicopters.
A short address by different stakeholders followed, after which the action moved outdoors. It was now time to see the birds in action. As the participants moved to the helipad area, the two helicopters were spooling up for their demo flights.
The Ansat helicopter (manufactured at the Kazan Helicopter Plant) was the first off the chocks, showing how nimble and agile it was. The Ansat is a light utility helicopter, powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PW207K engines, with a power output of 630hp each.
The helicopter has an internal cargo capacity of 1272kg, with a MTOW of 3600kg. Its maximum flight range is 520km, with a service ceiling of 4600m (or around 15000ft) In passenger configuration, the Ansat can carry up to 8 pax.
As soon as the Ansat returned, the mighty Mi-171A2 lifted off for its demo flight. The Mi-171A2 is a medium utility helicopter derived from the Mi-8/Mi-17 family. The fuselage shape may seem to be familiar to people, but the helicopter is completely modernised.
One of its most distinctive features is an X-shaped tail rotor that provides better stability.
Both the main and tail rotors are made up of composites that reduce the overall weight while increasing reliability and durability. The Mi-171A2 features a full glass cockpit and is powered by two Klimov VK-2500PS-03 engines with a power output of 2000hp each.
It has an internal cargo carrying capacity of 4000kg, and can also carry payload on external slings. The maximum flight range with internal fuel tanks is 800km, with a service ceiling of 6000m (or over 19500ft) It is highly customisable in terms of internal configuration. In pure passenger configuration, the Mi-171A2 can carry up to 24 pax.
After the demo, participants got a chance to get up close with both the helicopters.
People could be seen interacting with the helicopter crew.
The Mi-171A with its rear cargo door open
The interiors of the Mi-171A2. Pretty spacious!
Post the demo session, it was time to head indoors for some lunch, followed by a press conference addressed by the Russian Helicopters CEO, Andrei Boginsky.
Mr Boginsky began by giving an overview of the successful South Asian Heli tour across China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. The tour resulted in soft and hard contracts totalling up to 70 helicopters.
According to Mr. Boginsky, demand for civilian helicopters in Southeast Asian countries may amount to 420 helicopters in the next ten years. “We are counting on a substantial share of this market, and the results of the demo tour suggest that we have every reason for this,” he said.
Mr. Boginsky gave a positive outlook for the company over the next 3-4 years, with multiple products on offer. The press conference ended with Mr. Boginsky inviting the participants to the MAKS airshow in Russia next year.
THE BACKGROUND
Dutch flag carrier KLM recently celebrated its 99th anniversary on October 7th 2018. The airline officially named Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V but commonly known as KLM was established on October 7th 1919. Since its inception, KLM has continued to operate under the same name, making it the oldest airline in the world to do so.
I have flown with KLM multiple times in the past, including on the MD-11 Farewell flight in Amsterdam on November 11th 2014. Every flight has been a memorable experience, with friendly but professional crew and outstanding inflight services. So when I recently discovered that I would be flying with them on their 99th anniversary, I thought of making it special for them – for all the wonderful experiences that I have had. Read on for more details on how we celebrated this milestone…
I was flying from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur on flight KL 810, that continues on to Amsterdam. KLM has fifth freedom traffic rights between KUL & CGK, allowing one to experience their famed hospitality and friendliness without visiting the Netherlands.
REACHING THE AIRPORT
I reached the brand new Terminal 3 at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport with plenty of time to spare. Terminal 3 at CGK is quite modern, spacious and bright. Although the older Terminal 2 has more character with its traditional Javanese architecture, it had become congested given the rapid growth in air traffic.
CHECK-IN
The KLM check-in counters are located at Row C, and as I walked towards them, I could see the 99th anniversary decorations all over. This was after all a one of a kind milestone!
KLM first introduced its service to Jakarta in the year 1924, so the airport management is obviously happy to celebrate this milestone with them.
I was flying in World Business Class today, and headed to the Sky Priority/Business Class check-in counter where I was greeted by a friendly check-in agent. As she was working on my boarding pass, I was approached by another KLM ground staff who asked me if I was willing to star in a short birthday video for them. Who wouldn’t? Haha…
After I had my five seconds of fame, I was given my boarding pass along with a special souvenir to commemorate the occasion. KLM always know how to make things special 🙂
Check-in done, I waved my goodbyes to the friendly staff who wished me a pleasant flight. The excitement was building up and I couldn’t wait to get on-board. I had another hour and a half to go. Time to head to the lounge.
KLM even has a customised lounge invite for Soekarno-Hatta airport. Most airlines print the lounge invitation on the boarding pass these days.
I cleared security and immigration – rather quickly due to the special Sky Priority access at CGK, and made my way to the lounge. KLM uses its Skyteam partner Garuda Indonesia’s signature lounge at CGK. This lounge is located at the mezzanine floor post immigration.
The entrance to the Garuda Indonesia lounge but where’s everybody?
A long empty passage to???
A look at Garuda Indonesia’s crew uniform through the years. From the 1940s to the 1990s…
And from the end of the 20th century to the present…
Children’s play area… but where are the people???
I was finally greeted at the reception desk by the lounge staff who ushered me in.
Ah! finally I see people… 🙂
The lounge itself was quite spacious with decent F&B options and a moderately sized seating area. They had these nice Garuda models on display!
And this very cool popcorn machine…
I settled down with a beer and some nice fresh popcorn to while away the next hour or so till boarding began.
While I was sipping my beer, I saw our aircraft arrive from KUL. It was going to be a Boeing 777-200ER today. A quick check on Flightradar24 told me that the aircraft was named Mount Kilimanjaro (maybe an inspiration for a future trip 😉 ) with the registration PH-BQK.
BOARDING
Soon it was time for boarding, and I made my way down to Gate 8 where our aircraft was docked.
The CGK ground staff had neatly divided the boarding queues by class of travel and boarding zone, and held up placards along with announcements over a loudspeaker.
There was long queue that had formed at the gate, giving me a good idea of the load tonight.
Soon it was time to board, and I made my way down the jazzy purple lit aerobridge towards the aircraft.
About to board…
As always, I was greeted at the door by friendly KLM cabin crew who ushered me to my seat – 4A in the forward Business Class cabin. KLM 777-200ER’s Business Class is divided into two parts – five rows in the forward section and a single row in the aft section.
A view of my seat.
The Business Class cabin on KLM’s B777s is in a staggered 2-2-2 layout, with the seats near the window angled away from the aisle.
The seats are full lie-flat, with plenty of legroom with a nice little storage area beneath the foot rest.
We had an approximately 50% occupancy in Business Class tonight and boarding was quickly completed.
The crew offered a choice of welcome drinks, and I chose the champagne of course – to celebrate this special day! 🙂
THE FLIGHT
We pushed back a few minutes before schedule, and quickly began our taxi towards the runway. The take-off queue seemed shorter than normal for Jakarta and we were airborne in no time at all.
The crew began the dinner service as soon as the seatbelt signs were switched off, and menus were handed out.
There were two options for the main course
Plenty of beverage options – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic
No KLM flight is complete without the Flying Dutchman!
Noise cancellation headphones were handed out earlier
Nifty little IFE remote controller
Dinner was soon served. I had chosen the cheese and spinach cannelloni.
For drinks, I decided to go with Aberfeldy single malt whisky (one of my favourite single malts), along with the Flying Dutchman
With not enough time for a complete movie, i decided to watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. instead. Always good fun on a flight!
After the meal, it was time to surprise the crew 🙂
As mentioned earlier, KLM has ensured that every flight with them was memorable for me, and today was a good opportunity to return the favour. I’ve clicked quite a few photos of KLM aircraft over the past decade, and I had printed out a couple of A4 sized photos of my favourite – the KLM Orange Pride Boeing 777-300ER during my stay in Jakarta. The intent was to gift one to the cabin crew and the other to the flight crew.
I introduced myself to the cabin crew in the galley and told them that I had a surprise for them to celebrate KLM’s 99th anniversary. Their eyes lit up and they said, “We love surprises”. The smiles became wider when I presented them with this little token of appreciation for all the fantastic experiences on KLM through the years.
I had clicked this photo at KUL a couple of years ago, and it was only apt that I presented this on a flight to KUL. The blue t-shirt was chosen on purpose to suit the occasion 🙂
And since this is KLM, the crew always had one up their sleeves. This was their gesture of appreciation for me – a nice little comfort bag exclusively made for KLM by the Dutch fashion designer Jan Taminiau
Soon we were close to starting our descent into KUL, and the captain announced an on-time arrival for us.
Crossing over the Malacca straits towards the Malaysian peninsula, a little under half an hour to go before landing. Love these 3D maps!
And now as per another KLM tradition – the crew handed out the signature little KLM Delft Blue houses to all the Business Class passengers. And as another gesture of appreciation, I was given the opportunity to pick two 🙂
I picked house numbers 43 & 49 to add to my nascent KLM house collection.
Could this flight get any better???
We touched down five minutes ahead of schedule and taxied towards the KLIA Satellite terminal.
ARRIVAL
As my fellow passengers got up to disembark, I remained seated, savouring the final moments of this memorable flight.
I had to get up eventually as I had one more thing left to do.
As I made my way to the forward galley, a smiling captain greeted me. The crew had obviously told him about me. Warm smiles and handshakes were exchanged as I presented him with my capture of the Orange Pride.
The captain thanked me for the little gift, and told me that he would keep it for display at the KLM crew centre in Amsterdam. WOW!!!
I bid farewell to the captain and the crew and made my way to the terminal. Thus ended one of my most memorable flights in recent times and that too on this momentous occasion for KLM.
Happy 99th birthday KLM, and look forward to celebrating the century with you next year!
Dank u wel en Tot ziens!
BACKGROUND
Malaysia Airlines (MH) recently took delivery of its first brand new Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The aircraft is slated to take over the airline’s long haul routes that were formerly operated by the now retired Boeing 777s and also the ones operated presently by the Airbus A380 (i.e. KUL-LHR)
The A350s will prove to be a cost effective and fuel-efficient alternative than the gigantic A380 and provide much longer range than the airline’s A330-300s. At the time of writing this, MH has taken delivery of a second A350, and both the aircraft are currently doing short domestic and regional hops for crew training/familiarisation.
I saw this as a good opportunity to try out the Business Class product on the brand new aircraft, and promptly booked a flight to Penang (PEN), operated by the A350
REACHING THE AIRPORT
I was booked on MH 1140, with a scheduled departure time of 1105. However I received a text from MH a few hours before departure, informing me of a delay in departure. I left home accordingly, and reached the KLIA Main Terminal with plenty of time to spare.
A quick visit to the Anjung Tinjau (Viewing Gallery) at KLIA gave me an opportunity to spot my aircraft docked at its designated gate.
CHECK-IN
Check-in was quick and the Business Class counter had just one person ahead of me, and I was checked-in in no time at all.
The check-in agent handed me my boarding pass and invited me to the newly renovated Malaysia Airlines’ domestic Golden Lounge.
Security check took no more than 2 minutes, and I was soon in the domestic departures area.
A view of the retail area in the Domestic Departures hold.
The MH lounge was a five-minute walk away, and a smiling MH lounge attendant greeted me at the reception.
The lounge had a definitely fresh look to it, and didn’t seem too crowded at the time. I quickly found a seat facing the tarmac, and grabbed some coffee and snacks.
The view from the MH Domestic Golden Lounge.
The food & drink counter
As the boarding time approached, I made my way towards the departure gate, which was a good 10 minute walk from the lounge.
BOARDING
Sector: KUL-PEN
Airline: Malaysia Airlines
Flight: MH 1140
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Registration: 9M-MAB
Seat: 10A
This would be my ride today! Malaysia Airlines’ first Airbus A350-900 9M-MAB
Boarding for our flight was announced at 1130, 30 minutes before the revised departure time, and the huge crowd of waiting passengers queued up almost immediately. I on the other hand, took my own time admiring the brand new bird.
As the queue thinned out, I walked over to the boarding counter. The agent quickly scanned my boarding pass, and I made my way to the aerobridge.
Looked like a full house today!
Much larger windows on the A350 as compared to conventional aircraft. However, the 787 windows are larger.
The Business Class on MH A350-900 has a total of 35 seats and is divided into two sections. The forward section is the larger of the two, and is separated from the smaller aft section by the Business Class galley. I had selected a seat in the aft cabin, and I had the whole cabin to myself on this flight.
The Business Class cabin features a staggered 1-2-1 and 1-2-2 configuration. On the port side, there are single seats adjacent to the window, while on the starboard side, there are single as well as double seats in alternate rows. The middle section has 2 seats in a staggered arrangement.
This should give you an idea of the seating configuration.
The seat itself is nice and comfy and wide enough for a long haul flight. It of course reclines into a fully flat bed.
The legroom
Seat controls
The crew offered a choice of welcome drinks (apple juice, orange juice, guava juice or water) and I opted for an orange juice.
The boarding process took around 40 minutes, and we were ten minutes past our departure time by the time it was completed. The doors were soon closed but we waited a few more minutes for pushback clearance.
The Captain on our flight today was a senior Airbus check pilot, and the First Officer was a Malaysian. The MH pilots are currently undergoing checks with pilots from Airbus.
The view out of my window (Seat 10A)
The IFE system
Nice little cubbyholes to keep your smartphone and water bottle
THE FLIGHT
We finally pushed back 20 minutes past noon, and slowly the two RR Trent XWB engines powered up. The A350-900 is super quiet, and even with the engines powered on, you could hear the hiss of the air-conditioning vents.
A small prayer as we begin our journey
We began a slow taxi towards Runway 32R, which was the active departure runway, and held short as a Malindo Air 737 began its take-off roll.
Soon it was our turn, and we lined up on the runway. The Trent XWBs spooled up to take-off thrust and we accelerated down the runway. The A350 was incredibly quiet even during take-off, so much so that one can hear the distinct sound of the flaps being retracted.
Our heading today would be northerly straight to PEN.
The Business Class seat in the fully flat position
I spent the next few minutes chatting with the cabin crew about their experience with this new aircraft. The crew seemed really pleased with it and was looking forward to operating it on the long haul routes. As per the head purser, MH would be operating the A350 on the KUL-LHR route starting Jan 15th.
The crew was kind enough to offer me a tour of the First Class cabin.
The First Class cabin on board MH A350-900 consists of 4 enclosed suites in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Plenty of space in the suite
Seat & IFE controls
With the door in the closed position
I loved the choice of colours used in the First Class cabin; gives it a premium look and feel.
Posing with the cabin crew. They were really courteous and answered all my questions patiently! 🙂
ARRIVAL
The flight to PEN was quite short at 40 minutes, and the first officer announced that we had begun our descent.
As we descended into PEN, the view outside my window was gorgeous!
We touched down at 1315, nearly twenty minutes past our revised arrival time.
After a short taxi, we docked at the Penang International Airport terminal, bringing to an end this short but enjoyable flight.
SUMMARY
The hard product on board MH’s A350-900 is definitely state of the art, and looks pretty comfortable for the long haul flights it will eventually operate. Since this was a short flight, I was not able to experience the on board service though. However, MH is generally pretty good as far as the in flight service is concerned.
The food variety is decent, and the signature satay is simply delicious. I hope MH comes up with some special offerings to mark the introduction of this brand new aircraft type. I also hope that the A350-900 brings in some much needed resurgence in MH’s fortunes. Here’s wishing them all the best!
Thank you all for reading.
February 26 2017 – The ruler of Saudi Arabia, King Salman kicked off his month long Asian tour with a four day visit to Malaysia today. King Salman is visiting with a huge delegation of around 600 staff, ministers and officials. The King and his delegation arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) in three special aircraft earlier today.
The KUL plane-spotting community was out in force to catch the arrival of these special aircraft.
The King himself along with his close associates arrived first in the Saudi Royal Flight Boeing 747-400 registered HZ-HM1. The callsign was “Saudi One”
The second aircraft to arrive was the highlight of the day. Carrying the Saudi delegation was the Saudi Royal Flight Boeing 747SP, registered HZ-HM1B. The callsign was “Saudi One Bravo”
We were lucky to spot this rare 39 year old classic as it touched down on Runway 32L.
The final aircraft in the delegation was the Saudi Royal Flight Boeing 757-200, registered HZ-HMED, and callsign “Saudi 11”.
This is an interesting aircraft as it is practically a flying hospital. This aircraft is equipped with facilities and personnel to cater to any medical emergencies that might occur.
As you can see, this was a great opportunity to spot some rare special aircraft. Enjoy the photos! 🙂
The LIMA (Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition) 2017 maritime and aerospace exhibition for defence, civil and commercial applications will be held next month in Langkawi, Malaysia.
The biennial event will be held between 21st and 25th March 2017 will be held at The Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre, Langkawi for the Aerospace exhibition and Resorts World, Langkawi for the Maritime exhibition. This year will be the 14th edition of LIMA and it promises to be as spectacular as always. There will be something for everyone – whether you are an aviation geek or a maritime enthusiast.
The highlight of the five day event will of course be the daily aerial displays and boat demonstrations.
The list of confirmed participants for the aerial displays this year is as follows:
Source: LIMA Exhibition Official Website
As you can see from the line-up above, it looks like a power-packed display this year. It will be exciting to see the Royal Malaysian Air Force birds in action, as well as the Airbus A330 & A380s from Malaysia Airlines. The USAF B-1B Lancer fly past also promises to be an exciting event.
I am also looking forward to seeing the Indian Air Force Sarang Aerobatic Team in action with their brightly coloured HAL Dhruv helicopters. I last saw them in action two years ago at Aero India 2015 in Bangalore, India.
Look forward to more updates soon!
I had a dream – to see the “dream”. Goofy wordplay aside, the dream was to see the Antonov An-225 “Mriya” (meaning dream or inspiration in Ukranian) at least once. This dream came true, as the big bird landed in Kuala Lumpur yesterday – May 14th 2016.
Powered by six Progress D-18 turbofan engines, the mammoth An-225 was on a trip from Prague, Czech Republic to Perth, Australia, carrying a 117 tonne electrical generator. The trip involved stopovers in Turkmenbashi (KRW), Hyderabad (HYD), and Kuala Lumpur (KUL) before reaching its destination in Australia.
The stopover at KUL was lucky, as the original itinerary involved the big beast stopping over at Jakarta. This was changed later to KUL due to unavailability of slots at Jakarta. The schedule was published by Flightradar 24 a couple of weeks prior to the flight, and we waited with bated breath for the arrival.
The scheduled arrival at KUL was 0800 local time, and I left home early with my seven year old son in order to secure a vantage point to witness the arrival of the Mriya. As I was reaching the spotting location, I saw hundreds of people gathering to see the giant six-engined aircraft that was due to arrive soon. The excitement was palpable, as the spotting community in KUL came together, and waited patiently.
The aircraft could not be seen on Flightradar 24 – our trusted companion for tracking aircraft and their arrival/departure times. We had found out from friends back in Hyderabad that the aircraft had departed at 0140 local time, which meant that it would be arriving approximately at half past eight.
Just before 0800, the Mriya became visible on Flightradar 24, and the atmosphere amongst the waiting spotters became electrified. Folks readied their equipment – double-checking to make sure that the memory cards were inserted and batteries were charged.
Soon, the familiar shape of the An-225, with its six engines became visible in the distance. The aircraft was approaching rapidly, and appeared to become larger by the second.
It glided smoothly over the threshold of Runway 32L, and touched down right in front of us, producing a fair bit of smoke from its massive 28 wheel main landing gear.
A loud cheer went up in the spotting community as the aircraft rolled down the runway, and slowly made its way to its designated parking bay.
It felt amazing to see the massive six-engined aircraft with its distinctive twin tail. The wings and the horizontal stabilizers are humongous!
So there it is – the dream to see the one-of-a-kind Antonov An-225 “Mriya” finally came true. Don’t know if I will get an opportunity to see it again…
Viman Photography 