Malaysia Airlines flies with Manchester United as club’s official commercial airline

Malaysia Airlines and Manchester United have inked a multi-year partnership which will see the airline become the club’s official commercial airline. The partnership was announced by Malaysia Airlines’ group managing director of Malaysia Aviation Group, Izham Ismail, at an industry trade fair in Kuala Lumpur.

To celebrate the announcement, former Manchester United defenders Patrice Evra and Wes Brown flew to Kuala Lumpur to attend the event, to share their experiences of travelling the world as both players and ambassadors for the club.

Don't miss: Malaysia Airlines soars into KidZania Singapore as official airline partner 

“Manchester United has fans from all over the world, and the passionate support we have here in Asia never fails to impress me," said Evra at the event. "I am pleased to be able to share our partnership with Malaysia Airlines with those fans and introduce them to the best-in-class service they offer."

"Brown and I travelled here on Malaysia Airlines, and I would like to thank them for such a comfortable journey. From the food to the comfortable seats and friendly service, everything was perfect,” said Evra.

“I am fortunate enough to represent Manchester United at events all over the world," added Brown. "I have visited Malaysia many times, and I am always blown away by the warm welcome I receive. Malaysia Airlines is a true representation of Malaysia’s friendly culture, and I cannot wait to work with them to engage with our fantastic supporters."

Manchester United’s CEO of alliances and partnerships, Victoria Timpson, added that Manchester United has a long-standing and proud connection with Malaysia, with a history of passionate support from across the country.

"We have three official Malaysian supporter's clubs, with the Kuala Lumpur branch boasting one of the club's largest supporter communities, reflecting the country's love of all things United," she added.  “We are very pleased to welcome Malaysia Airlines to our family of partners and look forward to sharing with our global fans its trusted, welcoming and hospitable service.”

Group managing director of Malaysia Aviation Group, Izham Ismail added that aligning with a globally recognised club such as United places Malaysia Airlines in front of a massive worldwide audience, significantly boosting brand recognition, especially in Europe and Southeast Asia where United has a large fanbase.

"We look forward to the exciting opportunities this collaboration brings and the joy it will bring to football enthusiasts worldwide,” he added.

The news comes shortly after Malaysia Airlines said that it would be partnering with children's edutainment park KidZania Singapore as its official airline partner. 

As part of the partnership, Malaysia Airlines will brand the existing plane within KidZania's cityscape. It will also see fresh and intriguing programmes aimed at exposing children to air travel's nuances and career paths within the airline industry. 

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