Maldives Promotion House – On the one year anniversary of starting international flights to and from the Maldives, MEGA Maldives Airlines has announced the addition of an additional 767-300ER aircraft to their fleet. The new aircraft, registered 8Q-MEH, entered service earlier this week on their existing Hong Kong – Malé route.

MEGA Maldives Airlines took delivery of the new aircraft in Vancouver, Canada. The new aircraft was previously operated by Air Canada and is leased from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the world’s largest aircraft leaser with over one thousand aircraft under management.

“We are pleased to add this new aircraft to our fleet in time to support the busy Chinese New Year holiday. It is also the start of series of expansion steps we plan for this year including increasing frequencies on our existing routes and opening up new routes. This is an important addition to our fleet as we move to significantly grow the company in 2012,” CEO of MEGA Maldives Airlines, George Weinmann said.

The new aircraft currently features 247 seats with 24 seats in Business Class and 233 seats in Economy Class. Premium Economy services are also offered. The aircraft features newly installed Innovator II seats, which provide greater leg room and are specifically designed for comfort on long-haul flights.

After the busy Chinese New Year period, the aircraft will be reconfigured to 12 Business Class seats, 49 Premium Economy Class Seats, and 192 standard Economy Class seats, for a total of 252 seats. The aircraft has the widest and most comfortable cabins for an aircraft of its class, and with 99.7 percent operational reliability, the Boeing 767-300ER is one of the most reliable in the world today.

“This is the best airplane I have ever flown,” Deputy Director of Flight Operations, Wes Gardner said, after arriving with the aircraft at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. “From a pilot’s perspective, it is a real dream. We were very happy with the delivery flight.”

MEGA Maldives Airlines is the largest international carrier of the Maldives and currently has flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Chongqing. New services are scheduled to commence in mid-2012. The airline operates the Boeing 767-300ER type aircraft primarily on long-haul scheduled and charter routes.