On 26th January 2016, Malaysia Airlines marked the end of their scheduled services to Paris and Amsterdam. It also marked the end of the airline's entire fleet of Boeing 777s. For me, it was emotional to hear Malaysia Airlines' decision to retire its remaining Boeing 777s of what used to be the airline's long-haul flagship fleet. My first account of Boeing 777 began on the night of 6th March 1997, when I heard about the aircraft for the first time. I still remember that night, as a young nine year old boy, I was in the living room with my parents watching the local evening news when the next story in our little but bulky television box began with a clip of a gleaming white coloured aircraft with distinctive blue and red cheat lines slowly coming out of a massive hangar at night. Then another perspective showed the aircraft being moved slowly by tow truck in full view with starry lights of taxiways as if a new-born was welcomed to the world. Later on, the reporter told the viewers that Malaysia Airlines had just officially received the key from Boeing Company for the airline's first ever Boeing 777. On the next day at school, I told my friends about it with immense fascination and told them of how big the aircraft is. My school mates were equally fascinated too. They too knew about the news. Since then my dream was to get inside the Boeing 777 when most people would dream to fly on the bigger and more iconic Boeing 747s. That was how Boeing 777 has become one of my all-time favourite airplanes.
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| 9M-MRA came out of the factory as Malaysia Airlines' first ever Boeing 777. Dubbed the 'Super Ranger', it later broke the Great Circle Distance Without Landing record. -Photo Source- |
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| 9M-MRA, the first Super Ranger for Malaysia Airlines. -Photo Source- |
The story of
Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777 began back in 1996, more than one year after the
airline was privatised by the government of Malaysia to a holding company
headed by one visionary man by the name of Tajudin Ramli. As the production of
the Boeing 777 gained full steam, the aircraft began to garner considerable
interests from major airlines in the Asia Pacific. In 1995, Chicago based
United Airlines was the first ever customer to acquire the newest model from
Boeing. Soon after, it won orders from major airlines around the world. The
aircraft's main selling point was the huge cabin space relative to other
twinjets at that time and its ability to fly almost 14,000 km non-stop using
only two engines, thereby saving the airlines countless of dollars on fuel and
maintenance. The then newly privatised Malaysia Airlines saw opportunity to
rapidly expand non-stop long haul international services particularly to Europe
and North America. In November 1996, Malaysia Airlines announced an order of 15
Boeing 777s - 10 units for improved version of -200 series (later known as
Boeing 777-200ER) and another 5 units for the longer -300 series. An option for
two aircrafts of the same model were added. For a privately owned company, the
cost of acquiring new but expensive piece of flying machines can be challenging
without proper financial planning and backup. Towards the end of 1996, doubts
were already raised about how the airline might finance the huge cost of
acquiring the biggest twinjet in the world which at the time was priced at $130
million each (RM325 million). Furthermore, prior to the order, the
privatisation of Malaysia Airlines cost
Tajudin Ramli some RM6 billion in debt. Months before the first delivery of the
first aircraft, the airline finally
secured a variety of financing sources that comprised of creating new
shares, equity, bonds and loans totalling RM3.27billion. The financial proceeds
would go towards financing the purchase of the initial batches of the Boeing
777s and 747s while the rest would go towards preparing the airline's shift to
the newly built Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Sepang.
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| The earliest Malaysia Airlines Super Ranger crew gathered in front of 9M-MRA before the journey home. -Photo Source- |
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| New Straits Times published a full two page coverage of Malaysia Airlines' new Super Ranger on 2nd April 1997. -Photo Source- |
On 4th March 1997,
the first production of Boeing 777-200 Extended Range (ER) destined for
Malaysia Airlines came out of the Boeing Factory in Everett, Washington.
Nicknamed the 'Super Ranger', this aircraft also bears the official
registration number of 9M-MRA, signifying the country where the aircraft will
be based for the next 19 years. The Super Ranger was a special aircraft to both
Boeing and Malaysia Airlines. Not just the Super Ranger logo being glued
proudly at the front section of the fuselage, but both parties especially
Boeing wanted the world to know that its latest product can fly farther than
any other commercial aircrafts at that time can do. For Malaysia Airlines, it
meant a cool and prestigious marketing campaign promoting its latest product to
the international market. On 2nd April 1997, that Super Ranger flew to its home
base at the then Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Subang from Boeing Field
in the opposite 'long way' direction - non-stop in an attempt to break the
Great Circle Distance Without Landing record. Inside the aircraft during its
extra-long, world record shattering journey were only 23 passengers instead of
full 278 passengers. Executives from Boeing and Malaysia Airlines, members of
the press, flight technicians and seven pilots readied up their stamina to
endure the long journey to Kuala Lumpur. Instead of shorter westerly route over
the northern Pacific Ocean, the aircraft flew eastwards passing over eastern
Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, southern Europe, the Middle East, India and finally
towards Malaysia, covering a distance of 20,044 km, or half the earth's
diameter.
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| 9M-MRA, the first Super Ranger touched down at Kuala Lumpur's Subang airport on 2nd April 1997, after flying for 21 hours 23 minutes non-stop from Seattle. The aircraft broke the Great Circle Distance Without Landing record which remained unbroken for the next 8 years. A documentary was made to dedicate the achievement. -Photo Source- |
After clocking 21
hours 23 minutes in the air non-stop, it arrived at Kuala Lumpur's Subang
Airport, then home base of Malaysia Airlines. The aircraft was greeted with
Malaysian cultural performances, invited VIPs, airline employees and officially
received by Tajudin Ramli, the airline's chairman in time for the celebration
of the airline's 50th anniversary since its founding in 1947 (Note: Malaysia
Airlines and Singapore Airlines were born from the same company, Malayan
Airways Limited long before the airline was split into two different entities
we see today). The arrival of the aircraft presented a whole new paradigm shift
for Malaysia Airlines in terms of product offerings at that time. It was the
first aircraft in the airline's fleet to have all seats to be equipped with
personal entertainment screens. Each entertainment console in the seat armrest
- even in the Economy class section doubles as a payphone - just swipe your
credit card inflight and you can make inflight calls to your loved ones on the
ground. Passengers can even ordered flowers while on-board using the aircraft's
communication system. Even until today one legacy of Malaysia Airlines' Super
Rangers that remain intact was that its widely spacious 34 inches of seat pitch
in the economy class sections is rivalled only by few. Malaysia Airlines even
reserved a space inside its brand new Super Ranger for businessmen to conduct
their transactions. Dubbed the Business Centre, the area inside the aircraft
was equipped with mini library, computers and printers for businessmen on the
go. The world shattering record journey conducted by 9M-MRA didn’t end at Kuala
Lumpur. It would then broke another world record by flying back to Seattle at a
record cruising speed and flying time, thereby completing the record round the
world journey the aircraft is operationally can capable of.
Tajudin Ramli's
quest of making Malaysia Airlines a global player in long haul commercial
aviation services didn’t stop at Boeing 777-200ERs and Boeing 747-400s that
would be the airline's flagship fleets for the next decade. On the same day
Malaysia Airlines received its first ever Super Ranger, the airline also announced
an intention to buy a future variant of the aircraft, the Boeing 777-200X.
The aircraft would be utilised by the airline to launch non-stop services from
Kuala Lumpur to major North American cities of New York, Los Angeles and
Chicago, taking full advantage of the Open Sky Policy between Malaysia and
United States that would eventually took effect in 1998. 9M-MRA entered
commercial service on 3rd May 1997, just two months after its birth and
subsequent prominence as a world record holder. It's first commercial flight
was to Singapore as a familiarisation for the newly trained 777 crews. Later
on, the aircraft also performed its first ever domestic service to the eastern
Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu, although it is only a one-off return flight
providing Malaysians the experience of taking Malaysia Airlines' newest wide
body at a significantly lower cost. By 1998, another nine Super Rangers joined
the airline's growing list of long haul fleets. The aircraft enabled the
airline to open up more international routes to cities including Vienna,
Zurich, Zagreb and Rome. In Australia and New Zealand, the Super Rangers
already replaced the airline's older Boeing 747s and DC-10s for routes to
smaller cities like Perth, Auckland and Brisbane. All in all, the Super Rangers
enabled the airline to enter markets where a Boeing 747 considered too big.
Service to New York using the Super Rangers began in 1998, soon after the Open
Sky Policy between Malaysia and United States was ratified. Routed via Dubai,
it was then touted as one of the world's longest one stop route, completing the
journey in just over 20 hours. The opening of Dubai - New York sector by
Malaysia Airlines also marked the first time the rapidly growing Middle East
city was directly linked to North America, some ten years before Emirates plies
the same route.
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| A local aviation enthusiast, Carlos Borda took this photo of the Super Ranger as it landed at Newark's Liberty Airport, one of the airports servicing New York City. Malaysia Airlines began using the Super Rangers for its New York route via Dubai. It was then touted as among the world's longest one-stop flight. It also marked the first time Dubai was directly connected to North America. -Photo Source- |
However, Malaysia
Airlines' appetite for international expansion almost went into the brakes
beginning 1998, as looming effects of Asian Financial Crisis dampened air
travel in the region. There were still six undelivered Super Rangers and with
dwindling share price, the airline began struggling to pay off its debts and
began having trouble financing securely the remaining Super Rangers it ordered.
The airline was in imminent danger of bankruptcy. Faced with the prospect of
political fallout towards Malaysian public that still viewed the airline as a
national flag carrier despite its privatisation, in 2001 the government decided
to buy back 32% of shares it sold to Tajudin Ramli with a price of RM8.00 per
share, the same share price it sold to the man with a towering vision for the
airline seven years earlier. However, critics argued that the amount of shares
bought back by the government was severely inflated and didn’t reflect the true
share price at that time. The new
majority owner of the airline began conducting management shakeup. Tajudin
Ramli was by then already out from the airline's top post. The orders for the
remaining Super Rangers remained intact. However, the government decided that
the airline's original order of including the longer -300 series be converted
to all -200ER series to manage cost efficiently. An original option for two
aircrafts of the same model would be converted to confirmed orders, making the
combined orders and deliveries of Super Rangers for Malaysia Airlines to
seventeen aircrafts. Some of the Super Rangers were sold and leased back to the
airline via a newly created government owned aircraft leasing company to reduce
the airline's financial liability. By early 2000s, the worst of financial
issues affecting Malaysia Airlines emanating from the fallout of Asian
Financial Crises was over. Helmed under the new management post-Tajudin Ramli
era, the airline continued expanding internationally with greater focus on Asia
Pacific, South Asia and the Middle East. In 2004, the two remaining Super
Rangers were finally delivered to the airline. The 17th and the last of the
two, registered as 9M-MRQ flew direct from Boeing Field to Kuala Lumpur via a
shorter route over the northern Pacific Ocean, passing through Alaska and
Japan.
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| The Super Rangers became Malaysia Airlines' long haul international work horse along with the Boeing 747-400s. -Photo Source- |
In 2005, Malaysia
Airlines embarked on a product overhaul programme, in an effort to offer
competitive product on par with other established carriers in the region. The
Super Rangers which by then all delivered to the airline was overhauled as the
previous product offering was inferior and outdated despite the aircraft itself
still relatively new on the market. The change was obvious - the three class
cabin (First, Business and Economy) was reduced to just two (Business and
Economy). The airline stripped of the Super Rangers its first class cabin to
fit more Business class seats. The much praised Business Centre which graced
the fleet's interiors were also scrapped as technology improves which make
printers and mini libraries redundant and space consuming. Business class seats
too were revamped to give it sleeker look and enable passengers to sleep in a
lie-flat position. Meanwhile, the entertainment system was updated across all
cabins to enhance passenger inflight experience. To promote the overhaul
programme to the travelling public and aviation enthusiasts alike, Malaysia
Airlines decided to paint one of its Super Rangers, 9M-MRD in a special bluish
livery to signify the refreshed international product the airline executed.
With a tagline 'Freedom of Space', it soon became a byword for luxury and
elevated the airline on par with the likes of Singapore Airlines. The specially
painted aircraft itself was dubbed the most beautiful Boeing 777 ever painted.
Despite the successful overhauling of the airline's international product
offering, months later the airline again fell into financial difficulty. The
impact of high oil price put a red mark on the company’s balance sheet dearly.
Despite having a respectable international presence in major markets of Europe
and Australia, the airline's domestic network continue to suffer financial
losses. The second financial difficulty in less than 10 years saw the airline's
management change heads. Even during those trying times, the Super Rangers
continue to be the main long haul international work horse of the airline,
despite being operated so in an increasingly diminishing financial returns. In
the next two years, facing with further losses in international operations,
beset in part by rapidly expanding Middle Eastern carriers, and more intense
competition in the Kangaroo route, some of the destinations serviced by Super
Rangers began disappearing from the airline's network - Zurich, Vienna and
Stockholm was by then gone in 2008. Services to New York, which began in 1998
was also terminated owing to poor returns. The original route which went via
Dubai, since then was routed via Stockholm before being terminated altogether.
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| 9M-MRD was briefly painted in a special 'Freedom of Space' livery to promote the airline's new inflight product. Sadly, the aircraft met its fiery end over eastern Ukraine some 8 years after this photo was taken. -Photo Source- |
Suddenly, the
product offered by the airline inside the Super Rangers was again seemed dated
and fast outdated as other airlines had, since then upgraded their
international product offering. By 2010s, the airline seemed to be on a slow
road to recovery. In an effort to focus on medium haul routes covering regional
cities, the airline began renewing its fleet of Boeing 737s and Airbus A330s,
the latter of which just prior to 2011 had inferior product to the more
superior Super Rangers. However, the Super Rangers continue to work tirelessly,
being operated to cities at half the distance of its true potential. However,
in 2011 another financial turbulence faced the airline which prompted another
management shakeup. More international destinations were cut - including Rome,
Johannesburg and Buenos Aires. The role of Super Rangers began to be in doubt.
The aircraft's longest route, the loss making of the airline's remaining North
American route to Los Angeles was slated to be terminated, putting more certainty
that perhaps some of the seventeen fleet of Super Rangers in the airline were
no longer needed as they once were. The long haul international network, in
which the Super Rangers were originally acquired for never reach the critical
mass and profitability for further expansion. And the initial order of Boeing
777-200X (now known as Boeing 777-200LR) for further non-stop international
expansion was quietly cancelled long before that.
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| Malaysia Airlines unveiled its newest Business Class product fitted aboard its Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-200ERs back in 2005. The upgrade includes updating the inflight entertainment system across all classes including the economy. -Photo Source- |
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| Despite physically unchanged since the first aircraft was delivered in 1997, the economy class remained valued by air travellers as its 34 inches seat pitch provided a comfortable legroom and is rivalled by few airlines. Most airlines these days have increase their Boeing 777s' seating density to increase revenue, but at a cost of passenger comfort as seat pitch is reduced. -Photo Source- |
By 2013, the fleet
of Super Rangers, once the flagship of Malaysia Airlines was slowly reduced one
by one. Some were finally retired and scrapped with its iconic Malaysia
Airlines logo and titles withdrawn. Some were returned to lessors. The
remaining Super Rangers continued to be deployed to regional routes which are
also plied by the airline's newer Airbus 330s and Boeing 737-800s. However, it
was clear that Malaysia Airlines identified that it can make more money out of
flying to regional cities, a feat which can easily be achieved by those two
newer aircraft types, and may found Super Rangers to be too big, too old and
perhaps too costly for that same operation. However, despite being older, The
Super Rangers continue to fly as far as Japan, New Zealand and major European
cities of Paris and Amsterdam. Its operational prominence briefly came after
the retirement of the airline's entire Boeing 747-400s as it replaced some of
the routes that used to be plied by the Jumbo jets. The addition of Airbus A380
to the fleet did not really affect the Super Rangers as the former was too big
to serve the cities where the Super Rangers still had the upper hand. Despite
having an older product, many passengers especially in the Economy class still
value the legroom the airline offered, which at 34 inches of seat pitch, has
become spaciously rare as most airlines are now fitting their newer Boeing 777s
with more seats than ever before to increase revenue.
Despite multiple
financial difficulties and slow recovery, Malaysia Airlines had a profound
excellent safety record. Its last fatal incident occurred way back in 1995
involving a small turboprop aircraft owned by the airline, although it was
ruled as a human error. It had a slew of incidents, though it is minor in
nature and such minor incidences also do happen at any airlines. For the
airline's Super Rangers, a slew of incidences never really got the media
attention lasted for more than a few days. In 2004, 9M-MRJ suffered tail strike
damage after a take-off attempt at Zurich. In 2005, a software glitch blamed on
a manufacturer caused a sudden dive of 9M-MRG, although it was finally put back
in control and made emergency landing in Perth. Other incidents involving the
Super Rangers also involved engine fire and wing damage, though none cause any
injuries. However, it was the beginning of 8th March 2014 that put the fate of
Super Rangers in Malaysia Airlines in a hard bind altogether. The sudden loss and
presumed crash of 9M-MRO, while on its way to Beijing as flight MH370 has
everyone around the world bewildered. Presumably crashed in the southern Indian
Ocean, not a large trace of the plane has ever been found so far apart from a
wing section found on a remote island. Then, on 17th July at that same year,
9M-MRD, once adorned the Freedom of Space livery was destroyed, presumably by
military missile while cruising as MH17 at 33,000 feet from Amsterdam to Kuala
Lumpur. The double tragedy befalling Malaysia Airlines involving the loss of
two of its remaining Super Rangers and 537 lives in them severely damaging the
airline's reputation. Since the termination of Los Angeles, Paris, Frankfurt
and Amsterdam has become the Super Rangers' longest routes. The terrible
incidents of 2014 caused severe damage to the airline reputation resulting in
dwindling international passengers to Europe. And the airline suddenly realised
that the end of Super Rangers' service was nearing.
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| 9M-MRD was decimated above eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew whilst operating as MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. -Photo Source- |
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| More than one year after the disappearance of 9M-MRO, operating as flight MH370 carrying 239 passengers and crew, a piece of aircraft wing was found at an Indian Ocean island of Reunion which later confirmed to be from the flight. -Photo Source- |
By May 2015, the old
Malaysia Airlines was finally put to rest and be replaced by a newly privatised
company, also known as Malaysia Airlines. The new company was established with
leaner workforce and may focus heavily in the Asia Pacific Region. It will
partner with airlines for passenger connections instead of using long haul
aircrafts such as Super Rangers, as it was by then was already too big to
transport fewer passengers for profit. The fate of Super Rangers under the
newly privatised company was finally sealed. In December 2015, Malaysia
Airlines announced that Paris and Amsterdam, the last remaining long haul route
serviced by the Super Rangers will be terminated and the entire fleet of the
once flagship aircraft in the airline will be retired by the end of March 2016.
The incidents involving the airline's Super Rangers, how bad that may be, has
put the aircraft in a more
emotional limelight especially among aviation enthusiasts. The last flight out of Frankfurt
after nearly 40 years of service saw 9M-MRG being fare welled with a water
cannon salute. On 26th January 2016, the last flight out of Amsterdam saw an
emotional farewell as well where 9M-MRL
and its crew were escorted by the ground crew towards the Schiphol Airport's
runway for take-off one
last time to mark the end of Malaysia Airlines' 36 years of long service to
this great European city.
Emotional farewell as 9M-MRL performed the last flight to Amsterdam after
36 years of service. -Photo Source-
As for me, I still
remember when my parents took up their first ever visit to Australia, it was
also their first ever trip aboard the Super Ranger back in 1999. On their
return home, they bought me a scale model of 9M-MRA. I was so overjoyed that I
even displayed it in our family car just for anyone to see. I sometimes dreaded
whether I will ever have a chance to board her. Even seeing her at the airport
where I live is a rarity. Opportunity finally came in 2002, when my dream of
flying on-board Super Ranger finally came true, while on our way to Brisbane.
Upon entering the aircraft, I was amazed on the presence of individual TV
screens. Unfortunately though, I underestimated the conditions of my first long
haul journey in the plane. Perhaps I was too overjoyed, the TV screen froze
(prior to that, I never operated an inflight entertainment screen before inside
an aircraft) and I began to have stomach-ache soon after eating. So, that whole
experience of me on board my first ever Super Ranger wasn't a very good one,
but memorable nevertheless. During the years of Super Rangers in operation, I
had the opportunity of being in the aircraft no less than 5 times. Despite the
introduction of the airline's newer aircrafts, the Super Rangers never ceases
to amaze me. Despite having an older product, I find it rather comfortable. My
last flight in the Super Ranger was on 5th June 2015 aboard 9M-MRF. I later
found out the aircraft was already out of service and retired from the fleet
some two
months later. It was a sad moment for me to see an aircraft that once grace
the airline's international network alongside their Boeing 747-400s to retire
at a time when the airline's international operation is winding down while
others have expanded rapidly, making
orders for dozens or even hundreds more of newer version of the aircraft model.
In the 19 years of service, Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777-200ER a.k.a. the
Super Rangers had worked tirelessly despite went through turbulence and
tribulations since the year the first aircraft was acquired by the then
privatised Malaysia Airlines System. Now, the remaining Super Rangers are
finally destined to retirement for good by the newly formed privatised company,
Malaysia Airlines Berhad.
==THE END==
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