Manchester United and Malaysia Airlines have announced a multi-year partnership which will see the award-winning airline become the club’s official commercial airline.

As an established and respected name in global aviation, Malaysia Airlines prides itself on representing Malaysia and providing best-inclass customised experiences for its passengers, reflecting the Malaysian culture of a welcoming and hospitable service.

The partnership was announced by Malaysia Airlines’ Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group, Izham Ismail, at a major 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.

During the event the two United legends were asked about the significance of the new partnership,

Patrice Evra said:

“Manchester United has fans from all over the world, and the passionate support we have here in Asia never fails to impress me. 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."

"Wes 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.."

Wes Brown said:

“I am fortunate enough to represent Manchester United at events all over the world. 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."

Also speaking at the event was Manchester United’s CEO of Alliances and Partnerships, Victoria Timpson, who said:

“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."

“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, said,

“We are delighted to announce this exciting partnership with Manchester United, a club synonymous with excellence and sporting passion around the world."

“This collaboration brings together two global icons, Malaysia Airlines and Manchester United, and will create unforgettable experiences for our fans and customers. Aligning with a globally recognised club like 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.”

About Manchester United

Manchester United is one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, playing one of the most popular spectator sports on Earth. Through our 146-year heritage we have won 67 major trophies, enabling us to develop the world’s leading sports brand and a global community of 1.1 billion fans and followers. Our large, passionate community provides Manchester United with a worldwide platform to generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including sponsorship, merchandising, product licensing, new media & mobile, broadcasting and match day.

About Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia, offering the best way to fly to, from and around Malaysia through its premium and fullservice offerings. Malaysia Airlines carries up to 40,000 guests daily on memorable journeys inspired by Malaysia’s diverse richness. As the nation’s flag bearer, it embodies the incredible diversity of Malaysia; capturing its rich traditions, cultures and cuisines via its inimitable

Malaysian Hospitality across all customer touch points.

Since September 2015, the airline has been owned and operated by Malaysia Airlines Berhad. It is part of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), a global aviation organisation that comprises of different aviation business and lifestyle travel solution portfolios aimed at serving global air travel needs. The airline is committed to facilitating safe and seamless travels by placing safety and hygiene as the anchor

across all end-to-end consumer touchpoints in line with its MHFlySafe initiative. Via its alliance with oneworld®, Malaysia Airlines offers superior connectivity to more than 900 destinations in 170 territories across the globe.