Flying on board the very first Airbus A320neo of AirAsia, 9M-NEO

The plane has been with AirAsia Malaysia for six years already, but it is indeed something worth writing about. So, what is it like to fly on AirAsia’s first Airbus A320neo, 9M-NEO? Are the seats tarnished? Is there anything special about the plane? It is definitely an honor to share my experience on board 9M-NEO, the very first Airbus NEO plane delivered to AirAsia.

This is not my first AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Manila; however, allow me to share a few things about KLIA 2 or Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2.

First, the terminal is huge, like a mall! Second, all of AirAsia’s flights depart and arrive from KLIA 2. Hence, if you notice as you taxi into KLIA 2, there are no other planes parked there but AirAsia and AirAsia X planes. I did not see any other airlines in that terminal.

Check-in at KLIA

Checking in at KLIA 2 for our AirAsia flight AK584 from Kuala Lumpur to Manila was certainly a breeze. There are self-check-in kiosks, and all you have to do is to bag drop your check-in luggage. Of course, be sure to have all your travel documents, such as your passports and the http://etravel.gov.ph travel declaration system.

The walk from the check-in counters all the way to gate P21 was long. It was at the end of the wing, and there awaits our plane, an AirAsia A320neo with registry 9M-NEO, wearing a special livery that says “Fly our first A320neo.” Indeed, I was privileged to get on board this aircraft.

All about 9M-NEO

AirAsia’s very first A320neo, and also the very first Airbus NEO plane delivered to the airline, bears a special registry, which is 9M-NEO. It carries a special livery to commemorate the very first NEO plane delivered to AirAsia.

9M-NEO was delivered to AirAsia on August 31, 2016, making it six years old as of this writing. It uses CFM LEAP 1A geared turbofan (GTF) engines; hence, the reason it carries the name A321-251. Airbus A320neo, using Pratt & Whitney PW1100G GTF engines, which is the more common turbofan, carries -271. If there is one thing I noticed about a CFM LEAP 1A powered A320neo, it does not have that “horn-like” sound before take-off.

Since the A320neo has a higher Minimum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) compared to the older generation A320s, the aircraft carries 186 passengers. This includes 42 ‘hot’ economy-class seats with a seat pitch of 30 inches and 144 standard economy seats with a seat pitch of 29 inches.

Cabin interior

Unlike AirAsia’s A321neos, which have individual charging ports on each seat, the A320neos do not have any. I’m just not sure with the other planes, but definitely, 9M-NEO did not have any. Also, it seems like the seats are the same as those on the older A320ceo of the airline. They still do not have the new seat design like those seen on the airline’s A321neo.

Basically, you would not be able to tell the difference if you are on an A320neo and A320ceo, as they share the same seat designs. Only time you would know the difference is when they start the engines because the plane is basically quiet.

The seat pitch on a regular economy seat is reasonable. I am 5’7″ and can still stretch my legs to some extent. The shoulder room is also fine. You would not notice that there are six additional seats on this plane compared to their A320ceo.

All seats are clean, without any tarnished or broken armrests, and the cabin is definitely clean with no broken tables.

Engine Sound

Since the A320neo is powered by a GTF, it is definitely quieter than the airline’s CFM56-powered A320ceos. You can still hear a high-pitched tone when the throttle is at full power for take-off. However, compared to the A320ceo, the plane is definitely quieter.

The following is my full flight experience on board 9M-NEO. I am not sure how often AirAsia uses this plane for Manila flights but AK584/585 are most of the time serviced by A320neo planes, and sometimes 9M-NEO.