Beirut-based Middle East Airlines has committed to four Airbus A330neo aircraft to modernize its midhaul fleet.
There has been no official announcement, but MEA’s annual statement indicated “commitments” for 11 Airbus A321neo and four A330neo aircraft. The 11 A321s have already been formally acknowledged by Airbus, but the A330 order was news. When asked by Flight Global, the carrier confirmed that it would take delivery of two new A330s in 2021 and two in 2022.
MEA already operates five A330s, featuring Rolls Royce Trent engines. The new A330neos will also feature Rolls Royce engines. Good news for travelers: the new planes are rumored to have a 1-2-1 configuration in business class with lie-flat seating. The current A330s feature angled lie-flat 2-2-2 seating in the forward cabin.
Middle East Airlines currently only serves short to midhaul destinations in Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. Wouldn’t a longhaul to New York be great? With an A330neo, this would now be easier than ever before.
CONCLUSION
Looks like I am going to have to review Middle East Airlines again. I very much enjoyed my A320 and A330 flights earlier in the summer as well as the renovated Cedar Lounge in Beirut. Next time I visit Beirut, I plan to take my family and spend a few days there. Perhaps an update to my Four Seasons Beirut hotel review?
> Review: Middle East Airlines A320 Business Class Dubai To Beirut
> Review: Middle East Airlines A330 Business Class Beirut To Frankfurt
image: Middle East Airlines
Wait, 2-*3*-2 in business on an A330?! That’s more like PY! How on earth do they manage angled flat seats? 😮 Yeah, 1-2-1 is definitely needed!
Check out my review. Seats were comfortable, service + food great. I’d still fly the old seat. Longest flight is about five hours.
Uh, those look like standard 2-2-2 A330 J seats instead of 2-3-2 A330 PY seats. 1-2-1 is still a step up, but I was wondering how they managed to fit 2-3-2 angled flats on an A330. 🙂
My bad. I was dreaming…
“Wouldn’t a longhaul to New York be great? With an A330neo, this would now be easier than ever before.”
That has nothing to do with why MEA isn’t flying to the US or Canada…
I know, but my statement is true. I wish the demand was there.
The demand is there. Nothing to do with that issue either. It is more political than anything else.
MEA serves more than just MENA and Europe destinations. In fact they have 6+ hrs nonstop service to two West Africa destinations–LOS and ACC, and onward service to ABJ from those two points, serving the large community of Lebanese diaspora and businesspeople in these places. Yet, it has been fascinating to me that these flights received no attention from any flying geek communities or blogs online.
And what has been more interesting to me, is that MEA hasn’t even been thinking about serving the Americas. While Lebanon has issues with the US, there are more than 10 million Lebanese people in the Americas, and Brazil has probably more Lebanese than Lebanon does…A nonstop or even one-stop flight to Brazil via one of their West Africa destinations could always work on the paper…