A novel microwave assisted chemical vapour infiltration (MW-CVI) method is being used to manufacture Al2O3f/Al2O3 ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). The characteristic volumetric heating of the fibre preform with an inverse temperature profile during MW-CVI should significantly reduce the cost of the manufacture of composites. Alumina-based materials generally do not absorb microwave energy easily at low temperatures, however this was resolved by the addition of a fugitive carbon coating, which was a good microwave absorbing material, via a dip-coating process. The dielectric properties of the coated alumina fibre preform were characterised as a function of the temperature and the microwave heating behaviour of the coated fibre preforms was investigated both numerically, via multiphysics simulations of the reactor loaded with the sample, and experimentally, via heating tests in a microwave reactor. Al2O3f/Al2O3 CMCs were produced by MW-CVI with aluminium tri-sec butoxide (ATSB) used as the precursor. Chemical composition of the matrix and microstructure of the composites have been analysed and the impact of the experimental variables, including the ATSB flow rate, will be reported.