Malaysia Airlines considering ordering up to 45 new aircraft (35 narrow-bodies and 10 twin-aisle) to support its long-term growth plans, the group’s chief executive, Izham Ismail, told Bloomberg News.
The order for wide-body aircraft would be for delivery from 2030, Ismail said Thursday at the annual meeting of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines in Singapore. For single-aisle aircraft, the carrier will contact the manufacturers for offers at the first quarter 2024 and will aim for the first deliveries in 2028he indicated.
Malaysia Airlines already has 20 Airbuses A330neo on order and 25 Boeing 737 MAX-8. MAX deliveries have been delayed due to poorly drilled holes in the fuselage by supplier Spirit AeroSystems requiring checks in the bulkheads, but the airline expects the first deliveries to arrive within a week. Its fleet currently consists of six Airbus A330-200s, fifteen Airbus A330-300s, 7 A350-900s (7 remaining to be delivered) and 42 Boeing 737-800s.
