Malaysia Airlines is currently considering the addition of up to 45 passenger aircraft as part of the carrier’s long-term fleet expansion plans.
The Kuala Lumpur-based carrier is seeking additional capacity for the coming years to meet soaring demand for air travel in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to a report published by BNN Bloomberg, the airline is currently evaluating various narrow-body and widebody types that might be suitable candidates to fulfil the additional fleet requirements.
The Bloomberg report suggests that Malaysia Airlines requires 35 narrowbody twin-engined planes alongside ten additional twin-aisle aircraft to strengthen its fleet in the coming years.
Speaking on the matter at the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines’ annual meeting in Singapore, Malaysia Airlines’ Managing Director, Izham Ismail, stated that the widebody order would be for delivery from 2030. Meanwhile, with respect to the single-aisle jets, the carrier will be contacting manufacturers for initial bids in the first quarter of 2024, with deliveries to start in 2028.
Malaysia Airlines already has 20 Airbus A330neos on order as part of its plan to modernize its regional widebody fleet.
Additionally, the carrier also has 25 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on order to replace older jets on short-haul and domestic services.
The Max deliveries have been held up by bulkhead checks and other production delays at Boeing. However, the airline expects the first aircraft to be delivered to Kuala Lumpur within the next week.
Malaysia Airlines’ mainline jet current fleet consists of a mix of Boeing and Airbus types, including six Airbus A330-200s, 15 A330-300s, and 42 Boeing 737-800s.