Malaysia Airlines’ parent company, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), is in discussions with Boeing regarding the potential acquisition of new jets that may become available if Chinese airlines halt their deliveries. This information was shared by the managing director in an interview with the Malaysian state news agency Bernama.
Boeing is reportedly returning some of its 737 MAX jets to the United States from China, where they had been positioned for delivery to Chinese customers. The reasons behind this decision remain unclear, as neither Boeing nor Chinese authorities have commented on the matter.
Malaysia Airlines has yet to respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Should delivery slots become available due to the ongoing tariff war between the U.S. and China, MAG sees this as an opportunity to secure earlier-than-anticipated aircraft deliveries. Izham Ismail of MAG expressed to Bernama, “We are in talks with Boeing to explore whether we can take over those slots.”
Globally, airlines are eager for new aircraft but are facing longer delivery times caused by post-pandemic supply chain disruptions and a production slowdown at Boeing related to increased regulatory scrutiny and a labor strike.
MAG, which is owned by the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional, is in the process of expanding and modernizing its fleet. The group aims to operate a narrow-body fleet of 55 new-generation 737 MAX aircraft by 2030.
Recently, MAG announced plans to purchase 18 737 MAX 8 and 12 737 MAX 10 aircraft, with an option for an additional 30 jets. Additionally, it has a lease agreement for 25 737 MAX jets from Air Lease Corp for the period between 2023 and 2026.
Ismail clarified that any potential deal to acquire extra aircraft from the open delivery slots would not be linked to the existing agreement with Air Lease Corp. He mentioned that MAG would need to seek funding from the capital markets to facilitate such an acquisition.
