Malaysia Airlines is preparing to issue a request for proposals to Airbus and Boeing for dozens of new widebody aircraft, as it assesses offers from Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier for new narrowbodies.
Senior airline executives said last week, after releasing better-than-expected first-quarter financial results, that an RFP will soon be issued to Airbus and Boeing for new aircraft in the 200- to 300-seat Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 size categories.
They add that they could be looking at purchasing and leasing up to 55 aircraft.
The widebody RFP is due to be issued within a couple of months, near the end of the carrier's ongoing narrowbody evaluation. MAS recently opened talks with aircraft lessors as well as manufacturers as part of a long-delayed plan to replace its 39 Boeing 737-400s with new narrowbodies. It has also been looking at possible regional jet or turboprop aircraft orders.
The executives revealed that in addition to the Airbus A320 and current-generation 737 families of single-aisle aircraft, MAS has been looking at Bombardier's proposed CSeries.
Source: Flight International
