Malaysia Aviation Group is in talks with Boeing to potentially take over delivery slots vacated by Chinese carriers as the US-China trade war heats up, according to reports.
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The parent company of national carrier Malaysia Airlines may tap the capital market to fund any successful bids for Boeing’s slots as it looks to expedite the modernisation of its ageing fleet, Izham Ismail, chief executive officer, told local news agency Bernama on Sunday.
The planes must meet the carrier’s cabin requirements, he was quoted as saying.
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The carrier’s interest comes after Beijing ordered its airlines to halt receipt of Boeing aircraft and suspend purchases of aviation equipment and parts from US companies.
Malaysia Airlines, which is wholly owned by the country’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional, earlier this year ordered as many as 60 Boeing planes as part of a campaign to renew its narrowbody fleet.
Slower-than-expected aircraft deliveries and a maintenance crunch prompted Malaysia Airlines to cut its capacity by more than 6,000 flights in the final quarter of 2024, leading to an over 90 per cent drop in its full-year net profit.
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