by Jamie Freed
DOHA, June 19 (Reuters) – Malaysia Airlines plans to announce its decision on replacing its fleet of 21 Airbus A330s with more fuel-efficient next-generation aircraft between mid and late July, the chief executive said on Sunday. of the airline.
“We are in the last phase of the process” of replacing the A330 fleet, Izham Ismail told Reuters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Iata sector association in Qatar.
He did not specify whether his company would order the aircraft, intended to replace 15 A330-300s and nine A330-200s, directly from the manufacturer or from aircraft leasing companies.
The Airbus A330neo and A350, and the Boeing 787, are the three main aircraft competing in this segment, but the general manager of Malaysia Airlines also refused to reveal the models under study.
The company already has A350s in its fleet. It had placed a tentative order for the Boeing 787 in 2017, but the deadline expired without the order materializing. (Gilles Guillaume for the French version)