PUTRAJAYA, March 21— Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) today announced the acquisition of 30 new aircraft as part of its fleet modernisation strategy.
The order includes 18 Boeing 737-8 and 12 Boeing 737-10 aircraft, with an option to purchase 30 more 737 aircraft. The jets are purchased from The Boeing Company and are powered by CFM International’s LEAP-1B engines. CFM International is a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines.
“The Boeing 737 has been a cornerstone of our fleet since 1969, with the introduction of the first 737-100 during the Malaysia-Singapore Airlines era. It has since played a vital role in supporting the growth of our national airline. The selection of the 737-8 and 737-10 reflects a careful evaluation of our long-term growth strategy, ensuring we have the right aircraft to meet evolving market demands,” MAG’s Group Managing Director, Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said.
With these new additions, MAG will gradually phase out the older generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) in favour of 55 Boeing 737-8 and Boeing 737-10 aircraft by 2030.
“It also enables us to future-proof our fleet, ensuring we remain competitive, adaptable, and well-positioned for sustainable growth,” Izham added.
He said that the new order for the 30 jets will begin to be delivered from 2029 to 2030, but did not disclose the total cost of the purchase.
On the option for the additional purchase of 30 more jets, Izham said this will depend on the market situation.
“In Asia Pacific, in the region that we serve, especially in the Asean region, the expected CAGR growth for the next five years is about 5.6 per cent. If you put that arithmetically, Malaysia Airlines, specifically here, if we don’t invest in fleet, we will be behind the curve,” Izham said in a press conference after a document exchange event to mark the aircraft purchase.
The event saw the attendance of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Khazanah Nasional Berhad managing director Datuk Amirul Feisal Wan Zahid, Boeing Global president Brendan Nelson, and GE Aerospace’s vice president of sales Asia Pacific Nakul Gupta.
MAG presently has an existing order for 25 Boeing 737-8 aircraft through a long-term lease with Air Lease Corporation, with 11 already delivered and the rest scheduled for delivery by 2027.
It now operates a fleet of 113 aircraft system-wide, including 42 Boeing 737-800s under Malaysia Airlines and five under Firefly.
