Malaysia Airlines moves closer to widebody order

Malaysia Airlines is preparing to present its aircraft acquisition plan to its board, which could lead to a major widebody order being placed in 2019, airline CEO Izham Ismail said. The acquisition plan will be brought to the board by Q1 2019, Izham said. The board will likely consider the plan at either its November meeting, or in January. If board approval is granted, an order decision will likely be made between the first and third quarters of 2019, Izham said. This would likely allow MAB to meet its goal of receiving the first of the new widebodies in 2021. Izham noted that lessors have large aircraft backlogs if MAB cannot obtain its own delivery slots by that date. MAB is believed to be considering a range of aircraft including Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s. The carrier previously signed an MOU with Boeing for 787s, but the MOU lapsed in June. The airline is in the process of firming up its long-term network plan, and this will be an important factor in determining what aircraft models it selects, said Izham.<br/>