Malaysia Airlines says going ahead with MoU with Boeing

Career fair for exiting Malaysian Airline System staff on Saturday

KUALA LUMPUR:  Malaysia Airlines Bhd says the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in September 2017 with Boeing Co. to increase the number of Boeing planes to be purchased is still in place.

The provisional Boeing deal was announced during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s US visit in September last year.

The national carrier refuted a report by Reuters entitled: “Malaysia Airlines launches widebody tender process, could oust Boeing 787 deal”.

“Malaysia Airlines wishes to make clear that the story is speculative and erroneous. There is currently no such tender process as alleged and the MoU with Boeing as announced by the Prime Minister remains in place. 

"Malaysia Airlines will not be commenting on this matter further,” it said on Tuesday.

Reuters reported Malaysia Airlines had launched a fresh tender process for 20-30 wide-body jets that could supersede a deal with Boeing Co agreed during a high-profile U.S. visit by Najib last year.

According to the news wire, the carrier's non-binding MoU with Boeing to buy eight long-range 787 jets, valued at $2.25bil at list prices, had come as a surprise given that the national carrier already had an all-Airbus SE wide-body fleet.

While the Boeing 787 is included in the airline’s latest request for information, it has also listed the Airbus A330neo and A350 for consideration, the source with knowledge of the new widebody tender process told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The carrier already has A330s and A350s in its fleet.