- Malaysia Airlines nears B787-10 order
- Around ten aircraft planned
- Deliveries would begin in 2031
- Aircraft would replace seven leased A350-900s
- Boeing reportedly ahead of Airbus
Malaysia Aviation Group is closing in on an order for around ten B787-10s for Malaysia Airlines according to reports. Deliveries would begin in 2031 with the aircraft replacing the carrier’s seven leased A350-900s and providing additional growth capacity. Boeing has reportedly moved ahead of Airbus after offering earlier delivery slots while General Electric’s engine proposal was stated to offer better terms than Rolls-Royce’s. The report stated MAG has been considering replacing the A350s partly because of high lease rentals.
MAG previously confirmed to ch-aviation in November 2025 that it planned to issue a request for proposals for new widebodies to replace its long-haul fleet. It then expected to complete the selection process in the first quarter of 2026 with deliveries beginning in 2031. In June 2026 MAG stated it had not made a decision and expected to conclude the review in the fourth quarter. CEO Nasaruddin Bakar later stated the group was considering more than seven aircraft to provide both replacement and growth capacity.
Malaysia Airlines previously pursued the Boeing widebodies in 2017 through a memorandum of understanding covering eight B787-9s but the provisional agreement lapsed in 2018. In March 2025 it ordered an incremental eighteen B737-8s and twelve B737-10s with a further 30 options. Malaysia Airlines operates a fleet of 93 aircraft comprising three A330-200s, three A330-200Fs, thirteen A330-300s, ten A330-900Ns, seven A350-900s, nineteen B737-8s and thirty-eight B737-800s.
