Malaysia Airlines Orders More Boeing 737 MAXs, Plans Flat Beds
Malaysia Airlines really is going all-in on the Boeing 737 MAX, and there’s an interesting twist here, in terms of the aircraft variants and passenger experience.
Malaysia Airlines really is going all-in on the Boeing 737 MAX, and there’s an interesting twist here, in terms of the aircraft variants and passenger experience.
Malaysia Airlines orders up to 60 more Boeing 737 MAXs
Historically, Malaysia Airlines’ narrow body fleet has consisted of Boeing 737-800s, and the airline currently flies 42 of those. On top of that, the Kuala Lumpur-based oneworld carrier has had 25 Boeing 737 MAX 8s on order, in order to refresh its narrow body fleet. Now the airline has added to that.
Malaysia Airlines has just placed an order for up to 60 additional Boeing 737 MAXs. The firm order is for 30 jets, including 18 737 MAX 8s and 12 737 MAX 10s, with the remaining 30 being options. That means the company now has a firm order for 55 737 MAXs, including 43 737 MAX 8s and 12 737 MAX 10s.
For Malaysia Airlines, this order doesn’t just represent fleet renewal, but also growth. Presumably the 43 737 MAX 8s will more than replace the 737-800s, and then you’re left with an additional 12 737 MAX 10s. The company views this growth as being important, since the region’s airplane fleet is projected to grow 250% over the next two decades, and the airline wants to keep up.
Malaysia Airlines has been taking delivery of 737 MAX 8s since late 2023, and currently has 11 of these planes in its fleet. These jets are pretty bare bones — they have 174 seats, including 12 business class seats and 162 economy seats. The 737 MAX 10 is the largest variant of the Boeing 737 MAX. The catch is that the plane isn’t yet certified, so it’s anyone’s guess when it will enter service.
Here’s how Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail describes this:
“This is a significant investment for Malaysia Aviation Group, enabling us to deliver cutting-edge premium cabin offerings and state-of-the-art technology to our customers. The addition of these new airplanes will not only enhance our fleet’s efficiency and increase seating capacity, but allow us to elevate the overall inflight experience, with our passengers’ needs at the forefront.”
Malaysia Airlines plans flat beds on 737 MAXs
While the growth of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet is nice, what’s perhaps most noteworthy here is that the airline has also ordered the Boeing 737 MAX 10. This is actually the second time that the airline has ordered this jet.
Back in 2017, Malaysia Airlines converted 10 of its 737 MAX 8 orders to the 737 MAX 10 variant. However, the airline has had all kinds of financial struggles over the years, so that order ended up being canceled. Now we’re seeing the airline order those jets again (the sad thing is that even eight years later, the 737 MAX 10 still hasn’t been certified… oy!).
Here’s the other interesting aspect of this. Back in 2017, Malaysia Airlines announced it would install flat beds on its 737 MAX 10s. That didn’t end up happening, since the airline didn’t end up keeping that order. Well, now the airline seems to be planning flat beds once again.
Exactly details are limited, though the press release says that this aircraft order will “enable Malaysia’s flag carrier to introduce new lie-flat seats.” It’s not stated explicitly, though I’d have to imagine that the plan is for the larger 737 MAX 10s to get flat beds, and not the 737 MAX 8s.
The issue is that the 737 MAX 10 is the shortest range version of the 737 MAX. So the plan could fly from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to places like Perth (PER) or Seoul Incheon (ICN), though Tokyo Narita (NRT) would be right at the cusp of the plane’s range.
Regardless, we’ll have to be patient here, as these deliveries aren’t imminent, and it’s also anyone’s guess when the 737 MAX 10 is actually delivered.
Bottom line
Malaysia Airlines has just boosted its Boeing 737 MAX order. The airline previously had 25 737 MAX 8s on order, and has now ordered 30 more of these jets, including 18 737 MAX 8s and 12 737 MAX 10s. Not only will this allow the airline to fully replace its 737-800 fleet, but it’ll also allow growth. Malaysia Arlines even plans to introduce flat beds on some of its 737 MAXs.
What do you make of Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX order?
