SEPANG: Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) expects its first Airbus A330-900neo to arrive in September 2024, out of the 20 planes it ordered.
MAG is the parent company of national carrier Malaysia Airlines Bhd.
Group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said MAG has options on the table for the remaining 20 and will make that decision in the first quarter of 2024.
"If we follow or remain steadfast with our long-term business plan until 2030, we should have at least 55 widebody aircraft by 2028," he said during the Airline Leader Interview - MAG session held at the Centre for Aviation (Capa) Asia Aviation Summit and Sustainability Awards 2023 here today.
A total of 10 aircraft were directly purchased from Airbus with a back-to-back sale and leaseback arrangement with Avolon, an aircraft leasing company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, while the remaining 10 were leased directly from Avolon.
Izham said the acquisition of the A330-900 was part of its long-term business plan 2.0 to position MAG as a leading aviation services group in the region.
On the arrival of Malaysia Airlines' first Boeing 737 MAX 8, he expressed his disappointment with the delay of the aircraft delivery, which was supposed to be in August this year.
"I do not know when this aircraft is coming. It has been delayed for the last 2.5 months," Izham said.
The national carrier was scheduled to receive its first 737 MAX 8 on August 28.
It had also agreed to purchase 25 of these narrow-body aircraft. — BERNAMA