MH 734 to be phased out by 2014

[Mushrif A 3]

So, some 7 yrs more to go. Below was comment made during media briefing of Qtr 1 results...a good set of results btw, largely from operations (for once, not from selling planes, buildings etc.)

 

 

May 28, 2007 18:33 PM

 

MAS To Phase Out Its B737-400 In Stages By 2014

 

 

PETALING JAYA, May 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will finalise the replacement of its Boeing 737-400 aircraft by year end and eventually phase out the model from its fleet by 2014 in stages.

 

Among others, the national carrier is looking at the A320 family, Boeing 737 next generation and also Bombardier C Series, all of which represent the newest technology within the narrow body market.

 

MAS has 39 Boeing 737-400 in its fleet.

 

MAS is also looking at acquiring 50 wide bodied aircraft, chief financial officer Tengku Datuk Azmil Zahruddin Raja Abdul Aziz said.

 

"The finalisation of the narrow bodied planes will also take into consideration the purchase of the wide bodied aircraft," said managing director and chief executive officer Idris Jala at a media briefing here Monday.

 

On phasing out the Boeing 737-400, he said it will also depend on the market condition.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

 

 

[Christopher Teoh 0]

Wow and a portion of the fleet will turn 21 by then! The way MHs 737 is being worked does anybody have the average cycles and hours of the fleet?

[Mohd Idham 0]

7 more years..???? we can't wait that long....

[Rozhan 0]

Premium fares on old planes for another 7 years?! I see RED!

[Kevin Teh 0]

that sounds like if MH is to go with 73NG, the widebodies will be likely 787! and the other way round, the A320 to go with the A350XWB.... sounds interesting yea...

[Pieter C. 5]

Kev,

 

Do not forget the replacement of 744's by 773's (like AF-KL is anticipating)...this could mean orders for the 737NG's as well (they were looking for 737NG technicians, don't they ?); 787's will replace the 330's ?

 

Malaysia Air In The Market For 110 New Planes

 

May 28, 2007

National carrier Malaysia Airlines on Monday revealed plans to order about 110 new aircraft as part of a seven-year plan to overhaul its entire fleet.

 

The state-controlled airline, recovering from a cash crisis 18 months ago, said it wanted about 55 wide-bodied long-range aircraft and 55 narrow-bodied medium-range planes -- a shopping list it said could be worth up to USD$14.3 billion at list prices.

 

Malaysia Airlines was already known to be in the market for narrow-bodied planes, such as the Airbus A320, Bombardier C series and Boeing 737.

 

It chose its first-quarter results briefing on Monday to announce it was also looking for another roughly 55 wide-bodied planes, such as the new Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

 

"We plan to issue another request for proposal for wide-bodied aircraft," Chief Financial Officer Tengku Azmil Zahruddin Raja Abdul Aziz told reporters.

 

"That will happen in the next one or two months, so our guys will be quite busy looking at the different aircraft," he added.

 

Malaysia Airlines currently runs a fleet of about 80 planes, mostly Boeings. It plans to replace its current fleet by 2014.

 

Tengku Azmil Zahruddin said plane orders would be funded by a recent rights issue and cash flow, and Chief Executive Idris Jala said it was too early to decide if any extra debt was required.

 

The airline reported January-March net profit of MYR133 million ringgit (USD$39.3 million) compared with a loss of MYR321 million ringgit a year earlier.

 

It returned to profit in the third quarter of 2006, having slashed costs and unprofitable routes. Revenues have also begun to pick up: they grew 21 percent in the first quarter.

 

The airline attributed the growth in revenues and profits to better yields and a stronger domestic performance after the government overhauled local routes. Malaysia Airlines handed many of its undesirable routes to budget airline AirAsia.

 

Malaysia Airlines also benefited in the first quarter from gains on the sale of properties, though it did not quantify them.

 

But the firm warned of an increasingly competitive outlook.

 

"Competition will remain intense, and yields are expected to be under tremendous pressure from price discounting and capacity injections as record aircraft deliveries are expected in 2007," the airline said.

 

"Aggressive promotional efforts by our competitors in the domestic and ASEAN (Southeast Asian) markets will impact the outbound travel from Malaysia."

 

(Reuters)

 

[Radzi 2]

MH new narrowbody type will start to arrive probably by next year, and most likely will be 737NG. As with the B734 last time, they'll lease some before taking delivery of their own years in the future.

 

As for widebody, I hope it will be a mixture of B787 and B777. But can't really see, clouded the future is .

 

In the past, Malaysia (as in MH) will buy both from A and B for political reason. Today MH can buy type B only because type A is already handled by AK.

[Chan CS 0]

In the past, Malaysia (as in MH) will buy both from A and B for political reason. Today MH can buy type B only because type A is already handled by AK.

 

 

When I was reading the first sentence I was worrying. But after reading all, relieved! Hehe....

 

So looks like we'll have 787 near in the future in Malaysia?!

[affendi osman 0]

Way to ho MH

Can't wait to see new fleet coming!

 

 

[Isaac 0]

MH new narrowbody type will start to arrive probably by next year, and most likely will be 737NG.

Great ! Hopefully it will come with IFE this time. PTV in all seats will be even better. It certainly can distinguish them from AK. If this happens, then MH can say "when flying Malaysia Airlines, not only you get assigned seat, more legroom, complimentary drinks/foods, complimentary newspaper/magazines, but you also get AVOD now. lol

[Adrian M 0]

Great ! Hopefully it will come with IFE this time. PTV in all seats will be even better. It certainly can distinguish them from AK. If this happens, then MH can say "when flying Malaysia Airlines, not only you get assigned seat, more legroom, complimentary drinks/foods, complimentary newspaper/magazines, but you also get AVOD now. lol

 

 

Individual PTV on every seat onboard 737 is a bit impossible (plus no airlines ever did this before too) haha conventionally u'll get drop-down display monitors at most.

[Isaac 0]

Individual PTV on every seat onboard 737 is a bit impossible (plus no airlines ever did this before too) haha conventionally u'll get drop-down display monitors at most.

Yes, it is possible, Adrian. Virgin Blue has it (DirectTV), WestJet has it (DirectTV), an Asian carrier also has it on its newly delivered 738 but i don't remember which airline is it, most possibly Jet Airways (AVOD).

 

And Air India coming 738 will also feature PTV in all seats. I believe that's because Kingfisher has it in on all of their 32S and they wanted to install PTV also to stay competitive.

 

**DirectTV is like our Astro.

 

[Rozhan 0]

If MH wants to brand itself as a premium carrier, and charge premium fares, I think it would be consistent with their branding to have PTVs. Current amenities on the B734 are no different from the B732s of the 1970s.

[Sandeep G 1]

If MH wants to brand itself as a premium carrier, and charge premium fares, I think it would be consistent with their branding to have PTVs. Current amenities on the B734 are no different from the B732s of the 1970s.

 

Live TV on all domestic flights via Astro would be an interesting bet! VB does this wih Australian Foxtel, though I am not aware at how great or bad the service actually is.

 

55 widebodies and 55 narrowbodies! Sounds fantastic!

 

Radzi makes an interesting point about the A vs B debacle, and the 777/787 combo would indeed be excellent. 737NG *wink wink would be the way to go

 

But, a sidenote.. what about the 6 beasts that will be joining in a couple of years time?

[Kee Hooi Yen 0]

will love to see B748 !