Malaysia Airlines is seeking government approval to order up to 100 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, according to Reuters.
The aircraft order is part of a turnaround plan for the loss-making airline. It made a $104.23m net loss in October to December 2013, its fourth consecutive quarterly loss.
The airline currently has 88 aircraft in its fleet, including Airbus A330s and A380s, and Boeing 777-200s and 737s.
The new aircraft would help reduce the airline’s operating costs by allowing it to retire its older, less fuel-efficient aircraft. That may help it cope with intense competition at home and within Southeast Asia, reports said.
An initial order would include 30 widebody aircraft, including Airbus A330s and A350-900s, to replace its older Airbus A330s and Boeing 777-200s over this decade. It could also order either the Boeing 787-10 or the Airbus A350-1000 for its fleet beyond 2020.
MAS is keen to begin taking delivery of some aircraft from 2016, which means that it could meet part of it requirements from leasing companies, Reuter’s sources said.