Malaysia Airlines signs lease-agreement for B737-8s

Malaysia Airlines and Air Lease Corporation have announced that they signed a lease-agreement for 25 B737-8s. The agreement replaces a direct order the airline had for 25 B737-8s with Boeing, which will now be fulfilled via ALC. Deliveries are to start in 2023 and will run until 2026.

Originally, Malaysia Airlines ordered 25 B737-8s in July 2016, with options on another 25. A year later, the airline signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with Boeing, changing the order into an order for fifteen B737-8s and ten B737-10s as well as seven B787-9. This deal, however, was never firmed and therefore the original order for 25 B737-8s remained on the books.

In January 2020, Malaysia Airlines rescheduled the deliveries of its first B737-8 to 2024 as the MAX wasn't cleared for flying in Malaysia again. The new deal with Air Lease Corporation has brought the introduction of the MAX forward again with a year.

Illustration by Boeing.