Airbus bags $3.6 billion order from MAS
01 Apr 2010
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has placed a firm order for 15 A330-300 wide-body aircraft and two A330-200F freighters. At list prices of $170 million per unit the deal works out to $3.6 billion.
MAS retains options for another 10 A330-300 aircraft and two A330-200F freighters.
Officials said the carrier would decide on its engines within a month.
According to senior MAS officials, the average age of MAS' fleet was 11.6 years in the financial year ended 31 December 2008 and is expected to increase to 11.7 years in FY11. This is expected to drop sharply with delivery of new aircraft, with average at 5.2 years by FY15.
''By 2015, we want to ensure we have a younger fleet and the average age would be down to just five years,'' said managing director and chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Azmil Zahruddin Azmil.
Azmil also clarified that purchase of 15 A330-300 and two A330-200F freighters would be financed through proceeds from its rights issue as well as debt funding.
