Malaysia Airlines inks A350, A330neo lease deal with ALC

Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) confirmed to Reuters on September 26 that the Memorandum of Understanding to acquire eight B787-9s signed in September 2017 has lapsed.

Malaysia's Edge Weekly had first reported about the lapse. MAB chief executive Izham Ismail told the paper that the airline was currently at the request for information stage with both Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) and Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare) regarding its future widebody needs.

Malaysia Airlines' current widebody fleet consists of five ex-Air Berlin (AB, Berlin Tegel) A330-200s (with a sixth due shortly), fifteen A330-300s, six A350-900s, and six A380-800s.

The original MoU also included eight additional purchase rights for B737-8s. Malaysia Airlines has fifteen B737-8s and ten B737-10s on order directly from Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare) with Reuters reporting in July that it would also be talking to lenders about additional B737 MAX aircraft.

Former CEO of Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman has strongly criticised the current restructuring plan, pointing out that despite MYR6 billion (USD1.45 billion) capital injections since 2014, the flag carrier has so far failed to post a profit.

"From 2015 to 2017, [the airlines] had failed. The fourth year - we don't know yet. We have to look at the end of this year to see the results. If it shows remarkable improvements than last year, then there is hope. But if they do just as bad in 2018, then the government must relook at the team. The government's money is the people's money. The capital given to MAB is the people's money and can be questioned. In terms of losses, this turnaround has failed," Abdul Aziz said at a press conference, as reported by Bernama.

He further criticised high salaries reportedly paid to foreign top executives at Malaysia Airlines. Abdul Aziz also slammed the carrier for buying six A380-800s, which are, according to him, ill-suited for Kuala Lumpur Int'l...

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has launched an investigation into allegations of money laundering at Zimbabwe Airways (Harare Int'l), which also involved officials of the existing flag carrier Air Zimbabwe (UM, Harare Int'l), the Zimbabwe Independent has reported.

"I can confirm that we have received a complaint of corruption at ZimAirways, and we now have a team which is investigating the issue concerning allegations of fraud, money laundering and violation of the Exchange Control Act and immigration laws," ZACC Commissioner Goodson Nguni said.

The investigation is focusing on the transactions related to the acquisition of two B777-200(ER)s by shadowy Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (ZALC), as well as the proposed purchase of two Embraer regional jets.

Zimbabwe Airways reportedly spent USD35 million from public funds on the two Boeing widebodies and a further USD6 million on the Embraers, although it had initially budgeted USD70 million in total. According to earlier reports, the aircraft were, in fact, purchased by Air Zimbabwe on behalf of Zimbabwe Airways.

Zimbabwe Airways was initially...

Tarom (RO, Bucharest Otopeni) has ordered five B737-8s from Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare) as part of its fleet renewal plans.

In a statement made during the ongoing 2018 Farnborough Air Show, the state-owned carrier also confirmed it would lease an additional two B737-800s from an unspecified lessor. Some of the aircraft will deliver around 2023, Tarom added.

Tarom currently operates four A318-100s, seven ATR42-500s, two ATR72-500s, four B737-300s, four B737-700s, and four B737-800s.

The carrier's CEO Wolff Werner-Wilhelm told ch-aviation in June this year that the new Boeing jets, both the NGs and the MAXes, will, at first, replace the outgoing B737-300s and then be used for growth. He has also said that the two newly leased B737-800s will deliver by the end of Summer 2018, joining the two ex-Malaysia Airlines units of the type which Tarom took earlier this year.