Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has placed an order for 25 Boeing 737 Max narrowbodies and reserved purchase rights on another 25. Schedules call for delivery of the 25 Max 8s on firm order to  start in the third quarter of 2019 and continue to 2022. MAB could convert its purchase rights into firm orders for either Max 8s or larger Max 9s. The order previously appeared in Boeing's orders and deliveries list as belonging to an unidentified customer.

The CFM Leap-1B-powered aircraft won a direct competition against the Airbus A320neo. The Max deliveries will replace some of the 737-800s currently on operating lease while MAB returns the older airplanes to their lessors. MAB operates 56 Boeing 737-800s, 21 of which it leases.

MAB chief executive officer Peter Bellew said at a media briefing outside Kuala Lumpur that the new aircraft will reduce fuel consumption by up to 15 percent and produce 40 percent less noise.

Flight deck commonality with the 737NG will result initially in a pilot transition period for the 737 Max of some two weeks.

“With certification, the transition period could just be a day or two,” noted Boeing senior vice president for sales Asia Pacific and India Dinesh Keskar. Boeing expects the Max 8 to gain FAA certification by next year's third quarter.

MAB, previously known as Malaysia Airline System, has operated the 737-100, -200, -300, -300QC, -400 and -500. It is now looking in the open market to lease four Airbus A330-300s equipped with Pratt & Whitney powerplants to complement its existing fleet of 15.

Referring to the airline’s Airbus A380 fleet, Bellew noted that the six aircraft will remain in service until mid-2018, after which it will attempt to place them either on a wet-lease basis or directly.

It now flies four aircraft on the twice-daily London route, while one flies Muslim pilgrims to Mecca and the sixth undergoes C check maintenance. Plans call for Airbus A350s to replace the A380s on the London route.

MAB has signed an agreeement with Air Lease Corp to lease six A350s.

On whether MAB will reinstate the second daily flight to Beijing, which it dropped in June 2014, Bellew didn’t rule out the possibility, but he emphasized the scarcity of slots at Beijing Capital International Airport.