KUALA LUMPUR: Despite its huge fleet renewal programme, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is still on track to achieve its Business Turnaround Plan 2 (BTP 2) targeted annual profit of RM1.5bil to RM3bil by 2012.
“There is no change to our plans. It is hard to achieve those numbers, but we are working very hard towards achieving that goal,” MAS managing director and chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Azmil Zahruddin told StarBiz in an interview.
The BTP 2 was launched in January 2008 with a focus on growth and turning the airline into a five-star value carrier.
Under its existing fleet, MAS is leasing 81 aircraft. Through its refleeting exercise, MAS could potentially own an additional 66 aircraft by 2016.
Azmil said that not many airlines were buying aircraft at a time when the economic outlook remained uncertain.
“The selling prices of aircraft are cheaper now. I don’t believe we could get the current deal we got with Airbus if times were good,” he said.