Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and, for now, MASwings parent Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) is holding talks with Boeing about taking aircraft no longer required by Chinese customers. Malaysia's Bernama news agency cites MAG Managing Director Izham Ismail as saying he has been talking to the manufacturer, but competition for any available aircraft is intense.

"MAG is in conversation with Boeing about whether we can take over those [delivery] slots," he said, but "10,000 people want this aircraft. It's a competitive space."

MAG recently placed a firm order for eighteen B737-8s and twelve B737-10s, plus options for a further thirty B737 MAX variants. The order builds on an existing commitment for twenty-five B737-8s from Air Lease Corporation, of which 11 are already in service and the remaining 14 are due by 2027.

As with other carriers, production problems at Boeing have delayed the MAG deliveries. Ismail says the unwanted aircraft could be used to accelerate deliveries to his carriers, although aside from competitors also trying to pick up the aircraft, he said any available aircraft would need to meet particular specifications.

"Holistically, we want this aeroplane but there are other considerations," he said.

Earlier this month, the Chinese government told its airlines to stop accepting Boeing deliveries. This followed US President Donald Trump imposing a 145% tariff on US imports to China.

Chinese airlines have a combined 137 aircraft on order at Boeing, according to the ch-aviation fleets module. Of that number, Boeing has around ten, mostly B737-8s, ready for delivery. Affected Chinese airline customers include China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Xiamen Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and Shenzhen Airlines.

Boeing has already begun repatriating B737 MAX aircraft from its Zhoushan completion centre in China. Three have left the completion centre, and a fourth MAX in Seattle heading to a Chinese lessor has lost its airline customer, and that aircraft will now need to be remarketed to a non-Chinese customer. At least two of the Zhoushan aircraft were going to Xiamen Airlines.