Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith) will consider the B737 MAX in its future narrowbody aircraft procurement plan and could benefit from lower prices offered by Boeing due to the type's poor reputation, Qantas Group Chief Executive Alan Joyce told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"If you look at it from an opportunity point of view, given the aircraft is going to be very safe, what will Boeing do to get the safest airline in the world to buy the aircraft?," he said, hinting that the manufacturer could offer better prices than Airbus.
However, Joyce stressed that Qantas will independently evaluate the safety of the type and will have to be "comfortable with it" before any potential order.
The Australian flag carrier is tentatively planning to select a replacement for its narrowbody fleet by the end of the year. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the airline operates seventy-five B737-800s. It has 109 A320neo Family aircraft on firm order - including forty-five A320-200neo, twenty-eight A321-200neo(LR)s, and thirty-six (XLR)s - however, these aircraft are expected to deliver to low-cost subsidiary Jetstar Airways (JQ, Melbourne Tullamarine). Jetstar already operates fifty-one A320-200s and eight A321-200s.
