MAS defers Boeing order

MAS defers Boeing order

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP): The Malaysian Airline System (MAS) has deferred taking delivery of three Boeing airplanes for three or four years, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.

The order for three Boeing 747-400s from the Seattle-based manufacturer may not occur until 2002, said the spokeswoman.

Stung by huge losses following the crash of the Malaysian currency and the drop in passenger traffic because of the larger Asian economic crisis, the Malaysian airline announced it lost $67 million in the year ending March.

Last year, the airline made a $85 million profit. Expecting a further decline of overall traffic, the company has already suspended services to several European and Asian destinations.