KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -European planemaker Airbus is holding talks with airlines in Malaysia for its A220 aircraft, state news agency Bernama said on Monday, citing a top company executive. 

Airbus sees potential for the A220 in Malaysia, where about 150 of its other commercial planes operate, said Anand Stanley, the firm's Asia-Pacific president, and it expects about 400 further orders for future delivery, the agency said.     

"We see a lot of potential demand coming from Malaysia," the agency quoted Stanley as saying. "We are still only in conversations, but we do hope, even though I cannot comment on timing, that we can see the A220 in Malaysia." 

The Southeast Asian nation is the third-largest market for Airbus in the Asia-Pacific region after China and India, Stanley added. 

Budget airline AirAsia was already a major customer of the firm's A320 and A330 planes, while Malaysia Airlines operates a widebody fleet of Airbus jets, he said.

The report did not say which airlines Airbus was in talks with, however.

Last month Malaysia Airlines' parent company Malaysia Aviation Group said it was expecting 20 new Airbus A330neo wide-body jets by 2028, with two in service and eight more expected this year. 

This month Airbus said its deliveries this year stood at 192 aircraft, down 5% from the same point in 2024. It also reaffirmed a target of 820 commercial deliveries for the whole year, up 7%, despite delays in receiving engines.