The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) will select between Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 and Airbus’s A321neo family to replace the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s ageing fleet of Boeing 757-2K2s.

In a Request for Tender (RFT) released on 19 December, the MoD confirmed that the Future Air Mobility Strategic Platform Project had been accelerated to replace the two 757-2K2s ‘as soon as practicable’. 

That decision, informed by a Request for Information (RFI) process, settled on acquiring two new narrow-body aircraft to be delivered in the second half of 2027. 

The RFT is open to aircraft manufacturers and lessors who can deliver either two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft or two Airbus A321neo LR/XLR aircraft to the RNZAF. Lessors are required to offer purchase options as part of their response to the RFT as the aircraft will be registered on the New Zealand Military Register. 

“Establishing a clear and viable pathway to ownership for the replacement aircraft is essential for the Crown to meet its long-term operational and financial objectives,” states the RFT. 

Information gathered through the RFT process, which concludes on 23 January 2025,  will be used to identify the preferred supplier and negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the MoD and supplier to secure delivery slots while more in-depth contract negotiations are completed. 

Variants of both aircraft are in service with various militaries worldwide. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operates two Boeing 737 MAX 8 Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) for Special Purpose Aircraft (SPA) missions. The German Luftwaffe, meanwhile, operates two militarised A321LRs for passenger transport and medical evacuation missions.