Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says his airline's unmatched safety reputation positions it to negotiate a cut-price deal with Boeing for a new fleet of 737MAX aircraft when the grounded jet returns to the skies.

The airline is preparing to make a multibillion-dollar aircraft order this year to replace its fleet of 75 older model 737s, and is weighing up Boeing's offering against Airbus' hugely popular A320neo family of jets.

Qantas will decide this year which aircraft will replace its domestic fleet. Credit:Bloomberg

Mr Joyce said Boeing remained a contender, despite the 737MAX now being grounded for almost a year following two deadly crashes and its "New Mid-market Aircraft" (NMA) concept going back to the drawing board.

“Qantas itself will put the [MAX] aircraft through its own lens to make sure we’re comfortable with it," Mr Joyce told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.