NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- FedEx (FDX) - Get Report, which may have saved the Boeing (BA) - Get Report 767 from the scrap heap with an order in 2011, seems to like the airplane so much that it wants to buy more.

A report Wednesday in Leeham News and Comment said "FedEx is likely to order as many as 50 more 767-300Fs and perhaps up to 10 777Fs, a plane it has previously deferred."

The 767-300F is "the old lady in the Boeing lineup that is chugging along with just 35 in backlog," all for FedEx, Leeham News said. The FedEx board is scheduled to meet this month in Seattle, the publication said.

In a statement issued Wednesday morning, FedEx said: "We constantly work on aligning our fleet plans with our business needs. We have nothing to announce at this time." A Boeing spokesman declined to comment.

Today, FedEx has 22 Boeing 767s in service, with 31 on order.

In 2011, FedEx ordered 27 767s, at a time when the aircraft's only use seemed to be in the Air Force aerial refueling tanker program. In 2012, FedEx agreed to purchase 19 additional 767s.

At that time, Boeing agreed to convert four FedEx 777 orders to 767 orders. In a June 2012 statement, FedEx said the 19 767s "will be delivered from fiscal 2015 to 2019 and replace current MD-10 and A310-200 aircraft ... The 767s are substantially more fuel efficient and reliable than the aircraft they will replace.

"The 767s will provide similar capacity as the MD10s, with an approximate 30% increase in fuel efficiency and a reduction in unit operating costs of more than 20%," the company said. "They also increase efficiency by sharing spare parts, tooling and flight simulators with the Boeing 757s which are part of the FedEx air fleet,"

Leeham News said Wednesday that FedEx has 45 Boeing MD-11s in operation, noting: "Many are in domestic service, where the MD-11 is ill-suited for operations. It also has a large number of Airbus A300-600s and Boeing MD-10s that are aging,"



The publication added that a 767 order would be a welcome boost for Boeing, which faces pressure due to declining sales of the current 777 model, with a new model under development.

"Boeing continues to struggle to sell the 777F, with pricing declining and other concessions being offered to entice sales," Leeham News said. "Former CEO Jim McNerney has been unwilling to acknowledge a production rate cut will be needed, but new CEO Dennis Muilenburg may be more willing to face up to market realities."

On the passenger side, the 767 is getting a boost at United (UAL) - Get Report, which is aggressively updating and reallocating its fleet of 767s, which include 35 Boeing 767-300ERs from pre-merger United and 16 767-400s from pre-merger Continental.

In May, United said it would upgrade 11 of the 767-300ER aircraft, investing in winglets, interior modifications and supplemental maintenance. United already had announced plans to make similar investments in 10 other 767-300ERs.

This summer United is putting 767s from both fleets to work on four of its Newark-origination, trans-Atlantic routes, freeing up Boeing 757s to be used on trans-continental routes.

Boeing shares were trading down 64 cents to $142.51 early Wednesday. FedEx shares were down $2.65 to $167.68.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.