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Tag: air asia

  • AirAsia kicks off Cebu Hub Launch

    AirAsia kicks off Cebu Hub Launch

    AirAsia announces the much anticipated reopening of its Cebu hub, widening domestic and international connectivity from the Queen City of the South.

    The new direct service between Macao and Cebu, opening up affordable and convenient access to the stunning beaches and islands of the Philippines for residents of Macao, Hong Kong, and the Greater Bay Area.

    The new route, set to officially take off on 15 November 2025, will operate three times weekly between Macao and Cebu, connecting directly to AirAsia’s extensive domestic network from its reopened Cebu hub to destinations like Davao, Caticlan (Boracay), and Iloilo.

    From 3 to 14 September 2025, guests flying to and from Cebu and Macao can book through MOVE app from as low as MOP114* one-way base fare exclusive of fees and surcharges for travels between 15 November 2025 and 30 June 2026. Additionally, guests can enjoy a 30% discount on the Value Pack of the Essentials Add-on bundle.

    AirAsia Aviation Group Chief Commercial Officer Amanda Woo said, “The reopening of Cebu hub signals AirAsia Group’s strong commitment to the Philippines, exploring new gateways that will drive great economic opportunities. ”

    This Macao – Cebu new route offers a fantastic, affordable gateway for travelers from Macao and the Greater Bay Area to discover the pristine beaches and rich culture of Cebu and the wider Philippines, while also providing our Filipino guests with a convenient and budget-friendly link to explore Macao and Hong Kong. “ she added.

  • Air Asia encourages traveller wanderlust with ‘Live life unexpected’ campaign

    Air Asia encourages traveller wanderlust with ‘Live life unexpected’ campaign

    Air Asia and Malaysian experimental marketing agency/consultancy firm Entropia have launched a new brand campaign encouraging travellers to be more spontaneous in their travelling.

    Under the tagline ‘Live life unexpectedly’, the integrated campaign comes in support of the Visit ASEAN@50 tourism campaign was launched by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN.

    Launched across the 10 ASEAN countries, the online video follows a young female tourist’s journey through south-east Asia with the aim of appealing to consumers’ “wanderlust and boundless spirit”.

    Spencer Lee, AirAsia Berhad head of commercial said: “AirAsia as a brand has always stood for discovering the unexpected, the exciting. We are also the only airline to fly directly to all 10 ASEAN countries. We are excited to roll out this campaign and invite people to spread their wings and explore new experiences with AirAsia.

    “As the ASEAN Airline Partner for the Visit Asean@50 campaign, we hope to promote ASEAN as a single yet diverse destination to as many people as possible. Our product, the AirAsia ASEAN Pass was created for the very same purpose; to enable seamless movement within this region.”

    Formally launched in Kuala Lumpur last July, Entropia positions itself between the advertising agency and consultancy model.

    The company is led by  Prashant Kumar, who left his role as president of Asia World Markets at IPG Mediabrands in March 2016, joining Entropia two months later.

    At the time he said: “Brands must enhance human happiness. So must data and technology. In the age of anticipatory data, Creative prototyping and curative technology, there is a historic opportunity to be different. Entropia hopes to chance upon ways we can do that – with consistency and scale.”

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  • AirAsia Indonesia To Suspend Flights For One Month

    AirAsia Indonesia To Suspend Flights For One Month

    On Saturday, July 3rd, AirAsia Indonesia announced that it would be suspending its operations for at least a month due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country. The airline has called its suspension a form of support for the Indonesian government’s efforts in tackling the virus.

    According to a statement issued by the AirAsia Group subsidiary, all scheduled flights on the airline’s domestic Indonesian and international routes will temporarily stop operating from July 6th to August 6th, 2021.

    “AirAsia remains committed to serving charter and cargo flights to support repatriation missions, delivery of goods and other essential interests by implementing strict health and safety protocols.”

    AirAsia is taking a flexible approach to existing bookings and reservations on canceled flights. For bookings on flights during the suspension period, passengers can convert tickets into a credit account which is valid for up to 730 days (two years). They can also change their flight schedule to another date until 31 October 2021, which can be done an unlimited number of times at no additional cost.

    While new daily case counts had been ‘stabilizing’ around five to six thousand during the month of May, this figure has significantly jumped over the month of July. New daily case counts are now exceeding 20,000 and continue to climb. Indeed, case counts began to climb in late May and early June – weeks after many Indonesians traveled and celebrated in marking the Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr.

    A prominent epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, Dr. Pandu Riono, describes the situation in the country as “herd stupidity.”

    This label was given due to what Dr. Riono calls mixed messaging and poor decision-making from the government, combined with the general public’s refusal to follow health protocols and reluctance to receive jabs.

    As we’ve seen in many other cases around the world, the suspension of flights could be extended further, depending on the country’s COVID situation. If case counts and hospitalizations continue to rise, we can expect more canceled flights in an effort to contain the situation.

    “AirAsia always puts the safety and security of every passenger and all of its employees first. We will continue to evaluate the development of the situation and are ready to re-open our scheduled flight services at any time if the situation improves.”

    With this in mind, AirAsia customers are advised to periodically monitor the airline’s travel advisory information, available on the AirAsia app, as well as on the airline’s social media channels.

  • Tata mulls AirAsia India, Air India Express merger

    Tata mulls AirAsia India, Air India Express merger

    Tata Sons may partner Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) in bidding for Air India, amid hopes it will merge its AirAsia India subsidiary with the flag carrier’s low-cost unit Air India Express, local media reported on February 4.

    The Indian conglomerate already operates Vistara as a 51/49 venture with Singapore Airlines. A combination of Air India and Vistara would give Tata Sons a monopoly in the country’s full-service market. The two partners have started working on a possible structure for such an acquisition, according to the reports.

    Tata also holds 51% of AirAsia India. It has approached Tony Fernandes of AirAsia Group, which holds the remaining 49% of AirAsia India, to gain his approval to acquire Air India Express, sources told the Times of India. This is because the two companies’ shareholders’ agreement stipulates that Tata cannot invest more than 10% in another budget carrier without Fernandes’ approval.

    “The merger would give Fernandes a bigger play in Indian aviation, so it’s a win-win for both partners,” a source said.

    A Tata-Singapore Airlines bid would be based on the understanding that the low-cost business would be run by Tata and Fernandes, another unnamed source told the Times of India, while the arrangement with SIA would only be for the full-service carrier.

    Tata Sons board member Natarajan Chandrasekaran recently told the newspaper that the group “will not run a third airline unless we merge”. However, on February 5, he told the Press Trust of India that it was still “too early” to make a decision about any kind of bid for Air India.

    Fernandes is currently the subject of an ongoing investigation by India’s law enforcement and economic intelligence agency, the Enforcement Directorate, for allegedly lobbying the government to secure overseas flight permits. Moreover, he resigned from his role as AirAsia Group CEO on February 3, ostensibly for two months, while the group conducts an “independent investigation” into the Airbus bribery scandal that erupted this week. Sources said that the cases against him could give Tata Sons second thoughts about any future deals.

    The final date to submit an expression of interest for Air India is March 17.

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  • Cebu Pacific, AirAsia launch new domestic routes

    Cebu Pacific, AirAsia launch new domestic routes

    Low-cost carriers Cebu Pacific and Philippines AirAsia, Inc. started operating new domestic flights.

    The Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific launched a direct flight between Cebu and Busuanga, which is the gateway to Coron, Palawan.

    The operation of the Cebu-Busuanga flights is being carried out by Cebu Pacific’s wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo.

    “The first flight departs Cebu at 7:25 a.m., and arrives in Francisco B. Reyes Airport at 9:00 a.m.; while its return flight leaves Busuanga at 9:20 a.m. and arrives in Cebu at 11:00 a.m.,” Cebu Pacific said in a statement on Monday.

    “The second flight leaves Cebu at 10:25 a.m., and lands in Busuanga at 12:05 p.m.; while its turnaround flight departs at 12:25 p.m. and arrives at 2:10 p.m.,” it added.

    Apart from the new Cebu-Busuanga route, Cebu Pacific, along with Cebgo, flies to 37 domestic and 27 international destinations.

    Meanwhile, Philippines AirAsia started offering its thrice-daily service between Manila and Bacolod on Monday.

    For the Manila-Bacolod route, the first 80-minute flight will depart Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 8:20 a.m., and the last one will depart Bacolod at 9:30 p.m.

    “We are excited to celebrate this milestone and to paint the Negros Island skies red. AirAsia’s presence in the region will make air travel more affordable not just for Negrenses but for everyone who wants to explore this part of the country,” AirAsia Philippines Chief Executive Officer Ricardo P. Isla said during the inaugural ceremony at the Bacolod-Silay International Airport on Monday morning.

    Bacolod is the 11th domestic destination that AirAsia Philippines operates out of Manila. Overall, the carrier has more than 500 domestic and international flights weekly coming from its hubs in Manila, Clark, Cebu and Kalibo.

  • AirAsia India Desire Jet Airways’ Boeing 737s

    AirAsia India Desire Jet Airways’ Boeing 737s

    A joint venture of Tata group and Malaysian Air Asia, AirAsia India is planning to induct some of the Jet Airways’ Boeing 737s that have now been repossessed by lessors. The move comes at the time when full-service Vistara is also planning to induct some of Jet’s Boeing 737s in its fleet.

    AirAsia India Pvt Ltd’s (AAIPL) flying license has listed Airbus fleet for its operations. The low-cost carrier (LCC) has applied for operating Boeing aircraft and the ex-Jet B737s to aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), according to a ToI report.

    It is to be noted that currently, AAIPL has 20 Airbus A320s and may also add five more of these planes. It is looking at ex-Jet B737s as well.  The suspension of operations by Jet Airways has suddenly freed up slots at India’s busiest airports- Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The government has linked a temporary granting of these slots to other airlines’ to add to the capacity and to help to control the fares. The domestic market shares of AAIPL was 5.9 percent and that of Vistara was 4.2 percent in March 2019.

    This summer, AAIPL will complete its five years and become eligible to fly abroad. Full-service Vistara has already got government’s nod to fly abroad. Vistara was the first private carrier to get permission for overseas flights under the amended rules. In 2016, the government amended the 5/20 rule, which required an airline to complete fives years of operations and has 20 planes in its fleet, to fly abroad to 0/20.

    Worth mentioning here is that Jet Airways had a significant number of flights to the Gulf and Southeast Asia, and bilateral to both these places had been exhausted. If in the coming weeks and months, Jet Airways does not revive then its rights for international flights would also be distributed to other airlines.

    Air India was also looking at ex-Jet B777s and AI Express at B737s, but so far they have not taken these planes.

    In a circular dated April 25, Pawan Hans management stated to its employees that the company is not in a position to disburse employees’ salaries for the April month due to the uncomfortable financial position in Pawan Hans.

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  • AirAsia opening restaurant based on its in-flight menu

    AirAsia opening restaurant based on its in-flight menu

    Low-cost carrier AirAsia may launch restaurants serving its Santan “gourmet” in-flight menu on the ground. The proposal was revealed by AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes while promoting his recent autobiography in an interview with US talk show host Larry King. “I think our food is fantastic,” said Fernandes in response to a question from the audience. “We believe in it so much we’re going to start a fast-food restaurant out of it.”

    But Fernandes gave no more details away about the plan, such as where the restaurants might be located or whether he favoured airport locations or city centres.

    News that AirAsia may launch restaurants on the ground may come as a surprise to travellers, but Fernandes has previously spun off new business concepts from the airline’s business model including a short-lived budget hotel chain where occupants paid extra for features such as air conditioning, towels and amenities, and a bus service connecting Kuala Lumpur Airport with downtown.

    AirAsia also made news recently for its new chatbot Ava (AirAsia Virtual Allstar) which, along with a new look for the firm’s website and mobile app, are designed to deliver a more seamless and user-friendly experience to customers.

    Fernandes has also indicated the airline will place increased focus on the Indonesian and Philippines markets in the near future.

  • AirAsia X falls on the back of Q3 losses

    AirAsia X falls on the back of Q3 losses

    AirAsia’s share price slid in yesterday’s early morning trade as the airline recorded widening losses. At 9.45am, the counter was down 1.5 sen or 6.25% to 22.5 sen a share on turnover of 2.8 million shares. An increase in average fuel price and a RM138.2mil impairment made on an amount due from a joint venture resulting in AirAsia X’s net losses jumping almost five times to RM197.47mil from RM43.3mil in the year-ago quarter.

    The carrier said the average fuel price in 3Q18 had increased to US$91 per barrel compared with US$65 in 3Q17.

    Meanwhile, the impairment made in the third quarter was related to a lease rental and maintenance reserve due from a JV through a third-party leasing intermediary.

  • AirAsia X load factor, passengers up in Q3

    AirAsia X load factor, passengers up in Q3

    AirAsia X Bhd reported a 1% growth in the number of passengers carried to 1.51 million for the third quarter of 2018 against 1.50 million in the same period last year.

    Its load factor was also 1 percentage point higher at 80% from 79%, according to the long-haul low-cost carrier’s statement.

    However, AirAsia X Malaysia’s available seat kilometres (ASK) capacity fell 4% to 8.81 billion due to redeployment of capacity to the North Asia region following capacity management in Australia in February 2018 and termination of services to Teheran.

    The fleet size of AirAsia X Malaysia remains at 22 Airbus A330s as at end-September 2018.

    AirAsia X said during the quarter under review, there was a seasonal increase in frequency to selected destinations in Australia (Melbourne, Perth and Sydney) in July, due to term holidays there, while frequency to Honolulu, Hawaii, was ramped up to daily flights due to stronger demand.

    In August, AirAsia X Malaysia commenced flights to Amritsar, its third city in India, and, in September, terminated flights to Maldives and transferred Kaohsiung to AirAsia Malaysia.

    Of the associates, AirAsia X Thailand registered a load factor of 87% and carried a total of 492,205 passengers in Q3, which was a substantial increase of 36% from the previous corresponding period.

    Meanwhile, AirAsia X Indonesia’s load factor stood at 80% with 108,700 passengers being carried in Q3.

     

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  • OneSiam Bangkok teamed up with Air Asia to lure Chinese shoppers

    OneSiam Bangkok teamed up with Air Asia to lure Chinese shoppers

    Bangkok’s three shopping centres grouped under the OneSiam brand, are collaborating with Air Asia to encourage more Chinese tourists to Thailand. The malls – Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery – have received backing from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Chengdu office to launch a campaign called Air Asia x OneSiam present Thailand Shopping Festival. It will run from now through to the end of the Lunar New Year celebration early next year.

    The partners believe the campaign will help achieve an anticipated 15 per cent increase in Mainland Chinese tourists visiting Thailand next year.

    Chinese remain the largest demographic group of tourists visiting Thailand, according to Charun Chuennaitom, director of the TAT Chengdu Office. TAT data shows that between January and August this year, an estimated 25.8 million tourists travelled to Thailand, 10 per cent more than during the same period last year. Chinese accounted for 7.7 million of those, up by 16.5 per cent.

    Tanavan Arkaleephan, director of tourism department at Siam Piwat, said OneSiam is a popular destination for Chinese travellers.

    “Each day there is an estimate of 150,000 to 200,000 shoppers in Siam Paragon, 120,000 to 150,000 in Siam Center and Siam Discover, separately. The ratio of Thai visitors to Chinese visitors is 60 to 40.”

    He said the top five tourist sources to regularly visit OneSiam are China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, but Chinese remain the majority group.

    Tourists who between now and February 28 present an Air Asia boarding pass to One Siam staff at the Siam Paragon tourist lounge, and who follow the OneSiam WeChat account, can receive privileges and promotions from partnering brands, including vouchers from OneSiam, product samples from Pralyn, 30 per cent discounts on body massage therapy from The Beauty Art, and discount offers from Thai designer brands.

    Tourists can enter to win tickets from Air Asia and shopping vouchers at OneSiam.

    Air Asia offers direct flights from Bangkok to 15 destinations in China.

    Nattinee Tawanchulee, director of commercial at Thai AirAsia, said as part of the collaboration, Air Asia has a surprise in store for travellers on some flights from Chongqing to Bangkok, with an in-flight fashion show showcasing special collections from Thai brands including Fri27Nov, Iconic, Kloset, Rotsaniyom, and Theatre.

  • AirAsia begins first direct flight between Taipei and Chiang Mai

    AirAsia begins first direct flight between Taipei and Chiang Mai

    Malaysian low-cost airline launched its first direct flight between Taipei and Chiang Mai on September 30th, the only budget airline route available in Taiwan connecting to the city in northern Thailand, reports said Monday.

    As a promotion, individuals will be able to book a ticket for a single trip between Oc.t 2, 2018 and Mar. 30, 2019, at NT$930 (US$30) before tax from midnight Oct. 2 through Oct. 7.

    The Taipei-Chiang Mai route marks the seventh international route operated by the airline in Taiwan, in addition to Taipei/Kaohsiung-Kuala Lumpur, Taipei-Sabah, Taipei-Manila, Taipei-Cebu, and Taipei-Clark.

    According to Al Chen, AirAsia’s sales manager of in Taiwan, Thailand has always been one of the most popular Southeast Asian tourist destinations for people in Taiwan. Chiang Mai, crowned the Best City in Asia 2017 by Travel and Leisure magazine, caters to the various needs of tourists seeking a laid-back, adventurous, cultural, or nature-filled travel.

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  • Air Asia India offering cheap flight tickets starting at Rs 1,199

    Air Asia India offering cheap flight tickets starting at Rs 1,199

    AirAsia has started its ‘Trust your Wanderlust’ promotional sale under which it will be selling flight tickets starting from Rs 1, 199.

    The promotional sale includes domestic destinations such as Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, New Delhi, Kochi, Goa, Guwahati, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Pune, Ranchi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneshwar, Indore and other places.

    The offer could be availed on tickets booked till 2 September 2018, and discounts applicable on travel period up to 17 February 2019.

    The sale offers the cheapest ticket of Rs 1, 199 for travel between 27 August 2018 and 17 February 2019, from Bengaluru to Hyderabad; and Rs 3,499 for travel from Amritsar to Bengaluru.

    The sale, however, does have its own terms and conditions that include a non-refundable processing fee for payments made via credit cards, debit cards or charge cards.

    The fare includes airport taxes (this is not applicable for selected airports where taxes are collected at departure entry point), and all taxes should be paid during purchasing of the tickets.

    The offer would be valid for new purchases only as seats would be limited. Bookings to avail the offer could be done on the company’s official website. The sale does not offer any refunds once the payment has been made.

    The company has further stated that it reserves the right to change its terms and conditions of the offer without a prior notice and has the right to deny any passenger from boarding without proper documentation.

    The offer would be subjected to availability and flight and date changes are subject to a change in fees.

  • AirAsia dares Singaporeans to dream with new campaign

    AirAsia dares Singaporeans to dream with new campaign

    AirAsia’s new #DareToDream campaign, which is currently running in Singapore with the tagline “We Dare to Dream, So You Can Too”, aims to inspire by sharing personal stories, to encourage individuals to dream big, push limits and seize the day.

    The campaign was motivated by AirAsia’s own success story, and credits its employees who have propelled AirAsia to where it is today. It runs until August 2018 on YouTube, Facebook and Channels 5 and 8. AirAsia will also seed its #DareToDream message on various other digital platforms through InSkin and S4M, and also run ad images on buses to further reinforce the brand messaging. The Smalls and Carat Singapore were involved in the campaign.

    #DareToDream also shares the achievement of one of the airline’s All-Stars, Captain Suwapich Wongwiriyawanich, who dared to dream and made it come true. She is the first female A330 pilot in AirAsia Thailand.

    “At AirAsia, one of our core values is to dare to dream and we want to inspire our employees and guests to do so too. No dream is too big,” AirAsia Singapore, head of marketing, Sharon Cheong, said.

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  • India paves way for foreign stakes in Air India

    India paves way for foreign stakes in Air India

    Foreign investors will be allowed to own 49 per cent of Air India when it is privatised, opening the path for companies such as Singapore Airlines to take a stake in the country’s flag carrier.

    The Indian government announced it would allow foreign companies to take a non-controlling stake in the struggling company as part of long-running plans to sell it off.

    The cabinet in New Delhi last year gave its approval for a sale, but ministers have been grappling for the past few months with how exactly to do so.

    One of the most politically sensitive decisions has been whether to allow foreign companies to bid for part or all of the airline.

    While many officials think it will be difficult for domestic carriers to swallow the company whole given it has $8bn of debt, some politicians are reluctant to see what they view as a prized national asset fall into foreign hands.

    Many still talk of the role the airline played in helping to airlift nearly 200,000 Indians from Kuwait before the war in 1990.

    A parliamentary panel this week reportedly recommended the government find “an alternative to disinvestment of our national carrier which is our national pride”.

    Atul Anjan, national secretary of the Communist Party of India, said of Wednesday’s decision: “Air India is not merely an air carrier, it is our national pride.”

    Despite Air India’s status in the country’s national consciousness, it has struggled in recent years to keep up with no-frills domestic airlines and better resourced international ones.

    The company has made losses for almost the entire past decade, and received a Rs422bn ($6.6bn) government bailout in 2012.

    Government officials are hoping several foreign companies might enter the bidding for the company, but so far only Singapore Airlines has indicated possible interest.

    Last week Leslie Thng, chief executive of Vistara — an Indian joint venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines — said the two companies were open to making an offer.

    Kapil Kaul, chief executive in South Asia for the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation, said: “I would expect a significant interest from foreign airlines, though the offer and conditions attached will determine the level of participation in the bids.

    “What’s more, this is a major reform and national economic policy decision — not just limited to aviation. It sends a very important signal to the global investors.”

    At the same time, ministers also decided to make it easier for foreign retailers to set up in India, without having to partner with local companies.

    The cabinet in New Delhi said foreign investors would no longer require government approval to invest more than 49 per cent in an Indian single-brand retail business.

    It did not decide to do the same for retail chains who sell more than one brand, a move that would have allowed major chains such as Walmart and Carrefour, both of which have previously operated in India, to open their own stores.

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  • AirAsia X flies into Jeju Island

    AirAsia X flies into Jeju Island

    AirAsia X Bhd made its maiden entry to the South Korean island of Jeju yesterday following the successful landing of flight D7 501 on Airbus A330-300 at Jeju International Airport.

    The low-cost carrier became the only airline with direct connections between Kuala Lumpur and Jeju, after Seoul (Incheon) and Busan, it said in a statement.

    The four times weekly service between Kuala Lumpur and Jeju would further expand the airline’s network in North Asia and make it the only airline operating direct non-stop services between the two cities.

    This latest route would also strengthen the AirAsia and AirAsia X Group’s position in the South Korea market by having a total of 75 weekly flights and 1,183,468 capacity a year for one way flight.

    AirAsia X Malaysia Chairman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said the direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jeju had the potential of generating a capacity of over 156,000 a year between Kuala Lumpur and Jeju.

    “Guests can also save a great deal of hassle for domestic transit.

    “South Korea is fast becoming an important market to us and we are very grateful for the tremendous support from the governments and relevant authorities for making this new exclusive route possible,” she added.

    In conjunction with the launch of the latest destination, AirAsia X is offering promotional all-in-fares from RM249 (inclusive of taxes and fees) one-way on standard seats and from today until  Dec 19, 2017 for travel between Dec 16, 2017 and Oct 27,2018.

    The award winning premium flatbed is also available for booking at promotional all-in-fares from RM799.