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Tag: airasia

  • Thai AirAsia Introduces New Flight To India

    Thai AirAsia Introduces New Flight To India

    The India-Thailand air connectivity is set to receive another boost, with Thai AirAsia announcing a new service from Bangkok to Guwahati in the northeast region of India. The airline already has a significant presence in the country, currently flying to six destinations from Bangkok. The new service will provide a more convenient connection to passengers from Guwahati and the nearby region looking to travel to Thailand.

    Thai AirAsia has announced a new service from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport to Guwahati in the northeast Indian state of Assam. The new service is in response to a growing demand for travel between the two countries and will start in December. Tansita Akrarittipirom, Head of Commercial AirAsia Thailand, commented.

    To attract passengers, the carrier has offered attractive introductory fares if booked between September 13th and October 1st for a travel period of December 1st, 2023, to March 29th, 2024.

    Thai AirAsia will start the Bangkok-Guwahati service on December 1st with three weekly flights according to the following schedule:

    The carrier has a significant presence in India, given that Thailand is one of the most popular foreign destinations for Indians. Thai AirAsia currently flies to six Indian cities – Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Chennai.

    From October, it will also start flying to Ahmedabad and Gaya. Per Cirium data, once Thai AirAsia begins its Guwahati service in December, it will serve nine destinations in India with a total of 402 monthly return flights, offering more than 72,000 seats.

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  • Capital A increases its presence in Cambodia

    Capital A increases its presence in Cambodia

    Capital A, the entity behind the AirAsia Aviation Group of airlines, remains committed to a November 2023 launch of AirAsia Cambodia (Phnom Penh). It comes as Capital A steps up its involvement in the Cambodian market and takes a 60% stake in a local ground services company called ADE Cambodia.

    In late 2022, ch-aviation reported that Capital A had set up a joint venture company, AirAsia (Cambodia) Co., Ltd, to facilitate its entry into Cambodia with the AirAsia brand. The start-up is a 51/49 joint venture with the hospitality group Sivilai Asia.

    This week, Capital A announced another joint venture agreement with Sivilai Asia. A September 20 Bursa Malaysia filing said the principal activities of ADE Cambodia will be engineering maintenance services, component and warehouse services, engineering support services, and digital and innovation services to aircraft, including repair and maintenance of aircraft and/or engines, consultancy, and training. Capital A says ADE Cambodia will support its local low-cost carrier.

    “This will create an opportunity for ADE to establish its operation in Cambodia,” the filing reads, noting that ADE will also hunt for business from other airlines flying into the country. “The objective is to optimize utilization of ADE’s assets at maximum capacity to reach utmost productivity […] enabling Capital A to capitalize on cost-saving opportunities and potentially capture surpluses from new revenue streams generated.”

    Capital A is making the USD1.2 million investment via its subsidiary, Asia Digital Engineering Sdn Bhd, a Malaysia-based business principally engaged in aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul. Sivilai Asia is a Cambodia-based incorporated in early 2022. Its core business is providing consulting services to the hospitality industry.

    The Capital A investment, which is funded from internal cash reserves and not subject to approval from Capital A shareholders, is expected to be finalized by the end of 2023.

  • AirAsia resumes direct flights to Kota Kinabalu from Hangzhou

    AirAsia resumes direct flights to Kota Kinabalu from Hangzhou

    AirAsia celebrated yet another direct international flight into Kota Kinabalu this week, from Hangzhou China, marking the first flight for this route by the airline after a 3 year-long hiatus.

    AirAsia has now restored its direct international flight from Hangzhou, China, to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, for the first time in three years.

    This service restoration becomes the latest development in the carrier’s progressive network renewal, and has been made amid continued pent-up demand.

    The renewed service, operating with a thrice-weekly frequency throughout September 2023, is set to provide AirAsia guests with increased travel options.

    Whether you are an adventure seeker or a culture enthusiast, this route is your gateway to discovering the hidden gems of both Hangzhou and Kota Kinabalu.

    Recognizing the growing demand for this connectivity, AirAsia will further enhance the frequency to seven times weekly from October 2023 to March 2024, ensuring more convenience and ease for guests traveling between these two vibrant cities during the peak travel period.

    To celebrate this significant milestone, passengers aboard flight AK1575 from Hangzhou to Kota Kinabalu were given a heartfelt welcome by AirAsia’s dedicated team and Pn Noredah Othman, CEO of Sabah Tourism Board.

    The surprise and delight of the guests was palpable, setting the tone for an unforgettable journey ahead.

    AirAsia Malaysia CEO, Riad Asmat, expressed his excitement about the resumption of the Kota Kinabalu to Hangzhou route, emphasizing the airline’s commitment to contributing to Sabah’s flourishing tourism industry.

    He stated, “We’ve always strived to uphold our commitment to contribute to Sabah’s booming tourism industry through our expanding network of flights in Asia and beyond, and this new route is a clear testament to that.”

    “Sabah and China are two of our key markets, and we’re confident that our vast connectivity will enable affordable travel for our trusted guests as we continue to grow our fleet and network to cater to growing demand.”

    Coinciding with the resumption of this popular route, AirAsia is extending a limited-time promotional offer for travelers. AirAsia guests can now enjoy an incredible 20% discount on all seats and all flights to various destinations.

    This special offer is valid for bookings made between September 4th and September 10th, 2023, with travel dates available from October 11th, 2023, to March 31st, 2024. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to explore the world at unbeatable prices.

    Kota Kinabalu stands as AirAsia’s second-largest hub, boasting connections to 9 domestic and 10 international destinations, with a remarkable 268 weekly frequencies – and the list continues to grow.

    AirAsia Malaysia (AK) currently operates 20 routes to/from Greater China, providing over 156 weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur to various Chinese cities.

    Additionally, AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) operates five routes to/from China, with over 30 flights weekly from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu (Tianfu), Beijing (Daxing), Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Taipei.

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  • AirAsia Indonesia to more than double fleet in 3 years

    AirAsia Indonesia to more than double fleet in 3 years

    Capital A plans to more than double its fleet in Indonesia in the next three years to capture a growing tourism market after the Covid-19 pandemic, its chief executive Tony Fernandes said on Monday (Sep 4).

    AirAsia Indonesia, a unit of Capital A, currently has around 28 planes in its fleet. Fernandes told reporters on the sideline of an Asean business forum in Jakarta that he plans to grow the fleet to 75 by 2026, bringing in more wide-body aircraft.

    Fernandes said that the company’s main goal after the pandemic has been to grow its fleet as travel returns to normal levels quickly.

    “I’m very excited and we want to do as much direct connectivity, we want to open routes that we haven’t opened up before,” Fernandes said, citing Indonesia’s plans to develop destinations beyond the popular holiday island of Bali.

    Last year, Malaysia’s AirAsia Group changed its name to Capital A to reflect its growing portfolio of businesses beyond the core budget airline.

    Fernandes stepped down as AirAsia X CEO in October 2022, but has been the CEO of its parent company since 2018.

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  • AirAsia Philippines gears up for holiday season

    AirAsia Philippines gears up for holiday season

    AirAsia Philippines is gearing up for the holiday season and expects a surge in air passenger traffic after the foreign traveler vaccine certificate requirement was lifted.

    The Department of Health Circular 2023-06 applies to all airports and seaports in the country and states that all arriving international travelers will be accepted regardless of their vaccination status. The circular took effect on Aug. 12, 2023, and follows the Transportation Department’s earlier announcement of the scrapping of face masks for public transportation.

    AirAsia spokesperson Steve Dailisan said the latest development is timely with the upcoming “Ber” months (referring to September, October, November and December), which are usually the busiest time for airlines and peak season for travel in the country.

    He said the lifting of the vaccine certificate travel requirement is a significant step towards making travel more seamless and will encourage travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, to experience the Philippines.

    The Department of Tourism aims to achieve 4.8 million international tourist arrivals this year, and AirAsia is committed to helping achieve this target by providing exceptional services and value deals for flights and other travel-related services through its Airasia Superapp.

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  • AirAsia to ramp up China services

    AirAsia to ramp up China services

    AirAsia is all set to elevate its flight offerings between Malaysia and China as it anticipates a continuous surge in forward sales over the upcoming months.

    The travel landscape has been undergoing a remarkable transformation, with travel demand bouncing back after the challenges posed by the pandemic.

    As part of its strategic response, AirAsia is poised to tap into this burgeoning demand and cater to the increasing number of travelers between these two countries.

    July reports have revealed that the average load factor, representing the number of guests carried per flight, for AirAsia Malaysia (AK) and AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) flights to and from China, has reached an impressive 80 percent.

    This marks a substantial rebound and signals a positive momentum for the aviation industry.

    Notably, several key routes such as Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai, Kota Kinabalu-Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur-Nanning, and Kota Kinabalu-Wuhan have witnessed load factors soaring as high as 95 percent, showcasing the strong resurgence in travel interest.

    Between March and early July this year, both airlines have successfully sold over 320,000 seats for flights connecting China and Malaysia. This remarkable figure constitutes around 30 percent of the equivalent period pre-Covid in 2019.

    Notably, about 75 percent of these seats have been purchased by Chinese nationals, reaffirming Malaysia’s status as a preferred destination for tourists from China. This trend underscores the nation’s allure and underscores the rekindled traveler enthusiasm.

    AirAsia Malaysia (AK) is geared to reintroduce another route, offering flights from Kota Kinabalu to Hangzhou, with a three-flight-per-week schedule commencing on September 2, 2023.

    In parallel, AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) is preparing to bolster its services, increasing flights from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing (Daxing) from four to five flights weekly, starting September 1.

    Additionally, flights between Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai will elevate from four to seven flights per week, commencing September 15, and services from Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou will escalate from three to four flights weekly, beginning September 30, 2023.

    Riad Asmat, the CEO of AirAsia Malaysia, was pleased with the heightened travel interest between the two countries. He emphasized the airline’s commitment to serving second-tier cities and expanding connectivity.

    The additional flights to Hangzhou and plans for further frequency increases reflect AirAsia’s dedication to accommodating growing demands and boosting both international and domestic travel.

    Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X Malaysia, also acknowledged the persistent strong demand for China travel across their network. The move to add more frequencies and optimize popular Chinese routes underscores their commitment to trade, tourism, and investments between the two nations.

    This approach aligns with the company’s goal of enhancing guest experiences, maximizing fleet utilization, and providing greater exploration opportunities for travelers.

    In tandem with its route expansions, AirAsia is also launching discounted fares for travelers. These fares extend to North Asian destinations, encompassing Guilin, Guangzhou, Nanning, Shantou, Beijing, and Shanghai, with prices starting from RM319 all-in one-way.

    AirAsia Malaysia (AK) is currently operating 14 routes to and from China, boasting over 104 weekly flights. These routes connect Kuala Lumpur to various destinations such as Guilin, Quanzhou, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shenzhen, Nanning, Shantou, and Macao.

    Additionally, flights from Kota Kinabalu to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Beijing, and Macao and Johor Bahru to Guangzhou further solidify the airline’s comprehensive connectivity.

    AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) is also making its mark, offering four routes to and from China with more than 22 weekly flights.

    The routes include Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu (Tianfu), Beijing (Daxing), Shanghai, and Hangzhou, all of which contribute to AirAsia’s mission of bridging nations and fostering unparalleled travel opportunities.

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  • Thai AirAsia X resumes Sapporo flights

    Thai AirAsia X resumes Sapporo flights

    Thai AirAsia X (XJ) will resume its Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) – Sapporo route starting from 29 October 2023 to capture the winter season tourist traffic to Japan’s gateway city for winter sports and snow attractions.

    Flying a direct daily service Thai AirAsia X presents promotional fares starting at THB6,990 available for booking through 30 September 2023 for travel from 29 October 2023 to 30 March 2024 via the AirAsia Superapp.

    Thai AirAsia X chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld said: “Sapporo and the island of Hokkaido are high potential destinations beloved by Thai travellers. The island can be visited all year round with different attractions during the summer and winter periods and is home to wonderful seafood, including the famed Taraba crab.”

    Various experiences are available on Hokkaido, especially during the transition from autumn to winter, when it is most beautiful. Visitors can enjoy Sapporo’s winter festival, ski resorts, Moiwa Mountain, and Sapporo Beer Museum. Or they can venture to nearby cities such as Otaru, Asahikawa and Niseko, each offering end-of-year activities.

    “Resuming flights to Sapporo brings more choice to Thai and international travellers and Japanese travellers looking for economical ways to visit Thailand. This route has always received significant interest, and we are bringing it back at a wonderful AirAsia price,” Tassapon concluded.

    Thai AirAsia X flies Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) directly to Tokyo (Narita) 14 times a week and Osaka 10 times a week.

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  • AirAsia India takes over Air India Express Sharjah flights

    AirAsia India takes over Air India Express Sharjah flights

    AirAsia India will begin operating flights to Sharjah on behalf of Air India Express on August 28. This follows the carrier beginning to operate codeshare flights on Air India’s behalf earlier this month.

    According to ch-aviation schedules data, from August 28, AirAsia India will deploy one of its A320-200Ns onto a daily Delhi International – Sharjah – Varanasi – Sharjah – Delhi rotation, replacing the B737-800 service operated by Air India Express. It comes ahead of the merger of the two low-cost airlines. Following recent approval from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, that merger is now expected to finalize in early 2024. The Sharjah flights also mark AirAsia India’s sole foreign foray. Presently, it only flies within India.

    As recently reported in ch-aviation, AirAsia India also began operating some domestic codeshare flights for Air India on August 1. AirAsia India is putting the full-service carrier’s flight designator on selected flights between Bangalore International and Bhubaneswar, Mumbai International – Goa Dabolim, Delhi International – Lucknow, and Delhi International and Pune.

    The closer cooperation comes as Tata Sons seeks to consolidate its Indian airline interests. In addition to the AirAsia India – Air India Express merger, it also intends to merge Vistara with Air India, in the process creating one large low-cost carrier and one large full-service carrier.

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  • AirAsia Doubles Passengers In 2Q And Powers Capital A Growth

    AirAsia Doubles Passengers In 2Q And Powers Capital A Growth

    Today Malaysia’s Capital A Berhad (Capital A) announced its operating statistics for the second quarter of its financial year 2023. The announcement details the performance of Capital A’s aviation, digital, logistics and aviation services segments from April 1st to June 30th, 2023 (2Q2023).

    With the operating segments so closely interconnected, a strong performance in Aviation drives equally strong performances throughout the Capital A group. That was certainly the case in 2Q when the four consolidated airlines virtually doubled the passengers carried in the same quarter last year.

    AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Indonesia and AirAsia Philippines carried 14.2 million passengers in 2Q, compared to 7.2 million in 2Q 2022. Across the aviation group, 16.2 million seats were available, and this capacity management resulted in a load factor of 88%, up from 82% last year.

    The consolidated AirAsia airlines operated 146 of their 166 activated aircraft and have now recovered to 73% of capacity and 74% of passengers carried compared to the pre-pandemic first half of 2019. The group operated 88,900 flight stages with an average length of 1,165 kilometers (724 miles) and, at the end of the quarter, was operating 146 aircraft from its total fleet of 210 aircraft.

    In terms of individual airlines and their share of group passenger traffic, AirAsia Malaysia (MAA) led the way with 6.45 million at a load factor of 87%, followed by AirAsia Thailand (TAA) with 4.64 million at 89%, AirAsia Philippines (PAA) with 1.63 million at 91% and AirAsia Indonesia (IAA) with 1.52 million at 84%.

    MAA used 66 aircraft to fly 40,385 stages, TAA used 44 to fly 28,475, PAA used 15 to fly 9,921, and IAA used 21 to fly 10,119. IAA had the longest average stage length of 1,433 kilometers (890 miles), followed by MAA, TAA and PAA with 908 kilometers (564 miles).

    Summarising the quarter, Capital A said the domestic performance was incredibly strong and the international market remained buoyant with favorable load factors. It added that more aircraft have now been allocated to international routes in response to the strong resurgence in demand.

    Capital A has three businesses in its Aviation services segment: Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), Santan and Ground Team Red (GTR), which each supply services to the operating airlines and external customers. ADE is the maintenance, repair and overhaul provider in the region.

    In 2Q, it completed 22 base maintenance checks, up from 12 in the same period last year, which was made possible by adding two additional maintenance lines in Senai, Malaysia. Its line maintenance activities grew by 179% year-on-year, with 98% performed on narrowbody aircraft and just 2% on widebodies.

    Santan is the group’s inflight service provider, selling 4.8 million units in 2Q, up 189% YoY. Among those, 98% were perishable and non-perishable food and beverage items, with the balance from sales of duty-free and merchandise products. Capital A said the surge in demand was directly attributable to the increase in flight frequencies and the higher number of passengers carried by the group’s airlines.

    GTR is the group’s affiliated ground handling services company, and in 2Q, it managed 37,000 flights, of which 94% were AirAsia branded, and handled 5.7 million passengers. GTR also managed 16,787 tonnes of cargo, up 39% YoY due to the increased belly hold capacity as more flights operated on domestic and international routes.

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  • AirAsia Philippines drops mask rule

    AirAsia Philippines drops mask rule

    AirAsia Philippines has ended wearing face masks on all domestic flights following the government’s decision to lift the state of public health emergency under Presidential Proclamation 297, filed by the Department of Transportation.

    Meanwhile, wearing face masks for flights to international destinations remain subject to the existing health protocols in the destination country. AirAsia destinations Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan lifted the face mask requirement as early as Q1 2023.

    AirAsia Philippines country head for communications and public affairs and spokesperson Steve Dailisan said deep cleaning and aircraft sanitation will continue after each flight.

    “We want our guests to feel secure when they fly with AirAsia. Although it is no longer a policy, guests and crew may wear face masks whenever necessary. However, we also want to reiterate that our aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which filter and block 99.97% of airborne particles, including known bacteria and viruses”.

    Guests can book a PHP257 one-way base fare for domestic and international flights and a PHP2,293 fare for other international destinations flying thru Kuala Lumpur, to Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne, for travel until 30 September 2023.

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  • AirAsia Partners with Green Rebel for Meatless Menu Options

    AirAsia Partners with Green Rebel for Meatless Menu Options

    Indonesia’s premier plant-based protein brand, Green Rebel, has teamed up with Malaysian budget airline, AirAsia, to provide meatless alternatives of traditional Southeast Asian delicacies for the inflight menus on regional routes.

    Beginning today, Green Rebel’s vegan Pak Nasser’s Plant-Based Nasi Lemak will be available on AirAsia’s Malaysia routes, while passengers on Philippines routes will be able to taste vegetarian Sisig. Two other plant-based dishes — Nasi Rendang with assorted vegetables and Rendang with Coconut Rice — will appear on the menus on select AirAsia’s Indonesia flights starting later this week.

    Santan, AirAsia’s food service subsidiary, has replaced traditional meat ingredients with Green Rebel‘s plant-based proteins for these recipes. The substitution includes products like Beefless Rendang, Chick’n Chunks, and Plant Mince. Classic dishes like Nasi Lemak have been elevated using basmati and wild purple rice, served with Green Rebel Chick’n Chunks, eggplant curry, French beans, and potatoes. Guilt-Free Sisig, a popular Filipino dish, uses Green Rebel’s Plant Mince, seasoned with calamansi, onions, and chili peppers.

    “Green Rebel is the first plant-based alt meat brand to partner with AirAsia in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia,” Green Rebel co-founder and CEO Helga Angelina Tjahjadi, said in a statement.

    Tjahjadi says Green Rebel and AirAsia have aligned values, “in particular a commitment to sustainability and flavour localisation.”

    Green Rebel says its food technology ensures the plant-based protein not only imitates the mouthfeel of meat but also absorbs deep flavours and marination, making it perfect for Asian culinary methods like braising, stewing, steaming, hotpot, grilling, and even deep frying. Made from 100 percent natural plant-based ingredients, all Green Rebel products are free from MSG, preservatives, and refined sugar. The protein base includes non-GMO soy and shiitake mushrooms, and is flavoured using Asian spices and herbs for an authentic taste experience.

    Green Rebel has a strong commitment to sustainable, affordable, and tasty plant-based meat alternatives. The company conducts independent Life Cycle Assessments on its products and has found its plant-based beef and chicken alternatives have significantly less global warming potential compared to their traditional counterparts.

    “We discovered that our meatless beef has 91 percent less global warming potential than local beef, and similarly our meatless chicken has 84 percent less global warming potential than local chicken,” Tjahjadi said.

    “We are looking at savings on carbon emissions by 90 percent, water use by 72 percent, land use by 90 percent, and overall energy use by 81 percent to produce plant-based meat in comparison to animal-based meats.”

    The new partnership supports AirAsia’s environmental commitments, which align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius policy. AirAsia has been working on measures to reduce its carbon footprint, including reducing 221 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per aircraft per year through an optimization solution implemented in 2022.

    “We’re excited at the possibilities as mindfulness about healthy and sustainable eating grows in this part of the world,” said Tjahjadi.

     

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  • Thai AirAsia back flying to Colombo

    Thai AirAsia back flying to Colombo

    AirAsia Thailand (FD) celebrated its inaugural flight, Sunday, flying from Bangkok (Don Mueang) to Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka.

    Operating the direct flight four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) the low-cost airline uses an A320 on the route with 180 seats.

    FD140 de departs Bangkok Don Mueng Airport (DMK) and 1945 and arrives in Colombo at 2200. FD141 departs Colombo at 2300 and arrives in DMK at 04005 on the following morning.

    Booking website Kayak quotes a one-way Bangkok (DMK)-Colombo (CMB) on AirAsia at USD107. Roundtrip fares between the two cities average USD470 based on prices quoted by Thai Airways International and SriLankan flying between Bangkok (BKK) and Colombo (CMB) is more than double AirAsia’s roundtrip fares (DMK-CMB).

    Sri Lanka is a major destination for Buddhist faithful from across the globe as it is home to numerous well-known religious locations, many registered as World Heritage Sites, the best known of which is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the city of Kandy.

    Other attractions include the forest-enveloped Sigiriya, often called the Machu Picchu of Asia due to its remote location. For other leisure seekers, Sri Lanka offers pristine nature experiences along the train route from Kandy to Ella, considered one of the most scenic train rides worldwide as it carves through valleys and tea fields. Tourists are usually drawn to the Ceylon tea plantation to learn about the process and enjoy a cuppa. Dimah is the most famous tea brand and offers tours with a tasting session at the plantation’s estate in the hill country of Nuwara Eliya.

    Marking the resumption of the route post-pandemic, AirAsia offers a promotional fare from Bangkok (Don Mueang) to Colombo, Sri Lanka, pegged a THB2,990 one-way (USD85). Bookings are open until 16 July 2023 for travel from 9 July to 28 October 2023 via the AirAsia Superapp.

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  • AirAsia to resume Bangkok to Colombo flights

    AirAsia to resume Bangkok to Colombo flights

    AirAsia has announced the resumption of direct flights between Bangkok and Colombo, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited said.

    AirAsia is to resume the popular Bangkok (Don Mueang) to Colombo route on 9th July 2023.

    The new services to the capital of Sri Lanka will operate four times weekly.

    At present, BIA facilitates 18,000–19,000 passenger movements and 110-120 aircraft movements daily.

    AASL said it is happy to see the resumption of scheduled international flight operations by international airlines which will contribute to the nation’s economy.

    AirAsia is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations. AirAsia operates scheduled domestic and international flights to more than 165 destinations spanning 25 countries.

  • AirAsia hosts its first ever Sustainability Day as it champions immediate action towards greener skies

    AirAsia hosts its first ever Sustainability Day as it champions immediate action towards greener skies

    AirAsia opened a new chapter in its efforts to drive industry engagement and spark greater collaboration by hosting its inaugural Sustainability Day, themed ‘Doing More with Less’.

    Led by Capital A Chief Sustainability Officer Yap Mun Ching, the event saw in-depth exchanges on topics that address AirAsia’s pathways to decarbonization, as well as challenges and opportunities in the implementation of these strategies. The line-up of speakers, comprising AirAsia technical heads and subject matter experts, tackled topics including how AirAsia is factoring ESG considerations into the deployment of its fleet assets, prospects in switching to greener biofuels, opportunities for ESG financing and managing talent to meet its future growth needs.

    Delivering the opening and closing messages of the day respectively were AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd (AAAGL) Chairperson Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim and AAAGL Sustainability Adviser Prof. Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood.

    Capital A Chief Sustainability Officer, Yap Mun Ching said: “Today marks the first time we are bringing all our key stakeholders from government officials, regulators, financial institutions, aviation analysts, business partners and the media, to advance their understanding of the intricacies of aviation sustainability. As we rebuild our business post-pandemic, we are broadening and deepening our sustainability agenda by incorporating robust ESG practices into our strategic priorities so that we recover stronger and better.

    “Since aviation is a hard-to-abate sector, decarbonization in aviation requires collaborative efforts not only from airlines but from all industry stakeholders if we are to achieve our goal of reaching net zero by 2050. With reminders in the media almost daily that the world is likely to reach an environmental tipping point earlier than expected, this calls for immediate action by all parties to realise and make accessible the solutions that airlines need to reduce its carbon emissions.”

    In her sharing of AirAsia’s net zero plan, Yap continued: “All airlines are faced with four pathways to decarbonize, namely to upgrade their fleet, step up implementation of green operating procedures, switch to biofuels and offset remaining emissions. AirAsia’s top priorities are in upgrading its fleet to the A321neo, widely acknowledged as the most fuel-efficient aircraft on the market today, and in expanding and deepening its industry-leading fuel-efficiency program.

    “Whether we are using fossil fuels or biofuels, what should precede this question is whether we are using more than is necessary. AirAsia’s fuel efficiency program is one of the best, if not the best in the world. Even as we explore new solutions, we cannot lose sight of our strength which has enabled us to achieve among the lowest cost and emissions per seat in the industry,” she said.

    In a panel discussion, AirAsia’s fleet and flight operations leads delved into how the airline is incorporating ESG considerations into the deployment and utilization of its growing fleet. AirAsia currently has on order 362 new A321neo aircraft which will be delivered between 2024 and 2035. According to AirAsia Senior Manager of Flight Operations Projects, Development & Efficiency Jonathan Sanjay, since 2015, the airline has saved over US$130 million in fuel consumption, while avoiding the associated CO2 emissions. AirAsia is also exploring options to introduce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into its fuel mix before 2025.

    The day’s session continued with valuable insights on the role of multiple stakeholders in easing the adoption of aviation biofuels by Christoph Behrendt-Rieken, the Lead SAF Expert of the EU-Southeast Asia Cooperation on Mitigating Climate Change Impact from Civil Aviation (EU-SEA CCCA CORSIA) Project implemented by the EU Aviation Safety Agency; and options in ESG financing by aviation legal specialist Teo Hui Ling, who is also partner at Reed Smith LLP. This was followed by a session on AirAsia’s experience in harnessing diversity, equality and inclusion to create its competitive edge over the last 22 years, before the day’s event ended with a special tour of AirAsia’s engineering complex, RedChain, where participants were introduced to initiatives being undertaken by AirAsia Digital Engineering to revolutionize aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul through digitalization.

    In conjunction with the event, AirAsia also launched its Guide to Aviation Sustainability, a handbook of aviation sustainability terms to make more accessible common concepts associated with the subject. The handbook also highlights outcomes from AirAsia’s own implementation of some of the measures listed. Publication of the booklet was supported by AirAsia’s business partners, namely Avolon, Honeywell, Mirus Aircraft Seating, PETRONAS, Shell Aviation and SITA.

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  • AirAsia Group eyes growth, 19 more aircraft in 2023

    AirAsia Group eyes growth, 19 more aircraft in 2023

    Capital A expects to increase its fleet by nineteen A320s this year and return all remaining parked planes to service by August, according to Tony Fernandes, group CEO, has said.

    “We have already signed up 19 aircraft, and are negotiating for more,” Fernandes told media at the Paris Air Show. “AirAsia also expects to have all 204 of its aircraft reactivated by the end of August this year, and achieve 100% of pre-pandemic capacity in the coming months.”

    The group’s airline interests include AirAsia, AirAsia X, Philippines AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia X, Thai AirAsia, and Thai AirAsia X. Later this year, in conjunction with a local investor, Capital A will launch AirAsia Cambodia. Fernandes says that he expects the first of the additional 19 aircraft to arrive in July. The ch-aviation fleets advanced modules has already identified three of those aircraft. They are an ex-AirAsia Japan A320-200, formerly registered as JA01DJ (msn 6702), now stored at Kuala Lumpur International Airport; and two ex-AirAsia India A320-200s, VT-SXR (msn 4562) and VT-IXC (msn 5109), now also at Kuala Lumpur.

    Beyond 2023, Fernandes says 362 A321-200NX are on order, with deliveries scheduled from 2024. He said the long-haul AirAsia X operations would get an additional fifteen 15 widebodies (the three AirAsia X airlines operate A330-300s) and “up to twenty” A321-200NY(XLR)s. He added that the A330s would also begin flying into the Philippines, albeit not specifying a timeline for this. Capital A’s cargo and logistics business, Teleport, is also expected to take the first of three A321Fs in July.

    Fernandes says the AirAsia stable of airlines is performing well, with services in and out of Thailand a standout. He likes that market for its short to medium-term growth prospects. The Capital A currently operates under Bursa Malaysia Practice Note 17 (PN17) status, which the stock exchange assigns to financially distressed listed companies. After almost 18 months as a PN17 company, Fernandes told media in Paris that he expects the group to exit the PN17 list later this year.