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Tag: airasia

  • AirAsia to launch Phuket-Macao flights

    AirAsia to launch Phuket-Macao flights

    Celia Lao, CEO of AirAsia Hong Kong & Macao, said Phuket is among the top destinations for Macanese and Chinese travellers, making Thai AirAsia’s introduction of a direct flight between Phuket and Macao a wonderful opportunity for tourism.

    AirAsia currently operates six flights from Macao with routes including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya (U-tapao), Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Jakarta and will launch Johor Bahru on Nov 28.

    Santisuk Klongchaiya, Director of Commercial for Thai AirAsia, said Phuket is a city built on Chinese traditions, beliefs and culture and its history is closely tied to that of China.

    “Chinese visitors to the city will find it familiar and convenient while still full of travel experiences whether relishing the nature or enjoying the nightlife. AirAsia is confident the new route will be well received,” he said

    “We will be launching the Macao-Phuket route on the 8th of January 2018 and believe it will attract people in Macao and its vicinity to Phuket. We will be using our strengths of low fares, on-time service and trustworthy reputation to draw in travellers and help stimulate the island’s economy,” Mr Santisuk said.

    For the people of Phuket, this added route provides a new travel option to Macao, which is already a top destination for Thai travellers due to its many holy sites and European architecture. Overall, the route should prove popular among people of both nations.

    In addition to Macao-Phuket, Thai AirAsia already operates a host of direct flights between Macao and and Thailand, including Don Mueang (four flights a day), Macao and Chiang Mai (daily direct) and Macao-Pattaya U-Tapao (four flights a week).

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  • AirAsia Japan to launch operations on 29 October

    AirAsia Japan to launch operations on 29 October

    The reborn AirAsia Japan will commence services on 29 October with a service from its Nagoya hub to Sapporo, two years after receiving its air operator’s certificate.

    The carrier says in a statement that it will operate twice-daily on the route, which FlightGlobal schedules data shows it will compete against five other carriers, including Jetstar Japan, All Nippon Airways and Skymark Airlines.

    “We are honoured to be the first airline to be based in Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International airport and we are committed to connecting as many guests as possible at low fares to AirAsia’s extensive network, as well as bridging communities and cultures for the benefit of the local economy,” says chief executive Osamu Hata.

    AirAsia holds a 49% stake in AirAsia Japan, while shareholders Rakuten, Octave Japan Infrastructure Fund, Noevir Holdings and Alpen hold the other 51%.

    This is the Malaysian budget carrier’s second attempt into the Japanese market, following the October 2013 breakdown of its joint venture with ANA Holdings. The shell of that first carrier was used to launch Vanilla Air shortly after.

    The new carrier was granted its AOC in October 2015, and had planned to launch services during the northern spring of 2016. The launch was however repeatedly delayed, and Jetstar Japan has in the meantime announced plans to start a base at Nagoya in 2018.

    Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that AirAsia Japan has two Airbus A320s in its fleet.

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  • AirAsia X eyes expansion in China, Japan and South Korea

    AirAsia X eyes expansion in China, Japan and South Korea

    AirAsia X considers North Asia, namely, China, Japan, and South Korea, as its new market for growth, said AirAsia. Due to the scarcity of resources, the long haul budget airline will also be rationalising its routes by reallocating some of the current Australian capacity to its other destinations next year.

    “We have to be very selective of our routes, seeing that our aircraft is limited and we will only get more aircraft next year.

    “Demand is starting to pick up from Thailand and Indonesia, and we believe that the next market of growth will be in North Asia. Kamarudin was speaking after the launch of AirAsia X’s launch of four times weekly direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Jeju, South Korea.

    AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail targets to achieve a passenger load factor of 80% in 12 months’ time, for the Kuala Lumpur-Jeju route.

    AirAsia is the only airline to operate direct flights to Jeju, from Kuala Lumpur, connecting the island with Malaysia, the rest of Asia, and beyond.

    “South Korea is an important market and we have seen tremendous growth from our existing routes to Seoul and Busan, which will now be complemented by our new service to Jeju, saving our guests the hassle of domestic transit to the island province.

    “This new route will provide additional annual capacity of over 150,000 and will be a significant boost to strengthen business and tourism ties between Malaysia and South Korea,” said Benyamin.

    He added that Malaysia was the second largest tourist market in South Korea, after China.

    An estimated two million passengers travel between South Korea and Malaysia each year.

    The group has plans to increase flight frequencies to Seoul from 14 times weekly to 18 times weekly, beginning December.

    Meanwhile, AirAsia X flight frequencies to Busan shall also be increased from four times a day to five times a day, beginning November.

    The Kuala Lumpur-Jeju route shall commence on December 12, 2017, with promotional all-in fares from RM199 one-way.

    The special promo of all-in fares from RM199 one way on standard seat and RM899 one-way on award winning Premium Flatbed will run from October 10 to October 15, for travel between December 12, 2017 and March 25, 2018, available for booking on airasia.com.

    Jeju Island, also known as the “island of the gods”, is a beautiful volcanic island located 64 kilometres south of the Korean peninsular.

    It is the country’s most popular holiday island, with more than 70% of visitors being domestic travellers seeking out what has become known as the “Hawaii of South Korea”.

  • AirAsia X may convert A330neo order to larger A350 jets

    AirAsia X may convert A330neo order to larger A350 jets

    AirAsia X Bhd, the long-haul arm of the region’s biggest budget carrier, is looking at swapping an order for 66 Airbus SE A330neo widebody jets to larger A350s in a bid to boost capacity on its busiest routes.

    A review of the Kuala Lumpur-based discounter’s fleet requirements is under way and could result in a plan to trade up to the bigger widebody, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, chief executive officer of the AirAsia

    AirAsia X will remain focused on routes within four to eight hours’ flying time and would deploy the A350s on those services just as it had aimed to do with the A330s, Fernandes said, adding that a switch wouldn’t indicate a revival of plans to serve Europe.

    For Airbus, an order would shrink the 212-plane A330neo backlog while bolstering an A350 programme that has itself suffered recent setbacks.

    “Over the last 10 years we’ve been tweaking the model,” the CEO said. “Now that we kind of know what we want to do, we’re looking at the fleet. We’re toying with the A350. If we went A350, we wouldn’t use the A330neo anymore, we’d go all A350.”

    AirAsia X currently has 10 A350-900s on order alongside the larger A330neo commitment, while its existing fleet comprised 30 currentgeneration A330s. The Boeing 787 “looks interesting as well,” Fernandes said in London.

    The move would mark an about face from previous plans. In 2015, the Malaysian operator began looking at flipping the ten A350s due for delivery from 2021 to A330neos, with the unit’s chief Benyamin Ismail saying the smaller jet was cheaper and just as economical.

    While an order rethink could be lucrative for Airbus, with the A350-900 having a sticker price of US$311.2mil versus US$290.6mil for the A330neo, the switch would come as a complication given the airline’s status as a launch customer for the plane.

    Fernandes said the first jet is due in December 2018, though the date is “slipping” after already being put back amid development issues with Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc’s Trent 7000 engine. The company will send representatives to the model’s first flight, scheduled for Oct 18 in Toulouse, he said.

    AirAsia X is also exploring the business case for adding Airbus A321neos to serve routes to India and China that might not support bigger planes, Fernandes said.

    The main AirAsia shorthaul operation already has orders for more than 400 upgraded Airbus narrowbodies, including 100 A321 variants.

    Commencing heavily discounted flights to Europe is unattractive right now, given the amount of capacity already deployed, the CEO said.

    “When we come into a market we’ve got to make sure we can really bring fares down; we don’t think we can,” he said, adding that serving the US from Japan could be a more interesting market, with an Osaka-Honolulu route doing “very well”.

    Fernandes said plans to sell AirAsia’s aircraft leasing arm Asia Aviation Capital Ltd should come to fruition before the end of this year, with the company focused on two or three bidders from around the world.

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  • AirAsia now connects Bali and Kolkata

    AirAsia now connects Bali and Kolkata

    AirAsia Indonesia inaugurated its new flight route from Bali to Kolkata in India on Oct. 4.

    The service offers four flights a day departing from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali and arrives at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

    Upon landing, the maiden flight, which used an Airbus A320-200 airplane, was greeted with a water canon at the airport in Bali.

    According to AirAsia Group CEO for Indonesia Dendy Kurniawan, the ticket sales for this route was first made available on Aug. 17 in accordance to the 72nd anniversary celebration of Indonesia’s Independence Day.

    “We want to emphasize that this expansion is only possible due to the hard work of the Transportation Ministry. We are currently in the first category of the FAA safety rank and we really appreciate it,” said Dendy.

    Following the launch of the new service, AirAsia now offers two routes to India as it previously launched Bali – Mumbai flight in May.

    This also marks the fourth international route from AirAsia Indonesia after Bali – Narita, Bali – Mumbai and Jakarta – Macau.

    The travel time between Bali from Kolkata is 7.5 hours including a short transit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    India has the second highest growth percentage for the number of tourists to Indonesia with 27 percent per year, right behind China with 45 percent per year.

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  • AirAsia Philippines will seek US$250mil IPO

    AirAsia Philippines will seek US$250mil IPO

    The Philippines unit of AirAsia Bhd is seeking to raise up to US$250 million via an initial public offering (IPO) in mid-2018 to fund its expansion programme, its chief executive said on Tuesday.

    Asia’s biggest low-cost airline, which has nine units in the region, is beefing up its fleet in the Philippines amid an expected long-term boom in budget air travel. AirAsia first raised the prospect of listing its Philippines unit in 2015, planning at that point to take the airline public as early as 2017.

    “We are working on the IPO, hopefully in the middle part of next year,” Philippines AirAsia CEO Dexter Comendador told Reuters.

    Philippines AirAsia had initially aimed to raise US$200mil but raised its target to fund purchases of more aircraft and to expand its route network, Comendador said.

    The airline, which started Philippine operations in 2012, hired BDO Capital and Investment Corp as its underwriter.

    Its fleet will reach 70 aircraft in the next 10 to 15 years from the current 17, Comendador said. AirAsia is one of the largest customers of the Airbus A320-family of jets.

    The airline has a 10% share of the air travel market in the Philippines, one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The local market is dominated by Cebu Pacific, followed by flag carrier Philippine Airlines, both owned by local tycoons.

    AirAsia has also said it is considering a potential IPO of its Indonesian arm.

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  • AirAsia to install broadband on more than 120 planes

    AirAsia to install broadband on more than 120 planes

    The Malaysian conglomerate has signed a contract to hook up much of its vast fleet with high-speed broadband. It announced the move last week as the ink dried on a contract with Inmarsat, a British satellite telecommunication company.

    From the first half of next year, the airline will set up its inaugural connected plane with GX Aviation, Inmarsat’s in-flight broadband tech.

    The contract covers all existing and future Airbus 320 and A330 across the AirAsia Group as a whole, including its long-haul operator AirAsia X. There is also a possibility for the agreement to cover planes joining the fleet in the future, such as the Airbus 350.

    Inmarsat Aviation President Philip Balaam said, “AirAsia Group is one of the aviation industry’s leading innovators and we are delighted that GX Aviation will play a key role in their future service offering. The fact that we have signed this contract within months of announcing a Memorandum of Understanding is testament to AirAsia’s confidence in GX Aviation and builds on its successful track record as a leading customer of our SwiftBroadband service.

    “The scale of this contract, covering more than 120 existing aircraft and one of the industry’s largest order books for additional aircraft, showcases our status as a global market leader in advanced in-flight broadband. Inmarsat has the fastest growing service uptake in our market, with, following this agreement, more than 1,300 aircraft, expected under signed contracts, both installed and under backlog, for our next generation GX Aviation and European Aviation Network (EAN) solutions.”

    AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes said, “GX Aviation will form the backbone of AirAsia’s digital cabin offering. By delivering inflight connectivity that’s indistinguishable from what you get on-ground, our guests will be able to stay connected in ways that matter to them, whether it’s streaming movies or music, checking social media, messaging friends or catching up with work emails. Coupled with our ROKKI entertainment and e-commerce platform featuring free movies, music, articles and games as well as shopping, AirAsia guests will soon be able to enjoy one of the richest digital inflight experiences in Asia, while also enhancing our knowledge of our guests with very rich data.”

    This contract supports Inmarsat’s strategy of providing airlines with tailored scalable capacity by designing, owning and operating a global network of High-Throughput Satellites (HTS).

    AirAsia Group will connect to the GX network using new JetWave terminals produced by Honeywell Aerospace. The terminals are designed, according to Inmarsat, for ease of installation and maintenance to assure the lowest downtime for any cabin connectivity solution in the market, allowing installation with minimal labour and using standard tools available in maintenance hangars.

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  • Thai AirAsia adds two new destinations in India

    Thai AirAsia adds two new destinations in India

    Thai AirAsia commenced two new routes from Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) to India. Flights from the Thai airport to Tiruchirappalli (TRZ) commenced on 28 September, followed by the inaugural service to Jaipur (JAI) on 29 September. Both routes will be served four times weekly by Thai AirAsia A320s. There is no competition on either route. The airline now serves six destinations in India from Don Mueang, accounting for 32 weekly flights.

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  • South Pacific and Asia flights from $99 on AirAsia

    South Pacific and Asia flights from $99 on AirAsia

    It’s almost the end of the year and to get you through the last of 2017, AirAsia has a flight sale that’ll take you across its entire network from October 2017 to March 2018 for as little as $99.

    This super low fare is on journeys from Darwin to Bali and is one-way only. Fly return though and you won’t have to pay the cost of two one-way fares when you book through Flight Centre. Instead, you’ll pay a fraction of the cost as we found return flights down to $129. This is on journeys from 12-15 November, though these aren’t the only dates you can travel to revel in this fare.

    It’s not the only destination you can take off to in this sale either. Other cities you can discover include Kuala Lumpur from $119 (departing Perth), Auckland from $139 (departing Gold Coast) and Phuket from $183 (departing Perth).

    Flights depart from Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Gold Coast with most including a stopover in Kuala Lumpur.

    While this sale is on travel between 2 October 2017 and 31 March 2018, blackout dates still apply during the peak Christmas season.

    As AirAsia is a budget carrier, your ticket to fly doesn’t include checked luggage or in-flight meals and entertainment. However, you can add these on for a fee during the booking process.

    This AirAsia Year-End sale ends 15 October 2017 or until seats sell out.

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  • AirAsia offers year-end grand sale

    AirAsia offers year-end grand sale

    AirAsia is offering low-fare deals from as low as RM39 for flights from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, Sihanoukville, Luang Prabang, Pattaya, Shantou, Kalibo (Boracay) and Visakhapatnam.

    The budget carrier said in a statement that travellers from Kuching to Langkawi and Pontianak also can enjoy the low fares starting from RM79, and from as low as RM169 for flights from Johor Baru to Macau and Kolkata.

    Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, Taipei, Shanghai and 120 more destinations in Asia, New Zealand, the Middle East and the United States, can enjoy fares starting from RM279.

    The airline said the promotion also included the AirAsia X Premium Flatbed seats, with fares starting from RM699 for flights from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, Taipei and several other destinations.

    The year-end grand sale promotion runs from Monday to Oct 15 for immediate travels up to March 31, 2018, available online at www.airasia.com and AirAsia mobile application.

    Customers can also opt for the Value Pack, which offers 20kg checked baggage allocation, meals, standard seat selection and travel insurance coverage, inclusive of the One Hour On Time Guarantee and Baggage Delay coverage.

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  • Zoomcar partners with AirAsia for seamless travel

    Zoomcar partners with AirAsia for seamless travel

    Zoomcar, a self-driving car rental portal, has partnered with AirAsia India to provide the latter’s customers an ease and convenience to book Zoomcar for their local and inter-city self-driven transport.

    According to a company press release, one can book for a Zoomcar on AirAsia’s website. The service is available across all metro cities in India and AirAsia guests can log on https://www.zoomcar.com/airasia to avail a Zoomcar.

    The company said that the Zoomcar airport service is gaining popularity especially among working professionals and customers looking for leisure and business travel.

    Customers will get a maximum discount of Rs 1,000 or 20 per cent on the booking. Zoomcar will charge a fully refundable security amount at the time of booking.

    Greg Moran, CEO & Cofounder, Zoomcar, said, “We are excited about the partnership which will further enable the AirAsia guests to experience Zoomcar accessibility at airports with an ease and flexibility.”

    Zoomcar is currently available in 26 cities across India, including metro and non-metro cities. Zoom Hop, one-way intercity travel, is an add-on to customers where a user can pick up a car from one city and drop it to another.

    Amar Abrol, MD & CEO, AirAsia India, said, “We have always believed in going an extra mile to provide the best-in-class customer service to our guests and we are confident that through this partnership, will be able to offer the best mobility to our flyers.”

    AirAsia India currently flies to 16 destinations with its hubs in Bengaluru, New Delhi and Kolkata covering Kochi, Goa, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Pune, Guwahati, Imphal, Vizag, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Bagdogra, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar.

  • Inmarsat to supply broadband to AirAsia planes

    Inmarsat to supply broadband to AirAsia planes

    Communications services provider Inmarsat said on Wednesday that it would supply AirAsia Group with its next-generation GX Aviation in-flight broadband to more than 120 Airbus aircraft.

    The contract covers Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft across the AirAsia Group and the first onboard installations of GX Aviation are scheduled to commence in the first half of 2018. The deal also covers aircraft operated by the carrier’s long-haul arm AirAsia X.

    Inmarsat added that installations could also include additional aircraft types due for delivery in the coming years, such as the Airbus A350.

    Inmarsat Aviation President Philip Balaam said the contract meant that more than 1,300 aircraft had been fitted with, or were waiting for the installation of, Inmarsat’s GX Aviation and European Aviation Network service.

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  • AirAsia moves closer to setting up JV carrier in China

    AirAsia moves closer to setting up JV carrier in China

    Airasia is moving closer to setting up a joint-venture (JV) budget airline in China, having entered into a non-binding term sheet with China Everbright Group and two other companies on Friday last week.

    In an announcement to Bursa Malaysia on Monday, the low-cost carrier said the term sheet, whose signatories included Singapore-based  Plato Capital and Oxley Capital Ltd, intended to confirm the parties’ interest in forming the JV and contained supplementary information to an earlier memorandum of understanding (MoU).

    On May 14, AirAsia signed an MoU with Everbright – a conglomerate under the direct supervision of state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of China’s State Council – and Henan Government Working Group.

    Their target JV airline, to be known as AirAsia (China) in China, will be established either through an acquisition or by obtaining a new airline licence.

    Under the 12-month MoU, it is intended that AirAsia (China) will submit an application for an operating permit in China to Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

    In addition to the airline, the JV will also look into developing infrastructure.

    The JV will invest in developing for pilots, engineers and crew training as well as a maintenance, repair and overhaul provider (MRO).

    The parties have also expressed interest to incorporate AirAsia (China) in Zhengzhou which is intended to be AirAsia (China)’s operating base and headquarters.

    The term sheet signed on Friday, Sept 25, is valid for no longer than 12 months for the parties to discuss and negotiate definitive agreements for the proposed JV.

    Plato is an investment holding company listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd, while Oxley is an innovative private investment firm and multi-family office specialising in real estate, agriculture/alternative energy, natural resources sectors and investments across the Asia-Pacific region.
    –

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  • Save on KLIA Ekspres fares when you fly with AirAsia

    Save on KLIA Ekspres fares when you fly with AirAsia

    Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) has partnered AirAsia to offer a special KLIA Ekspres train fare of RM48 for one-way and RM88 for a return trip for the airlines’ passengers. The deal was introduced on September 21.

    Passengers can now also book their tickets for Kuala Lumpur’s fastest airport transfer via AirAsia’s website, making it a one-stop ticketing solution, said ERL in a statement here, today.

    “With the inclusion of KLIA Ekspres, AirAsia’s passengers can easily manage and plan their travel arrangements through one site,” ERL Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales Management, Yeow Wei-Wen said.

    The journey between KL Sentral and KLIA2 takes only 33 minutes. Special KLIA Ekspres child fares (two to 12 years old) at RM22 one-way and RM40 for a return trip is also being offered through the site.

    AirAsia Bhd’s Head of Commercial, Spencer Lee said with this new partnership, AirAsia BIG members will earn 100 BIG points for the purchase of every KLIA Ekspres one-way adult ticket and 200 BIG points for a return adult ticket.

    This AirAsia BIG Points offer is only available until October 20, 2017. Passengers can purchase the exclusive KLIA Ekspres fares through airasia.com under the Manage My Booking page.

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  • AirAsia airline can’t explain extra $60 charge for children

    AirAsia airline can’t explain extra $60 charge for children

    AirAsia has been caught out charging Darwin children an extra $60, for a government charge they’re not required to pay.

    All passengers leaving Australia are required to pay a Passenger Movement Charge of $60, however children under the age of 12 are exempt.

    Despite having a separate section to book children’s seats, the breakdown of fares, taxes and fees on the airline’s website is the same for both an adult and a child.

    On Jetstar’s website, the breakdown shows children are charged $60 less than adults.

    AirAsia could not explain the extra charge yesterday.

    A spokesperson for the airline said it was “currently investigating the matter in question”.

    They would not say where the extra money was going.

    AirAsia does not include the Passenger Movement Charge for children on flights out of Sydney.

    It’s understood Darwin is serviced by AirAsia Indonesia, while Sydney is serviced by AirAsia X.

    Stuart Park resident Thomas Sawyer said he came across the discrepancy when he was booking flights to Bali for a family holiday.

    “I travel frequently so I’m used to paying the charge, but then I went to buy my son’s ticket and realised it cost the same as mine,” he said.

    “Families are not normally frequent travellers and they could easily buy these tickets without realising they’re paying for a charge they don’t have to pay.”

    Mr Sawyer said he tried to contact AirAsia, only to be told to send them the details of his tickets.

    “They appear to be taking the attitude of those who follow it up will get a refund, those who don’t, they get to keep the money,” he said.

    “That’s entirely deceitful. If I said I was going to sell you something, and had to charge you a government tax, then you later discovered there was no tax, that would be called fraud.”

    An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission spokesman said the overcharging could be illegal. “If a business includes a reference to a tax or fee that is not imposed, then this could raise concerns under the Australian Consumer Law,” the spokesman said.

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