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Tag: airasia

  • AirAsia X says it’s back in profit

    AirAsia X says it’s back in profit

    AirAsia X (AAX) said it posted a quarterly net profit of RM25.1 million (US$5.6 million) compared to a net loss of RM652.5 million in the preceding quarter. Revenue was slightly lower at RM100.1 million as compared to RM107.2 million during the period ending 30 June 2022 (4Q22) on the back of a reduction in revenue from the freight services segment due to normalized scheduled flight operations.

    In other segments, recovery across all key metrics has significantly improved as scheduled passenger and charter flights as well as ancillary revenues, have demonstrated a strong recovery compared to the preceding quarter. For 5Q22, the Company posted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of RM25.4 million, while profit before tax for the period stood at RM23.8 million.

    Operationally, the Company reported Passenger Load Factor (PLF) was recorded at 73% during the quarter – less than ten percentage points short of its pre-COVID-19 PLF of 81% in 2019. The Company carried a total of 80,385 passengers during the period under review, compared to 8,892 passengers from April – June 2022. Seat capacity grew to 110,615 during the quarter from 27,521 in the preceding quarter as additional markets and frequencies were introduced in 5Q22.

    During the period under review, the total number of sectors flown increased to 291 sectors from 226 sectors in 4Q22. Following its return to scheduled services in April 2022, the Company has made notable progress in its network recovery – adding Sydney and two new dense-short-haul routes to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching to its network in September 2022. AAX also introduced increased frequency to existing markets in Seoul and Delhi to cater to strong pent-up demand.

    In terms of balance sheet and cash flow, the Company charted a cash balance of RM79.5 million for the period ending 30 September 2022 – an increase of beyond 100% as compared to RM25.1 million in the preceding quarter. This was achieved predominantly on the back of a V-shaped air travel revival supporting the resumption of scheduled passenger flights to many of its most popular and profitable destinations, along with charter and cargo flights.

    AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “AAX is now well on track in its recovery path even as the airline is compelled to operate in a challenging operational environment dictated by high fuel prices and a weakened Malaysian Ringgit against the US Dollar. While we are cautious of the strenuous operating conditions, we remain confident that the recovery of the Company is on the horizon, if not already within our reach. In the previous quarter we resumed our scheduled passenger flights to Seoul and Delhi, and are pleased to report that we have also resumed our services to Sydney and introduced additional frequencies to Seoul and Delhi in 5Q22.

    Due to high demand, AAX had also commenced operations to dense, short-haul routes during the quarter where demand has exceeded currently available aircraft capacity; namely Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. At the beginning of 5Q22, AAX was charting three flights per week and this surged to 23 flights per week by the end of the period under review.”

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  • Budget carrier MYAirline to begin competing against AirAsia in December 2022

    Budget carrier MYAirline to begin competing against AirAsia in December 2022

    After much anticipation, it’s been revealed that new Malaysian low-cost carrier MYAirline will begin flying in December 2022, with reports having confirmed approvals from the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAAM) for the company to start selling tickets.

    Also, the airline took to its social media pages to hint at its very first flight destinations, which will most likely include Malaysian cities such as Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, and Langkawi, judging by the graphics in its posts.

    This comes after the airline’s CEO Rayner Teo said that MYAirline would seek domestic air traffic rights, with flights to begin very soon after approvals.

    “We’re hoping to start flying before the end of this year,” he said. “We’re looking at domestic destinations within the Peninsula.”

    The airline — which currently has 330 employees and is still hiring — will look to start off its operations with three Airbus A320 aircraft flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2).

    While all of the airline’s planes are currently under lease, Teo also revealed that the airline has the goal of increasing its fleet to 50 aircraft within the next four years.

    As an aside, he mentioned that starting the company during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was crucial to helping it learn from competitors about how to operate such a business and serve its customers better.

    “A lot of feedback that we hear is that it’s hard to reach the airline after you have purchased a flight ticket,” heMYAirline explained. “As for us, we’ll ensure that our passengers can communicate with us effectively.”

    “We won’t be looking at chatbots, but rather focus on human interaction. On-time performance is also something that we’ll focus on.”

    With the travel industry now opening up around the world following the pandemic, flyers in Southeast Asia (especially Malaysia) will more than likely be pleased at the arrival of more competition in the space, especially when considering the many well-documented issues faced by travelers dealing with more established rivals like AirAsia.

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  • AirAsia X turns first profit since 2019, plans to double its A330s by mid-2023

    AirAsia X turns first profit since 2019, plans to double its A330s by mid-2023

    AirAsia X (AAX), the low-cost medium and long-haul airline of AirAsia Group, turned a net profit of RM25.1 million ($5.4 million), its first profit since 2019.  AirAsia X restarted its passenger operations in February 2022 and announced the completion of its 17-month-long debt restructuring scheme in March 2022.

    In its fifth quarter (5Q22) financial statement ending September 30, 2022, the airline outperformed a net loss of RM652.5 million ($142.6 million) posted in the previous quarter, recording a quarterly revenue of RM100.1 million ($218 million) in 5Q22.

    The airline almost tripled its cash balance to RM79.5 million ($17.3 million), up from RM25.1 million ($5.4 million) during the previous quarter.

    In a statement, the airline attributed its results to the recovery of key metrics and improved revenues across scheduled passengers, charter flights and ancillary revenues.

    “AAX is now well on track in its recovery path even as the airline is compelled to operate in a challenging operational environment dictated by high fuel prices and a weakened Malaysian Ringgit against the US Dollar,” Benyamin Ismail AirAsia X Malaysia CEO said.

    Ismail added: “While we are cautious of the strenuous operating conditions, we remain confident that the Company’s recovery is on the horizon, if not already within our reach.”    

    On the back of its positive 5Q22 results, AirAsia X has resumed previous scheduled passenger flights to Seoul, Delhi and Syndey.

    High demand for its mid-range network has also driven the airline to announce the return of its services to some of its popular destinations such as Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, Tokyo-Haneda, Hokkaido-Sapporo, Jeddah and Bali-Denpasar.

    Ismail also confirmed that demand on some short-haul routes (Kota Kinabalu and Kuching) exceeded the current available aircraft capacity during the quarter and that the airline will be reactivating more aircraft capacity.

    “We look forward to welcoming everyone back onboard with us as we rise up to meet the strong pent-up demand for medium haul air travel across Asia. Importantly I am also thrilled to confirm that we are reactivating more aircraft to service, bringing back furloughed staff by the first quarter of next year and are now recruiting new flight crew once again.”

    AirAsia X to double A330 aircraft by the first half of 2023 

    AAX currently operates a fleet of six A330s from a fleet of nine A330 aircraft.

    However, AAX expects to increase its operating fleet to 13 A330 aircraft by the first half of 2023 to meet strong consumer demand.

    Tunku Dato’ Mahmood Fawzy, Chairman of AirAsia X stated that the airline expects to reach more than 15 hours of aircraft utilization and introduce daily frequencies to its core markets for selected routes with high demand.

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  • AirAsia launches new route to Singapore from Sibu

    AirAsia launches new route to Singapore from Sibu

    AirAsia announced the launch of its newest international route from Sibu, Sarawak’s quaint town to the ‘Lion City’ Singapore. The inaugural flight is set to take off on 16 December 2022, with an initial frequency of 4 times weekly.

    Earlier this year, AirAsia launched two back-to-back direct routes connecting Sarawak to Singapore amid popular demand. Both its inaugural Kuching to Singapore and Miri to Singapore flights took off on 29 April 2022.

    This new route from Sibu marks the airline’s third direct international route from the state, making AirAsia the carrier with the widest network and largest connectivity in Sarawak.

    Riad Asmat, CEO of AirAsia Malaysia commented: “Serving unique and underserved routes is something AirAsia does well in our mission to stimulate air travel through affordable connectivity.

    ”We’re thrilled to announce this new route which we are flying for the first time ever, connecting travelers to two immensely popular destinations where we see strong demand for two-way travel. AirAsia changed the travel landscape two decades ago, connecting Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak with low, affordable fares, making flying a dream come true for many. Twenty-one years later, here we are launching our third international route from Sarawak to Singapore and flying hundreds of thousands of travelers here each year providing a welcome shot in the arm for tourism and the economy in the region. This wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support and cooperation of the Sarawak state government, our tourism and industry partners, and our dedicated team at AirAsia.

    “This milestone comes at an amazing time for us as exactly two months ago, we resumed operations at Changi Airport’s state-of-the-art Terminal 4 – and now we’re ready to take on more flights! We look forward to working closely with fellow industry players in the near future to make this route a success. I urge bargain hunters to grab this incredible promo price and explore these beautiful cities with us!”

    From December, AirAsia will also be increasing its flight frequency for Kuching-Singapore to 11x weekly and Miri-Singapore to 5x weekly. Flights are available for booking from the airasia Super App and airasia website.

    AirAsia adds flights to and from Hong Kong starting this December
    Also, the airline announced that it will increase flights to and from Hong Kong starting this December, with a special promotion to support the surge in travel demand ahead of the upcoming festive seasons.

    Flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok (Don Mueang) will be increased to four times weekly starting from 15 December, while Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong – Manila will be flying three-times weekly.

    All additional seats are now available for booking on airasia Super App with a special promo fare exclusively for travellers to and from Hong Kong to enjoy a long-awaited getaway or  reunion with loved ones for the upcoming holiday season.

    Karen Chan, Group Chief Commercial Officer of AirAsia said: “Hong Kong is an integral part of our network and we are thrilled to be back offering affordable direct connectivity between Hong Kong and Southeast Asia once again.

    “With Hong Kong relaxing entry restrictions by allowing quarantine-free travel for tourists from September this year combined with strong forecast demand, we are excited to welcome more  guests to and from Hong Kong with increased flight frequency ahead of the festive season and a special promotional fare as we usher in the New Year.

    “We are also launching new services in the Greater China region and look forward to resuming more passenger flights direct to mainland China in the near future.”

    As the AirAsia Group increases its services to Hong Kong, guests with AirAsia flight bookings to and from Hong Kong for the period up until 17 December 2022 will be able to change their flights at no charge via the airasia Super App and website. New flight dates can be selected up until 31 December 2022 providing greater flexibility and convenience.

    Effective 26 September 2022, relevant inbound travellers entering Hong Kong are not required to undergo compulsory quarantine, but under medical surveillance for 3 days, subject to Amber Code restrictions under Vaccine Pass. Guests are advised to check the conditions and requirements imposed by the authorities before departing.

    AirAsia upgrades reservation and passenger-processing systems
    AirAsia would like to inform all guests that it will be upgrading its reservation and passenger-processing systems between 23 November 2022, 09:00PM (GMT+8) and 24 November 2022, 03:00AM (GMT+8). The upgrade is part of its continuous effort to provide guests with an enhanced online experience.

    While the airline expects a smooth transition, AirAsia guests are advised that they may face service disruptions during the system upgrade. These include self check-in online via the airasia Super App and website, flight bookings on airasia Super App and website, as well as airasia rewards redemption. The system upgrade will also impact ground operations, and affect availability of the check-in and baggage drop services at all airports where AirAsia operates. All relevant staff and processes will be deployed to assist guests on the ground should the upgrading exercise incur any service disruption or take longer than scheduled.

    All other services on the airasia Super App and website, namely airasia ride, airasia food, hotels, and airasia Travelmall will not be affected and will be available as usual.

    Affected guests travelling during the upgrade timeframe will be notified of this exercise through email and SMS. It is recommended that guests update  their contact details to ensure they receive the latest notifications on the status of their AirAsia flights.

    Travellers flying with AirAsia are strongly encouraged to perform self check-in online via the airasia Super App and website – available from 14 days prior to departure for all flights and arrive at the airport at least four hours prior to their departure time for a smooth and seamless journey. Guests are also highly advised to use the e-boarding pass where it’s available.

    AirAsia sincerely apologises for any inconveniences caused by this system improvement and seeks to minimise any disruption for guests travelling during that period.

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  • AirAsia revives Kaohsiung flights

    AirAsia revives Kaohsiung flights

    AirAsia celebrated its post-pandemic inaugural flight to Kaohsiung from Kuala Lumpur on 12 November, ending two years of no air connectivity between the cities.

    Flight AK170 took off at 1725 and arrived at 2155 l in Kaohsiung, carrying 114 guests onboard.

    AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said: “The inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kaohsiung is a long-awaited occasion for us. Our Kaohsiung and Taipei routes have been amongst our most popular and frequented by many since we commenced operations in the region in 2005.

    “Now that travel restrictions have eased worldwide, we look forward to connecting more travellers to Kaohsiung and soon to Taipei when the flights resume in December.

    Kaohsiung, famed for its picturesque harbour and sprawling landscape, is one of AirAsia’s most popular destinations in North Asia.

    To celebrate the resumption of flights to Kaohsiung and Taipei, travellers can purchase fares from MYR349 for all-in-fare travel between 1 January 2023 and 30 March 2024. The booking window closes on 20 November.

    Since 13 October 2022, travel restrictions have been eased for most international visitors to Kaohsiung and Taipei. Malaysians (as well as citizens from selected countries) can visit these cities without visas, vaccinations, Covid-19 tests or quarantine requirements.

    The Travel & Booking Period for new Taipei and Kaohsiung services on sale now.

  • AirAsia X takes flight to Tokyo Haneda

    AirAsia X takes flight to Tokyo Haneda

    AirAsia X (AAX) resumed its flight to Tokyo (Haneda) following the full reopening of the country’s border for international tourism.

    The thrice-weekly flights will be the airline’s first flight to Japan post-pandemic, ahead of its second route launch to Sapporo (Shin-Chitose) in December.

    In commemorating the service resumption, AAX celebrated the flight with a send-off ceremony at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (klia2) with fun activities and giveaways for the guests.

    Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X said: “Japan is a core destination, and we are thrilled to return to Tokyo as it has always been one of our most popular routes. In 2019, we carried about 275,210 guests to/from Tokyo, and with this service resumption, we look forward to carrying over 230,000 additional visitor seats annually through Malaysia and Japan. This will not only boost tourism and the economy between the two countries but also provide more excellent value for everyone in the region traveling to Tokyo.

    “The resumption of services to Tokyo signifies our commitment to accelerating our growth as a mid-range airline. This is only the first of several routes to Japan that will be in service, including to Sapporo (Shin-Chitose) in December and Osaka next year. Our Malaysian guests love Japan but not only that, we have significant fly-through connectivity via Kuala Lumpur to Japan, including from Australia and more.

    “As demand increases, we will also be adding more flights to Tokyo gradually in the future to meet strong forecast demand.”

    Fares are available for booking for the travel period between now till 30 March 2024.

  • AirAsia India announces 21 weekly direct flights connecting new routes

    AirAsia India announces 21 weekly direct flights connecting new routes

    Air Asia India announced that it would commence 21 weekly direct flights connecting Delhi to Bhubaneswar, and Bengaluru to Jaipur, from October 30, as part of its winter schedule.

    The new routes are now open for bookings on the airline’s website, mobile app, and other major booking channels.

    The launch of these routes is in line with AirAsia India’s aim to bolster connectivity and consistently provide secure and streamlined operations for guests, the airline said in a statement.

    The airline recently expanded its presence to Lucknow and operates 112 weekly direct flights connecting Bengaluru, Goa, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

    AirAsia India connects its hub Bengaluru with direct flights to Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, Goa, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Ranchi, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Jaipur.

    There are direct flights connecting its other hub Delhi with Lucknow, Srinagar, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, Goa, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Jaipur, Ranchi, Visakhapatnam, and Bhubaneswar.

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  • AirAsia X announces more medium-haul flights

    AirAsia X announces more medium-haul flights

    AirAsia X is increasing the number of its medium-haul Malaysian flights to 44 per week across 10 routes, while Thai AirAsia X will also be expanding its operations to 22 flights a week across five routes in the next two months.

    AirAsia X has recently launched direct services from Kuala Lumpur to South Korea (Seoul-Incheon) and India (New Delhi), and resumed services to Australia (Sydney, Melbourne and Perth), New Zealand (Auckland), and Japan (Tokyo-Haneda and Sapporo-Chitose).

    In a statement on Tuesday (Oct 18), the group also confirmed new flights to Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) and Taipei starting November.

    Meanwhile, Thai AirAsia X has launched services from Bangkok to Japan (Osaka and Tokyo-Narita) and South Korea (Seoul-Incheon), and is preparing to launch new direct flights to Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) and Japan (Sapporo-Chitose) in early December.

    AirAsia X said all furloughed pilots and retrenched cabin crew members will have the opportunity to be back in the sky by December.

    “Since the pandemic, AirAsia X has already reactivated 175 pilots and 285 cabin crew members, including rehiring 131 cabin crew members who were retrenched during the pandemic,” it said.

    AirAsia X Bhd chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail said the airline currently operates four widebody A330 aircraft, and expects to be operating up to 13 aircraft by the first quarter of 2023 (1Q2023) to meet strong and growing demand for medium-haul flights.

    “In December, we will not only be adding more destinations, but also increasing our flight frequencies on popular routes, such as moving to daily services between Kuala Lumpur and Seoul (Incheon), to fly a total of 53 flights weekly.

    “Medium-haul air travel is recovering fast, and we intend to leverage this opportunity to drive sustainable growth of AirAsia X, providing consumers with greater value and choice,” he said.

    According to Benyamin, the airline has been seeing strong forward bookings for the routes, and will be resuming more services in its core markets, such as Auckland, Melbourne, Perth, Taipei, Tokyo (Haneda) and Sapporo in the next two months.

    “Our forward-booking trends remain very encouraging across all key metrics, with higher year-on-year load factors and average fares through 1Q2023.

    “We also anticipate strong uptake of our new flights to Istanbul, Türkiye, which will be announced soon, and would like to thank Malaysia Airports for their support and cooperation.

    “We look forward to flying to the Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in the near future,” Benyamin added.

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  • Thai AirAsia to Launch Flights from Bangkok to Dhaka

    Thai AirAsia to Launch Flights from Bangkok to Dhaka

    Thai AirAsia has unveiled plans to launch flights from Don Mueang (DMK) Airport in Bangkok to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, as well as to the city of Lucknow in northern India.

    The airline will operate four flights per week to Dhaka commencing 24 November, and thrice weekly to Lucknow from 4 December 2022.

    Promotional fares for the Don Mueang-Dhaka flights start from 3,590 THB per trip for AirAsia members, while the Don Mueang-Lucknow flights are available from 3,290 THB per trip. The special fares can be booked up to 16 October 2022 for travel between Don Mueang-Dhaka from 24 November 2022 and 25 March 2023, and Don Mueang-Lucknow from 4 December 2022 to 25 March 2022, via the airasia Super App.

    “The travel appetite has improved since COVID19 restrictions were relaxed. The South Asian markets have grown rapidly in the recent period and AirAsia now operates six routes to the region, flying Don Mueang to Kolkata, Kochi, Jaipur, Bangalore and Chennai in India and to Maldives. All of the routes have been well received, especially by Indian travelers who have been connecting across Thailand.

    Data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand show the fast growing number of tourists from India and South Asia have so far visited Thailand this year and the inflow is expected to continue into 2023,” said Santisuk Klongchaiya, Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Thailand. “Dhaka and Lucknow are new and exciting destinations AirAsia will be flying direct to for the first time with these additions. On top of attracting tourists to Thailand, the unique and magnificent architecture of these two cities should make them another popular aspiration for avid Thai travelers looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

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  • AirAsia enhances facial recognition system at KLIA2

    AirAsia enhances facial recognition system at KLIA2

    AirAsia has enhanced its facial recognition system, FACES, by integrating it with Malaysia Airports EZPaz technology at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA2), offering an end-to-end contactless journey for passengers.

    FACES is now available across key customer touchpoints including mobile enrolment, check-in counter, pre-security check and boarding, for select domestic travel in the start-up phase. Passengers who have enrolled for FACES via the airasia Super App can now travel seamlessly from arrival at the airport, departure gate to the flight, without having to present their boarding pass after self-check-in.

    In addition to making the journey through the airport more seamless with contactless document checks and significantly less queuing time, FACES also increases operational efficiencies, safety and security for the airline.

    AirAsia Malaysia, CEO, Riad Asmat, who will be speaking at the upcoming FTE APEX Asia Expo in Singapore on 9-10 November, commented: “As we are back painting the skies red, it is more important than ever for AirAsia to be focusing on implementing digital innovations that take the hassle out of air travel, providing a more seamless and efficient customer experience. It is also an opportune time for our facial recognition system to take centre stage following the government’s recent announcement of face masks no longer mandatory at public places and in flight.

    “As a digital and contactless procedure, which includes online check-in anywhere, anytime in the world with a click of a button, FACES is a definitive game-changer and a revolutionary enhancement to help restore confidence in air travel. From today, the new technology is available on selected flights from our main hub in klia2 as a start, and there are myriad of opportunities for us to expand FACES at other touchpoints such as self bag drop at the airport, payment features on our airasia Super App and many others across our airline and digital businesses.

    “Delivering the best value, choice and innovation has always been in our DNA and we are thrilled to join forces with Malaysia Airports to make the airport future-ready at a time where demand for air travel is rapidly returning to pre-pandemic levels. We look forward to deploying our contactless FACES technologies in  every  airport we operate to in the near future to make flying more convenient, efficient and seamless than ever before.”

    Enrolment for FACES can be done on the airasia Super App with a passport or a National identification card and a one-time verification process at dedicated airport counters W15 and W16 at KLIA2. Alternatively, guests can also enrol for FACES at the same counters.

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  • Malaysia new budget airline aims for cheaper fares than AirAsia

    Malaysia new budget airline aims for cheaper fares than AirAsia

    Malaysia’s MYAirline plans to begin commercial operations by the end of this year, with its CEO saying it can sell cheaper fares than domestic rival AirAsia — the region’s leading low-cost carrier.

    CEO Rayner Teo sees demand for low-cost air travel rising as Asia emerges from COVID pandemic restrictions. MYAirline hopes to stand out with cheaper tickets, better real-time customer support and punctual flights.

    “We believe we can easily offer cheaper flights based on cost structure,” Teo, also the carrier’s co-founder, told Nikkei Asia in a recent interview at its humble operation center above a shopping mall in Subang Jaya, near the capital Kuala Lumpur.

    Although MYAirline is the David to AirAsia’s Goliath, Teo and senior management are confident of their strategy, with some of them having gained experience at the airline owned by the Tony Fernandes-led Capital A.

    Kathleen Tan, MYAirline’s chief executive adviser, logged 13 years working for Fernandes, who with another investor led the purchase of AirAsia in 2001 which eventually shook up the region’s travel industry with low cost fares and no frills service.

    MYAirline’s cabin operations manager Mohd Izwan Razak, meanwhile, was on AirAsia’s payroll for 17 years. Teo himself worked at the airline for 15 years until July 2019, leaving as the group head of sales.

    Teo said he had not planned to fill MYAirline with ex-AirAsia staff, but that he had simply recruited those who had lost their jobs or been placed on furlough, including pilots and cabin crew, over the last two years when airline operations were drastically reduced because of the pandemic.

    MYAirline, which has received a license to operate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, plans to start with three secondhand Airbus A320s, but aims to increase its fleet size to 50 within the next five years.

    “We have signed some attractive deals with very large lessors,” Teo said, though he declined to provide details.

    Capital A’s Fernandes has refrained from commenting when asked recently by reporters about the MYAirline venture and the competition it could bring.

    Analysts say that MYAirline faces some challenges in competing on cost in an environment that includes established carriers AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines.

    “The airline is being marketed as an ultra-low-cost carrier, which is an interesting concept as AirAsia’s average cost per seat is one of the lowest in the industry and hard to beat,” said Shukor Yusof of Endau Analytics.

    Separately, Brendan Sobie, an independent aviation analyst, said that the start of MYAirline will intensify competition and bring back the problem of overcapacity that plagued Malaysia before the pandemic. Citing Malaysia Airports figures, Sobie said domestic passenger traffic in the country in August was at just 66% of pre-COVID levels in August of 2019, with international traffic at an even lower 38%.

    “There will be some stimulation as fares decline, possibly to pre-COVID levels, but this is hardly sustainable given today’s high fuel cost environment,” he said. “Prior to the pandemic domestic yields were very low and none of Malaysia’s domestic airlines was profitable.”

    Teo said the airline will use Kuala Lumpur International Airport as its central hub, plying domestic routes before expanding to international destinations after one year.

    A check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia showed that MYAirline has two million shares at one ringgit each, amounting to 2 million ringgit ($430,000) in paid-up capital. Private firms Zillion Wealth and Trillion Cove Holdings — both owned by local businessman Goh Hwan Hua — have stakes of 88% and 10%, respectively, in the airline. Teo owns the remaining 2% share.

    According to the website of money lender Trillion Cove, Goh who is listed as its CEO and director, has more than 20 years of experience managing information technology and application-related businesses in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. The site said he had been involved in various industries, including e-commerce, e-ticketing, fintech, retail and tourism.

    Teo said owning a commercial airline has been a longtime dream of Goh’s.

    “He has been asking me for the last seven years about the idea of forming an airline, and my answer has always been the same to him, that there are many ways to waste your money,” Teo said.

    “But in October 2020, when he (Goh) asked again, I thought this was the best time” to start preparing, he added, referring to the collapse in the global aviation sector due to travel restrictions and border closures.

  • AirAsia revives routes to Indonesia

    AirAsia revives routes to Indonesia

    AirAsia Malaysia (AK) continues to resume services to Indonesia by adding flights to Banda Aceh, Padang and Pekanbaru from Kuala Lumpur since 1 October 2022.

    In addition, the airline will launch flights from Penang to Denpasar in Bali starting on 20 October this year.

    In celebration of the service resumption to Indonesia, AirAsia welcomed flight AK421 from Kuala Lumpur to Banda Aceh on Monday with a delegation led by Dato’ Abdul Aziz Bakar, Non-Executive Director of Capital A.

    AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said: “Indonesia is a core market for AirAsia, and we are thrilled to be back, launching four new routes such as these with additional eight weekly flights, on top of six existing routes delivering a total of 66 flights weekly to Indonesia airports this month.

    “We are also very thankful for the strong support from the government of Indonesia and the provincial governments of Aceh, West Sumatra and Riau for their assistance in reopening these routes.

    “We are excited to reconnect these cities to Kuala Lumpur and Penang, bringing tourists from Malaysia, reconnecting families, and serving business travel.”

    Flights for Kuala Lumpur-Banda Aceh, Kuala Lumpur-Padang, Kuala Lumpur-Pekanbaru and Penang-Bali are now available for booking starting from MYR189 all-in-one way on the AirAsia Super App and online travel agents (OTAs).

    AirAsia Malaysia now flies 10 routes to Indonesia. From Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta, Bali, Medan, Makassar, Yogyakarta, Padang, Pekanbaru and Banda Aceh, as well as from Penang to Jakarta and Bali with plans to increase services to existing and new destinations in line with strong demand in the future.

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  • Face mask not compulsory on AirAsia flights

    Face mask not compulsory on AirAsia flights

    Face masks are now exempted on AirAsia Malaysia flights with immediate effect. This comes following the announcement by the government that face masks are no longer mandatory on flights.

    In a statement quoted by Bernama, AirAsia said the use of face masks onboard flights was optional for its guests unless they were traveling to or from destinations that required a face mask.

    However, guests who wish to wear a face mask onboard may continue to do so.

    “All our aircraft are equipped with powerful HEPA filters that remove 99.99% of dust particles and airborne contaminants, including viruses and bacteria. The cabin air is completely refreshed every three minutes to ensure the highest possible air quality throughout your flight,” it said yesterday.

    On Wednesday, the Health Ministry had announced that the wearing of face masks onboard aircraft was no longer compulsory after taking into consideration that aircraft technology had improved and that Covid-19 cases in Malaysia had been brought under better control.

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  • AirAsia announces flight resumption to Japan and a new direct route from Penang to Bali

    AirAsia announces flight resumption to Japan and a new direct route from Penang to Bali

    AirAsia today announced the resumption and launch of flights to Japan, namely Tokyo, Sapporo (via AirAsia X) and Fukuoka. Moreover, the airline company also announced the launch of a new direct route from Penang to Bali.

    In a press release regarding its 5 million free seats sale today, AirAsia reminded consumers that there are only 2 days left for them to grab flight seats under the promotion. Launched on Monday (19 September 2022), the promotion has been super successful with over 500,000 seats being sold within just 48 hours, with the free seats meaning that consumers only have to pay for airport taxes and other applicable charges.

    For the resumption of flights to Japan, AirAsia elaborated that seats are now on sale following the recent announcement by the Japanese government to lift travel restrictions starting 11 October 2022. Accordingly, AirAsia is offering flights to Japan from RM599 for Economy and from RM2599 for Premium Flatbeds. Besides that, AirAsia X will also be resuming popular flights to Jeddah starting November 2022, starting from RM1799 for Economy and RM2999 for Premium Flatbeds.

    As for the new direct route from Penang to Bali, AirAsia is offering seats from RM159 for travel between 20 October 2022 to 25 March 2023. The seats are now on sale for the first time ever on the airasia Super App and AirAsia official website.

    For those that prefer to travel domestically, AirAsia also announced flights to local destinations start from RM23 inclusive of taxes and charges. For more information, do follow @flyairasia on Instagram/Facebook or @airasia on WeChat/Weibo for the latest updates. As always, make sure to stay tuned to TechNave for the latest trending tech news in Malaysia and beyond.

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  • AirAsia offers 5 million free seats to celebrate its rapid comeback

    AirAsia offers 5 million free seats to celebrate its rapid comeback

    Asia’s low-fare carrier, AirAsia, is reportedly offering five million free seats to its passengers to celebrate its rapid comeback. The airlines launched a sale on tickets on September 19. The customers can buy tickets with offers till September 25.

    The report further said that the offers will be valid if the travel dates lie between January 1, 2023, and October 28, 2023.

    The offer can be availed on the airline’s website and mobile application. It can be availed by clicking on the “Flights” icon on the app or website.

    “ We wish to thank our loyal passengers who have had our back through thick and thin with the biggest ever FREE Seats* campaign. Not only have we resumed many of our much-loved routes, but we’re also introducing new and exciting ones for greater value and choice,” Karen Chan, group chief commercial officer, AirAsia.

    “This extra special sale was also put together to celebrate our 21st birthday and the gradual reopening of borders worldwide. With all of that, we encourage everyone to take advantage of our Big sale and commitment to always make air travel accessible to everyone. As always, we expect the best value fares will be snapped up fast, which is why we urge value seekers to get in quick,” Chan added.

    The offer is available to travelers from several ASEAN countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

    Two months ago, AirAsia gave away free trips to passengers.