Tag Archives: AirAsia

AirAsia Philippines acquires 40% of the stock of Zest Air in a stock trade

AirAsia Philippines (Angeles City, Pampanga-Clark International Airport) has agreed to acquire all of the shares Zest’s affiliate Asiawide Airways from Alfredo Yao, vice chairman of Export and Industry Bank Inc. and the Zest-O Corporation. This acquisition will give AirAsia 40 percent of the shares of Zest Air (Zest Airways) (Manila). In return, Yao will get a 15 percent share in closely held AirAsia (Kuala Lumpur) according to this report by Bloomberg.Each airline, both former competitors, will now operate separately but will be aligned with each other.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Terry Wade. AirAsia’s (AirAsia.com) (Philippines) Airbus A320-216 RP-C8191 (msn 4989) is seen at London (Gatwick) prior to the delivery.

AirAsia:

Zest Air:

Middle Copyright Photo Below: AirAsia. AirAsia and Zest Air officials celebrate the new association.

Bottom Copyright Photo: Manuel Negrerie. Zest Air’s (Zest Airways) Airbus A320-232 RP-C8994 (msn 743) climbs away from Taipei (TPE).

India to review the AirAsia-Tata joint venture proposal on March 6

AirAsia (AirAsia.com) (Malaysia) (Kuala Lumpur) and the Tata Group (Mumbai) have announced a new joint venture proposal. If approved by the Indian government the new JV would bring a new low-fare airline to India under the AirAsia brand based in Chennai.

According to this report by One India News the Indian Finance Ministry is due to take up the proposal before the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on March 6.

AirAsia has applied to control 49 percent in this new joint venture with Tata Sons Ltd and Arun Bhatia’s Telestra Tradeplace Pvt Ltd. If approved, this will be the return of Tata to the aviation business. State-owned Air India grew out of Tata Airlines, which began operations in 1932. Ironically Air India (Mumbai) and other Indian carriers are likely to oppose the entry of AirAsia.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Guillaume Besnard. AirAsia’s Airbus A320-216 9M-AFQ (msn 3018) in the special ZOOM! color scheme arrives at Bangkok.

AirAsia (Malaysia):

AirAsia orders 100 additional Airbus A320 Family aircraft

AirAsia (AirAsia.com) (Malaysia) (Kuala Lumpur) has placed a new order with Airbus for 100 additional A320 Family aircraft. The contract covers an additional 64 A320neo and 36 A320ceo aircraft for operation across the carrier’s network.

The order was announced during a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron to the Airbus wing manufacturing facility at Broughton in the UK, where Mr Cameron witnessed the signing of documents by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia and Fabrice Brégier, President & CEO, Airbus.

The contract reaffirms AirAsia’s position as the largest A320 Family airline customer in the world. Altogether, the carrier has now ordered 475 single aisle aircraft from Airbus, comprising 264 A320neo and 211 A320ceo. Over 100 aircraft have already been delivered to the airline and are flying out of its bases in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and Tokyo.

Top Copyright Photo: Eurospot. The first new Airbus A320 for AirAsia with the new Sharklet winglets is this Airbus A320-216 with the temporary registration of F-WWIC (msn 5428) at Toulouse. The new airliner, which also sports the new 2012 livery, will be delivered as 9M-AQQ.

AirAsia (Malaysia):

Bottom Image: Airbus.

Thai AirAsia to return to Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport on October 1

Thai AirAsia (AirAsia.com) (Bangkok) will move all of its operations from the large (but more congested) Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) back to the smaller (but underutilized) Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) on October 1. The low-fare airline is currently being impacted at BKK with a runway closure that is renovating the east runway until August 9, 2012.

The company issued the following statement:

“AirAsia affirms its readiness to transfer all operations to Don Mueang International Airport by October 1, 2012. The airline assures Don Mueang Airport will be able to accommodate its growing fleet and provide its customers with the utmost satisfaction.”

Thai AirAsia is planning to grow its Airbus A320 fleet to 48 aircraft.

Thai AirAsia:

AirAsia Japan prepares to launch scheduled operations on August 1

AirAsia Japan (AirAsia Japan Company Limited) (Tokyo-Narita) is getting ready to take delivery of its second Airbus A320 (JA02AJ). The new airline took delivery of its first Airbus A320 (JA01AJ) June 8, 2012 at Toulouse, France. As we previously reported, the new carrier will start scheduled operations on August 1 from Narita International Airport to Sapporo and Fukuoka, and from August 3 to Okinawa with an initial fleet of these two A320s.

AirAsia Japan will start international operations to Seoul (Incheon) and Pusan in South Korea in October, with the fleet growing to four A320s by the end of 2012.

AirAsia Japan’s A320s are configured in a high comfort, all economy layout with 180 seats. Each aircraft is powered by CFM56 engines.

AirAsia Japan, established in August 2011, is a joint venture between Japan’s largest airline ANA Group (67%) and low-cost airline AirAsia (33%). Operating under the AirAsia brand, AirAsia Japan will serve both domestic and international destinations.

Copyright Photo: Yvan Panas. The second Airbus A320, specifically this A320-216 with the test registration of F-WWIX will be delivered this month as JA02AJ. Oddly this aircraft wears a different color scheme from the first A320 (JA01AJ). It is unclear if this represents a new livery for the AirAsia family of airlines.

Bombardier is in talks with AirAsia about a possible order

Bombardier (Toronto) is reportedly in talks with AirAsia (Malaysia) (Kuala Lumpur) about a high density (160 seat) version of its new CSeries airliner according to this report by Reuters.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

AirAsia (Malaysia):

Virgin Atlantic to sell its 10% share in AirAsia X

Virgin Atlantic Airways (London) is expected to sell its 10 percent share of AirAsia X (Kuala Lumpur) to existing stockholders for $21 million.

Read the full report from Asia One: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum.

Virgin Atlantic:

AirAsia X:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Pepscl.

AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines in a new share swap

AirAsia (AirAsia.com) (Malaysia) Airbus A320-216 9M-AFW (msn 3403) (AT&T Williams) KUL (Michael B. Ing), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

AirAsia (AirAsia.com) (Kuala Lumpur) and Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur), once fierce competitors, can moving closer and preparing to become shareholders in each company.

According to this published report by the China Post, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, which owns about 70 percent of Malaysia Airlines, would get a stake in AirAsia, while Tune Air SDN BHD, which owns 26 percent of AirAsia, would get a 20 percent share of Malaysia Airlines. Tune Air is partly controlled by AirAsia’s CEO Tony Fernandes and another partner.

The intent of this proposed deal is to save financially-challenged Malaysia Airlines.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Malaysia Slide Show: CLICK HERE