AirAsia plans strong growth in Southeast Asia
AP reports that AirAsia CE Tony Fernandes plans to rapidly expand services in the region next year as it takes delivery of new Airbus A320 jets. The airline has ordered 60 of the 182-seater A320s with the option to buy another 40. It took delivery of its first A320 earlier this month, with the rest to be delivered over five years. By June 2006, AirAsia’s fleet will grow to 41 planes including seven A320s, up from 35 now, allowing it to beef up the operations of its Thai and Indonesian affiliates, Fernandes said. In 2006, AirAsia plans to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and to Burma and Laos. Those would be added to new routes to Indonesia’s Balikpapan and Solo, and Cambodia’s Siem Reap that will be launched late December to early January. Fernandes said AirAsia will also explore new destinations to China from Thailand and Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu on Borneo island. Its 49%-owned Thai AirAsia associate now flies to southern China’s Xiamen from Bangkok.
Prahok @ December 19, 2005