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From Singapore Straits Times: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_396488.html It just got easier to fly to Kuala Lumpur. From Wednesday , Malaysian low-cost airline Firefly will join six other Malaysian and Singapore carriers already flying the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route. Firefly, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), will head to Subang Airport near the Malaysian capital three times daily, and add one flight from July 15. The route, once dominated by MAS and Singapore Airlines (SIA), has been progressively opened up to other players in recent times. Firefly's entry brings the tally of weekly flights between the two cities to more than 200. Ms Angelina Fernandez, Firefly's head of marketing and communications, said bookings are 'going well', with 40 per cent of tickets for the first two weeks already sold. One trump card that Firefly has, she noted, is that its planes land in Subang, which is only a 15-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur city. Flights by its rivals - MAS, AirAsia, SIA, SilkAir, Jetstar and Tiger Airways - end up in Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang or the low-cost terminal near the main airport. It may take more than 40 minutes to reach the city from either venue, depending on the choice of transport. Firefly uses the 72-seat turboprop ATR 72-500 aircraft to serve its network of many small towns that may not be viably served by bigger planes. It is also launching flights from Singapore to other Malaysian towns such as Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan next month, and Malacca in September. But in the hotly contested Singapore-Kuala Lumpur sector, is the market big enough for all? Mr Matt Hobbs, Tiger's head of corporate communications, is confident of its chances, noting that the 'variety of choices now has encouraged many more to fly' rather than take buses.

Pieter, I think the sweetie was an A332. Great shots guys - fortunately the bulis only came towards the end of your stint. Keep them pix coming for this 4th Anniversary album!

It has made its first STN flight and has be a-netted too! http://www.airliners.net/photo/AirAsia-X/A...02c48d93a7dac57

Female AK flight attendants, I presume... if that is the case, I speculate that this calendar might enjoy brisk sales, onboard and online!

I suspect AirAsia is going to produce a 2010 Calendar with Raiderettes featured in it....

AirAsia (5099) will sponsor National Football League (NFL) Oakland Raiders for "multiple years" in a move to boost its brand recognition in America. While the scope of the sponsorship has not been fully finalised, AirAsia has marked the start of the sponsorship by painting one its Airbus A340s, plying the Kuala Lumpur-London route, with the Oakland Raiders livery. "This is not about flying to America, its really about the millions of Americans who travel through Southeast Asia, and we want them to remember the AirAsia brand," AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said in Sepang yesterday. He attributed AirAsia X's success in filling up flights from London, for example, to its sponsorship of Manchester United. In 2005, AirAsia signed a deal to be the football club's official low-cost carrier. AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani said the trans-continental aircraft painted in Oakland Raiders livery, signifies the airline's ambition to open up the North American market as its future growth area. American destinations on the radar include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Hawaii. On a recent report which criticised AirAsia for sponsoring the American team instead of a Malaysian one, Fernandes said in terms of sponsorships, the airline is one of the top supporters of Malaysian sports. "Sponsorship is not charity. We have a responsibility to our shareholders to deliver value (for everything we do)," he said. Meanwhile in a separate press conference, AirAsia chairman Datuk Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar clarified that the airline has been making monthly payments to Malaysia Airports Holding Bhd (MAHB). "However, there is a disputed amount of about RM100 million which is still outstanding (which we believe we are being overcharged), pending a decision of AirAsia's requests for MAHB to review its charging mechanism," he said. He said this in response to statements made in the Parliament recently that the company has not paid MAHB since 2002 Source: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIM...icle/index_html

AirAsia paying MAHB monthly AIRASIA said it has been making monthly payments on the money owing to Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for using its airport services. However, there is a portion that has remained outstanding, pending decision on AirAsia's request for MAHB to review its charging mechanism, AirAsia chairman Datuk Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar said in a statement today. He said this in response to statements made in the Parliament recently that the company has not paid MAHB since 2002. "These (outstanding sum) include the high airport terminal charges and tariff which are the same as those applied to the KL International Airport (KLIA) Main Terminal Building which we feel is too high considering the very basis for facilities at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LLCT)," he said. Transport Minister, Ong Tee Kiat had on May 20 told the Parliament that AirAsia owed about RM110 million to MAHB for its use of aiports in the country from March 2002 to March 31, 2008. "AirAsia is in a strong financial position and able to meet its financial obligations as and when due," the statement said. The company abided by the government's directive to move to the LCCT from the Main Terminal Building on March 23, 2006 in support of the government's effort to boost the LCC industry in Malaysia and to turn Kuala Lumpur into the regional LCC hub. "We received indications that MAHB would review for a contract as well as a service level agreement but three years on after the move, neither a commercial agreement or a service level agreement had been prepared and presented to MAHB," Abdul Aziz said. With the increasing aircraft fleet, increased passenger numbers brought into Malaysia via LCCT and substantial landings due to higher flight frequency and aggressive route expansion, the company has helped MAHB recover its investment in terminal buildings, runway and supporting infrastructure much earlier than expected, he said. This is the company's contribution to improve the efficient and effective utilisation over some of these charges and that dispute needs to be resolved. "Contrary to claims made, the current management of AirAsia has paid MAHB on a monthly basis. "The issue is not one of AirAsia withholding payments to MAHB but the issue is that there is a dispute over some of these charges and that dispute needs to be resolved," Abdul Bakar added. He, however said that the company welcomed the government's move to appoint a consultant to resolve the issues between AirAsia and MAHB. "We hope the government's intervention in this matter will help bring about a swift resolution that will be beneficial to all parties concerned," he said. Since moving to the LCCT in March 2006, AirAsia has been overcharged by no less than RM12 million. There are also growth incentives on the increase in number of passenger throughput and landings worth no less than RM90 million, for which both parties have been in discussion but yet to reach a conclusion. AirAsia has since 2003 paid MAHB a total of RM404 million. In 2008, it paid RM117 million, while in the first five months of this year, over RM40 million has been paid. -- Bernama Source: http://web6.bernama.com/aviation_news/news...ng=en&cat=b

Capt Radzi, I believe the A350 will have a different cockpit from the A330. So whether it is the B787 or the A350, there will be conversion involved...

Actually, a small airline like MH should not operate too many aircraft types as it only increases costs and operational complexities. The B787 is a useful replacement for the current A330s but it will not be able to replace the B744s, T7s. MH needs to replace their A330s and 744s more urgently than it needs to replace the T7s. As the A350 will replace both the A330/A340 family, MH should seriously look at this aircraft as a replacement for the A330 and B744s. Later on, models like the A350-1000 can be ordered to replace the older T7s.

That is only important if D7 intends to carry cargo, like on its STN flights. If it only carries pax and baggage, it will almost never reach MTOW.

I don't recall MH having placed any orders for the B787. They have not finalised their wide body replacement plans yet, so we will still need to wait a while more.

So it was really a Win-Win arrangement. The DCA get free pix and you guys get official escort on your plane spotting mission. Yes, doing "A Day in the life of KLIA" would be a very good idea. Maybe this can be proposed to DCA/MAHB. Perhaps a book can be published and proceeds to be donated to charity.

From The Star: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?f...mp;sec=business SYDNEY: Qantas Airways Ltd. said Friday it had canceled orders for 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and delayed the delivery of a further 15 aircraft due to turbulent market conditions. But Australia's flagship carrier said it remains committed to the new carbon fiber jetliner. Qantas said it had reached a mutual agreement with the U.S.-based Boeing Co. to defer the delivery of 15 Boeing 787-8 aircraft by four years and cancel orders for 15 Boeing 787-9s scheduled for delivery in 2014/2015. The B787-8 Dreamliner is a slightly smaller version of the B787-9. Chief Executive Alan Joyce said the changes to the group's B787 orders were appropriate in the current climate. Joyce said discussions with Boeing, which commenced some months ago, had not been influenced by the announcement this week of a design issue and further delay to the aircraft's first flight. On Tuesday, Boeing canceled the first flight of the B787-8 after a wing problem emerged, delaying deliveries for a fifth time. Boeing said the first flight and first delivery would be rescheduled and it would advise of the new schedule in the coming weeks. The cancellation of orders for 15 B787-9s would reduce the group's aircraft capital expenditure by $3 billion based on current list prices, Joyce said. Joyce said Qantas announced its original B787 order in 2005 and the "operating environment for the world's airlines has clearly changed dramatically since then." "Delaying delivery, and reducing overall B787 capacity, is prudent, while still enabling Qantas and (budget subsidiary) Jetstar to take advantage of growth opportunities and market demands, both domestically and internationally," he said in a statement. Joyce said Qantas remained committed to the aircraft as the right choice for Jetstar's international expansion, Qantas's growth and as a replacement for Qantas's B767-300 fleet. Joyce described the latest delay was "disappointing." But he said Qantas did not expect the delay to affect the company, given the changes to its delivery program. - AP

Since Xcellence is doing the route again today, you might have taken it back to KUL. Well, did you?

I think D7 currently has a problem - it does not have enough planes yet. I am sure they will look into it once their fleet is of sufficient size.

Yes indeed! There are free seats for 6 Feb 2010. So KUL-SIN Return ticket is only RM 95, all of that is airport tax! Any takers?

Apparently, D7 lent the plane to AK to help them out because one of their planes was down and this way, AK did not have to cancel KCH flights. Also helped D7 to get more pilots checked off for the A340. 9M-XAC actually starts full-time operations to STN this Saturday 27 Jun.

The leased 738s that MH are currently using is a stop gap measure pending delivery of their own planes starting from next year. Not sure why they need these planes - maybe for crew training and familiarisation so that they can jump straight into the new fleet once they start arriving.

Apparently, D7 lent the plane to AK to help them out because one of their planes was down and this way, AK did not have to cancel KCH flights. Also helped D7 to get more pilots checked off for the A340. 9M-XAC actually starts full-time operations to STN this Saturday 27 Jun.

AirAsia would beg to differ - they say that it is hard to get MAHB to move quickly. See we are already coming up to July and work has not even started on the permanent LCCT. They would say that they have to kick and shout for everything they got out of the MAHB. They will say that they achieved their success despite the inefficiency and lack of competitive business savviness shown by GLCs like MAHB. They also said that Khazanah, being the owner of MAS and MAHB, are trying to slow down the progress of AirAsia. I think AirAsia was clever to forge partnerships in Thailand and Indonesia. With those sister airlines, they can also make alternative plans should Malaysia proves to be too difficult.

Malaysian sports suffer from this disease - the more money you pump in, the worse the results will be. So it is better not to sponsor them. They just waste the money!

Well the plane will be used for the London and Tianjin routes - not sure how this fits in though. The UK has a small NFL following but I am not sure about China!

Awesome pix under difficult weather conditions! 9M-XAC has been closely followed - from its delivery flight to Singapore to the hangar shots at KLIA. MWingers are providing "full coverage" of this aircraft prior to its entering service on the STN and TSN routes! Well done guys!

Well MAHB is like the civil service, they are not very commercially minded. In normal commercial circumstances I don't think AK would be allowed to have a debt like that and can still use the facilities! AirAsia wants lower airport tax at LCCT LOW cost carrier AirAsia Bhd, wants Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to recommend a reduction in airport tax to the government for international passengers, at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). Its group chairman Datuk Aziz Bakar said today that the current rate of RM51 charged for international travellers was unfair, and should be reduced to RM10, as the LCCT did not have advantages such as aerobridges when compared to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). "Malaysia Airports should be recommending to the government to lower the charge as it is the entity operating the airport," he told reporters on the sidelines of AirAsia's Major Tariff Adjustment launch in Kuala Lumpur. "The Minister of Finance, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, will have to consider this. We have invested a lot and are always expanding and lowering cost. We want to make Kuala Lumpur a hub for travellers," he added. Aziz said AirAsia had helped bring about the multiplier effect to the country's economy through its passengers. "If Malaysia Airports look at the bigger picture of the economy, what is a few ringgit in service charges?" he asked. He said this when asked to comment on the issue of the RM65 million in airport tax owed by AirAsia to Malaysia Airports and which was brought up in Parliament yesterday. "We have been paying the charges. But the RM65 million is part of the payment we are holding back, until we resolve this issue," he explained. - Bernama From Business Times: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIM...icle/index_html AirAsia scraps administrative charges MALAYSIAN budget carrier AirAsia today scrapped administrative charges to boost passenger numbers but said it has not been hurt by the downturn that has affected most airlines worldwide. Chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said the company would lose RM400 million (US$114 million) a year by getting rid of the charges but said he wanted to keep a promise of providing the lowest fares. “I continue to remain bullish. Any product that can reduce cost will make more profit,” he said. “I have been in the business for the last seven years. There has been perpetual headwinds such as the outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Asia in 2003) and tsunami. We will continue to grow,” he added. “We are going the extra mile to live-up to our brand promise to have the lowest fares in the market,” he said, adding that passengers now need to pay only the fare and airport tax. “With no admin fee more people will travel with AirAsia, especially in view of the current economic uncertainties,” Fernandes added. Administration charges range from RM22 to RM43 per person. The world’s airlines are expected to lose US$9 billion this year, industry body IATA said early this month in a drastic reassessment of the worst slump the industry has ever faced. Carriers in all regions are expected to report losses in 2009, with Asia-Pacific airlines — once the brightest spot of the industry — accounting for more than a third of the global losses at RM3.3 billion. Fernandes said AirAsia will not defer arrivals of its Airbus A320 aircraft while its route expansion plans remained on track despite the bleak outlook of the sector. “We are not affected by the swine flu outbreak. We have not deferred our plane orders. We are doing very well. We are growing our capacity,” he said as the carrier planned to add Colombo to its route in August. Fernandes said its new fleet of A320s were fuel savers, which helped to lower operational cost. “Next week we will let go all our (16) Boeing 737s. We will then have a brand new A320 fleet,” he said. It currently has 62 A320s. AirAsia became the world’s biggest customer for the Airbus A320-200 after placing an order for 175 aircraft in December 2007, with an option for 50 more. Deliveries are expected to run until 2014. AirAsia last month said its profits rose 26 per cent in the three months to March, as it defied the economic downturn and boosted passenger numbers. The carrier posted net profits of RM203.2 million for the first quarter, compared with RM161.3 million a year earlier. -- AFP

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