Firefly may take MAS jets to expand

[KK Lee 5]

I wonder where did you get your info from???

 

MH annual report.

 

(1) FY can operate a hi-density all economy 738. MH cannot do that as it will alienate those who are willing to pay for frills (Hitherto, MH has been telling the world about its confused-sounding 5-star value carrier strategy). Both have different business models, catering to different segments of the market.

 

FY’s 738 to have different seating configuration from MH? Will MH code share with FY?

 

[Teo CK 0]

Does this latest development mean that FY is going to take over most of MH domestic operations such as KUL-BKI, KUL-SDK, KUL-TWU?

[Ikman Ikreza 0]

FY continued their 0.01 fare to BKI and KCH travel period for 15 June 2011 - 29 Oct 2011. Booking period start today until 21 Nov 2010 . Grab now.

Edited November 15, 2010 by Ikman Ikreza

[Waiping 12]

FY continued their 0.01 fare to BKI and KCH travel period for 15 June 2011 - 29 Oct 2011. Booking period start today until 21 Nov 2010 . Grab now.

 

MW Anniversary!!!

[Ikman Ikreza 0]

MW Anniversary!!!

 

Yup, better booking now for MW Anniversary

[Pieter C. 5]

Yup, better booking now for MW Anniversary

 

Still have 14days to go (with voting), and this is the result sofar:

 

Where should MW 6th Anniversary be held ?

KUL (18 votes [51.43%])

 

BKK (17 votes [48.57%])

[BC Tam 2]

Monday November 15, 2010

Local airlibnes (sic) expanding too quickly? Firefly, MAS and AirAsia may get 24 new aircraft next year

By JEEVA ARULAMPALAM

jeeva@thestar.com.my

 

PETALING JAYA: Can the local aviation sector support the rapid expansion plans of local airlines over the next several years? An educated guess may suggest otherwise.

 

Firefly, a wholly-owned unit of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), announced last week that it would commence jet aircraft operations out of the main terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in January.

 

It aims to operate six B737-800 aircraft from KLIA next year to East Malaysia, on top of its turboprop aircraft operations for domestic and regional routes out of Subang Airport.

 

.........

read in full at thestar

 

 

Interesting extract, even industry analysts not being too rosy about MH

“We don’t think the (local) air traffic growth rate will be able to support (Firefly’s) fleet deployment plan, given that AirAsia and MAS also has their own fleet growth plans. It is looking very likely that somebody has to give in, and MAS is the most probable candidate to relent,” the report said.

[flee 5]

Well that is to be expected. We at Mwings have advised MH to stop trying to compete with AK. So they have now set FY up as a LCC. It is only natural that FY will progressively fight with AK and MH will only fly certain strategic trunk routes. In view of the lower per capita income of Malaysians, FY should do much better that MH and should be in a better position to maintain their market share in the domestic sectors.

[Waiping 12]

Yup, better booking now for MW Anniversary

 

Did a mock booking just now and pricing has gone up to more than double of AK during that period although they would have 3 flights then compared to just 2 initially. I guess the new planes actually have a effect on local travelers.

[BC Tam 2]

So they have now set FY up as a LCC. It is only natural that FY will progressively fight with AK and MH will only fly certain strategic trunk routes.

To effectively compete against AK on sustainable basis, FY must ensure it maintains low COST carrier set up. A recipe ripe for disaster if it does low FARE carrier operations atop foundation of legacy airline costs, or at least remnants of FY's parent's structure

[Ikman Ikreza 0]

fireflyz first b737-800 is 9M-MLA.

today it come to szb for maint check and repainting

 

Is it they will remain using 9M-MLA for reg# or follow as existing FY reg# 9M-FYx?

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

FY crew will start simulator training in Glenmarie with the new 737NG simulator come the first week of Jan.

 

They've also been training at CAE KL for their 737 Classic rating .

 

Should be interesting

[flee 5]

They've also been training at CAE KL for their 737 Classic rating .

 

Should be interesting

So FY are taking B734's too, huh?

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

I don't know , but a few sets of crew have recently received the 737-400 type rating

[flee 5]

I don't know , but a few sets of crew have recently received the 737-400 type rating

Perhaps initially MH crew will fly the FY B738s and FY crew may be replacing the seconded MH crew onboard MH's B734's until they have enough hours to attempt type rating for B738's?

[TK 0]

fire fly...semua dia mau!!! (they want everything)

light up and fly!!

[S M Tang 0]

I wonder if there'll be an unveiling ceremony plus some flyby. How long would the maintanance (C-Check I assume) and the repainting take?

[flee 5]

Firefly to make Senai next hub?

 

Firefly looks set to use Johor's Senai Airport as the second hub for its jet planes and is eyeing regional destinations like Jakarta and Bandung in Indonesia.

 

Business Times learnt that Firefly has leased two Boeing 737-400 planes, and these will be positioned at Senai Airport.

 

It is not known if any of the Boeing 737-800 planes ordered by the airline will be joining the fleet of 737-400 jets at Senai.

 

It is understood, however, that Firefly is leasing the two planes on a short-term basis.

 

Sources said subject to traffic rights approval, Firefly aims to operate the jets from Senai by the first quarter of 2011 and is eyeing routes such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Bandung, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

 

"There is also great potential for other international airports like those in Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Penang to serve as subsequent hubs for Firefly jets," one source said.

 

Making Senai Airport a hub may also help spur the airport and the Iskandar Malaysia region.

 

For Iskandar, it could help draw more investments as it means better connectivity for existing and potential investors.

 

The airport, meanwhile, can expect to be infused with a new lease of life, following many repeated attempts by other airlines which had previously introduced international and domestic flights.

 

These efforts had not taken off, resulting in an under capacity at the airport, which has recently been upgraded with a first of its kind Aeromall.

 

The airport is currently served by MAS, Firefly and low-cost carrier AirAsia.

 

Last month, Firefly announced that it will add 30 Boeing 737-800 to its fleet over the next five years, which will operate from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's main terminal.

 

The airline will receive the initial six 737-800s next year, the first of which will ply the Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching routes from January 15 2011.

 

Firefly will receive seven more jets in 2012, another seven in 2013, five in 2014 and the last five in 2015.

 

The airline began operations in 2007 from the Penang International Airport with three Fokker F-50 planes, which were replaced a year later by turpo-propellers ATR-72-500 planes.

 

Sources said Firefly is not expected to exit the turbo-propeller operations which have been reportedly profitable, as it still has seven more authorised ATR 72-500s which are set to join its existing fleet of seven in a staggered manner from this month.

 

Source: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/ff9/Article/index_html

 

I don't know , but a few sets of crew have recently received the 737-400 type rating

I guess the story above confirms why they are are doing this...

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

Sources said subject to traffic rights approval, Firefly aims to operate the jets from Senai by the first quarter of 2011 and is eyeing routes such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Bandung, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Well AK is currently serving BKI, KUL, KCH, MYY, PEN and SBW from JHB. And I believe they tried CGK, SUB, PLM and BKK in the past and it didn't went well so they were all dropped. With FY supposedly have higher operating cost than AK, I am quite skeptical that those plans are going to work, but maybe the current market condition can prove FY is right.

[KK Lee 5]

Given FY cost is higher than AK, not sure FY can compete with AK with similar size aircraft.

 

For lower CASK, FY should operate A332 between KUL and BKI, KCH, KBR.

 

For other lower density routes, FY should consider ERJ or CRJ.

[Ikman Ikreza 0]

Some picture of FY B738 rego 9M-FFA found on internet after done repainted from previous MAS B738 9M-MLA.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ezi6QL_UYpE/TQ8NGS7obhI/AAAAAAAAAi0/pLFzdUzkkso/s1600/20122010130.jpg

Edited January 1, 2011 by Ikman Ikreza

[Pieter C. 5]

FY colours look very 'refreshing' on the 738...

 

Well, you know: Dutch have 'something' with orange, anyhow...

[Ja Singh 2]

Does look nice

[Josh T 0]

It does look nice, doesn't it? I've never really been a fan of the colour orange but I think that's because Jetstar makes the orange look cheap. But orange against white and black would look quite classy.

[suadrif 0]

Look nicer than MH new linery....