Give us Sydney, not Pyongyang, says AirAsia X

[Mike P 0]

So D7 has to sacrificed some other routes for new routes now?

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

So D7 has to sacrificed some other routes for new routes now?

 

Lose one battle to win the war is much better than winning one battle but lost the war.

[Mike P 0]

Lose one battle to win the war is much better than winning one battle but lost the war.

 

This won't happen if the airport expansion was faster than their expansion.

[BC Tam 2]

This won't happen if the airport expansion was faster than their expansion.

Oh puh-leeze

[Robert 0]

Keeping KUL-SYD closed to competion is a bad move IMHO.

 

As usual the people lose out AGAIN

[Kris Kim 0]

Who cares, MEL is more important than SYD, MEL will get an extra x4 weekly flights in the Northern Winter timetable ontop of the current daily flights. It's not like having SYD will make a difference, D7 should look at other alternatives like Africa, Europe and even America instead of waiting for the governments approval.

 

Also D7 should have more than 12 Premium seats, on a routes like to Australia, it's not enough!

[jani 0]

I'm very happy for the opening of JED. Now hopefully more people can travel to Makkah etc

[alberttky 0]

AirAsia X continues to push hard to add Sydney airport to its Australian destinations from Kuala Lumpur.

 

Detailing the routes and territories the airline was looking at expanding into, AirAsia X chief executive Azran Osman-Rani said that offering flights to Australia's largest and most populous city was among the carrier's priorities.

 

"We are really looking at getting into Sydney," he said, and although its attempts to do so have so far failed to win the approval of the Malaysian authorities, Osman-Rani is hopeful the situation will change.

 

Japan is another area of expansion for the airline, which will begin services to Osaka from Kuala Lumpur on 30 November, in addition to its current service to Tokyo.

 

Speaking at the World Low Cost Carriers Congress in London on 21 September, Osman-Rani indicated that AirAsia X has further plans for Japan. He added that passenger numbers have returned following the earthquake and tsunami in March.

 

When asked whether the carrier would add further Japanese destinations, he said: "Give us another 12 months."

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/09/26/362493/airasia-x-looks-to-begin-sydney-service.html

[alberttky 0]

PETALING JAYA: Singapore's new long-haul no-frills carrier Scoot has chosen Sydney as its first city to fly into in mid-2012, a city that rival AirAsia X (AAX) has failed to gain entry into despite fighting for the rights for more than two years.

 

Scoot has also laid a direct challenge to Qantas and its unit Jetstar on its home ground by adding 400 seats a day to the route and it would appear that Scoot is capitalising on Qantas' weakness to get market share on the route.

 

Qantas is still facing union issues and has yet to pick between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore as its Asian hub.

 

But Brendan Sobie, an analyst with the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, expects AirAsia X to launch the Kuala Lumpur-Sydney route before Scoot launches the Singapore-Sydney route.

 

“Scoot rival AAX is already preparing to launch the Sydney route in the first half of 2012,'' Sobie said in his research note.

 

His argument is based on the fact that AirAsia group boss Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is now on the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) board and that could have changed things for AAX.

 

The low-cost long-haul airline AAX now flies to three cities in Australia Perth, Gold Coast and Melbourne.

 

He said AAX had long wanted to serve Sydney but for years did not receive approval from the government as MAS lobbied against AAX that was forcing MAS to lower its fares.

 

AAX in June this year had all the restrictions which also limited its footprint in China lifted, but was told it still could not yet serve Sydney.

 

However, the August equity swap between AirAsia and MAS, which led to Fernandes gaining a seat on the MAS board, has alleviated the tension.

 

MAS and AAX have been having meetings on route planning and when asked on the outcome over route allocation and whether Sydney was on the cards, AAX chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani said “It depends on the Government/Transport Ministry.''

 

He added: “We have done a lot to pioneer a new innovative business model that gives Malaysia a rare global industry leadership position. Are we going to let the Singaporeans overtake us because we are slow and unresponsive?''

 

Scoot is seen by many as a serious rival to AAX and it should shake up the low-cost travel market in this region.

 

It is also using bigger planes that can carry more passengers and has a parent, Singapore Airlines, that has deep pockets.

 

Sobie said the Singapore-Sydney route presently had no seats from low-cost carriers and this effectively gave Scoot for now a monopoly on the lower end of the market.

 

“In comparison, the competition is much more diverse in the Singapore-Melbourne market with SIA, Qantas, Jetstar and Emirates all operating,'' he said.

 

Scoot is Singapore Airlines long-haul low-cost carrier and to begin operations, it would use four B777-200 which it purchased from its parent. Scoot plans to have 14 planes by 2016, with long term plans to fly to India, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

 

Qantas has yet to decide where to locate its Asian operations, either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. Although recent reports suggest they are leaning towards KL, it is really hard to say what the final decision would be.

 

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/5/business/10023344&sec=business

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

Heard SYD is coming D7's way on the 8th of December...

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

I wonder which route that is going to be cut down to make way for SYD.

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

I wonder which route that is going to be cut down to make way for SYD.

 

Is Gold Coast doing well? Or Christchurch?

[alberttky 0]

maybe withdraw TPE from D7 and give to AK?

[flee 5]

I think that they will just reduce frequencies to PER/MEL/OOL to accommodate SYD. So total number of flights in and out of Oz will remain the same.

 

They have said they have the capability to launch two new routes with existing aircraft. KIX is now launched, so SYD should be within its capabilities.

[Mike P 0]

I think that they will just reduce frequencies to PER/MEL/OOL to accommodate SYD. So total number of flights in and out of Oz will remain the same.

 

They have said they have the capability to launch two new routes with existing aircraft. KIX is now launched, so SYD should be within its capabilities.

 

That explains why MEL becomes daily, instead of twice daily.

[Isaac 0]

maybe withdraw TPE from D7 and give to AK?

Don't think they will withdraw from TPE. They did say that TPE is doing so much better than projected and i was in TPE last week, man, the queue for Air Asia X counter was so freaking long.

 

By the way, Air Asia Group ground handling agent at TPE is EVA AIR and they do use the aerobridge there. Just saying

[Nik H. 3]

AAX will get SYD. Sooner than you think.

 

Interesting things will be announced in a few hours......

[Izanee 0]

Capt Nik, I will wait with great anticipation! lol

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

AAX will get SYD. Sooner than you think.

 

Interesting things will be announced in a few hours......

 

I think it's a given, isn't it?

[Y. J. Foo 0]

Kind of ironic that it'd (indirectly) involve Singaporeans to have D7's SYD route...

[flee 5]

Yup, Scoot is a wake up call. D7 could lose its competitive edge if the Malaysian authorities did not wake up and allow it to execute its business plans.

[BC Tam 2]

I think it's a given, isn't it?

Yes, considering the immense bother they had to endure with this share swap exercise, CCF, union opposition etc !

What there is left to speculate is whether MH will withdraw from SYD to make way for D7

[JuliusWong 0]

Most probably we get both D7 and MH for SYD market. It is both premium heavy and budget heavy.

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

Kind of ironic that it'd (indirectly) involve Singaporeans to have D7's SYD route.

Like! Singapore and Singaporeans must be so proud of their achievements in steering many of the decisions which involve national interest in Malaysia. I mean D7 has been lobbying to get SYD since June 2009, paint an aircraft to lobby its 'Liberate Sydney' campaign, involved in public spat in the media by Azran et al to nahi hee but minutes after Scoot announced SYD as their first destination 'because it is where competition at its weakest', boom boom paw! Magic!

 

My point is, D7 should have been granted SYD in June 2009.

[Waiping 12]

Like! Singapore and Singaporeans must be so proud of their achievements in steering many of the decisions which involve national interest in Malaysia. I mean D7 has been lobbying to get SYD since June 2009, paint an aircraft to lobby its 'Liberate Sydney' campaign, involved in public spat in the media by Azran et al to nahi hee but minutes after Scoot announced SYD as their first destination 'because it is where competition at its weakest', boom boom paw! Magic!

 

My point is, D7 should have been granted SYD in June 2009.

 

National interest had a different meaning over here.