Air Asia X wins approval to serve Paris

[flee 5]

Right now both A340´s are just enough to run the STN-route.

It seems only A330´s might be availlable at short notice.

(unless D7 can source 1-2 more A 340´s somewhere ... (but then they´d still need to be configurated to D7 requirements)

Well the A343 would be the most suitable and perhaps D7 could try to lease one more aircraft since this route is only a twice weekely service. The remaining spare capacity can be used to boost the STN service frequency, now 9X weekly.

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

Sometimes you have to wonder why when they ordered the A330s didn't they think about ordering A340s for long range flights? At least if they got A340s it'll give them more options on new routes to build up, especially to Europe.

[Y. J. Foo 0]

Sometimes you have to wonder why when they ordered the A330s didn't they think about ordering A340s for long range flights? At least if they got A340s it'll give them more options on new routes to build up, especially to Europe.

IIRC they initially wanted to use a secondary hub somewhere in Middle East (e.g. Abu Dhabi) for the EU ops.

 

 

 

[flee 5]

Sometimes you have to wonder why when they ordered the A330s didn't they think about ordering A340s for long range flights? At least if they got A340s it'll give them more options on new routes to build up, especially to Europe.

D7 did not order the A340 because they had found the fuel consumption on shorter routes to be too high. So they have decided to get the A350 instead. They leased the A340's as a short term stop gap solution. However, they are finding that A343's are still not cheap to lease because of the B787's continued delays. I think D7 are praying hard for the B787 to begin deliveries so that lease rates for A343's will become more favourable for their economics. We can expect D7 to move into the >9 hour sectors once they get their A350s in 2015.

 

D7 was initially more focussed on the Asia Pacific market as it is supposed to have rich pickings. I do not think D7 has any ambitions on European destinations other than the UK - the European market is not as lucrative. However, with government protection (and it is not just the Malaysian govt. who are blocking D7) on their various intended destinations (Korea, Japan and Sydney being the most obvious), they had no choice but to look at other routes for their new aircraft.

 

I think that after HND their next focal point will be JED - that is another high traffic route and can serve as a springboard to European destinations with the A333.

[flee 5]

It makes me wonder how they will enter the Paris market ...

(not so much when - certainly not at the beginning of winter schedule - rather somwhere at the late first Quarter of 2011 at earliest ... )

 

Right now both A340´s are just enough to run the STN-route.

 

Let´s wait and see !

A D7 insider has said that they will continue with existing resources. 6X to STN and 4X to ORY each week.

 

I guess that they are not so confident about the demand to ORY - so they would hedge their bets first before taking on more commitments. The LCCT cannot accommodate aircraft longer than the A333/343, so leasing the A346 to ply the STN route is also not a real option.

[BC Tam 2]

..... to boost the STN service frequency, now 9X weekly.

 

..... they will continue with existing resources. 6X to STN and 4X to ORY each week.

 

Meaning they will sacrifice 3x weekly STN frequencies to accomodate ORY services ?

[flee 5]

Yes, it would appear to be the case. There could also be pax who currently fly to STN to connect to EU destinations - some might even want to go to Paris! So it would not make too much difference to them whether they fly to STN or ORY.

 

But my personal opinion is that they are not prepared to commit further resources (e.g. leasing another A343) to a new service until it has proven itself. If ORY proves to be a success, they will probably allocate more resources. They learnt their lesson from the AUH disaster.

Edited September 27, 2010 by flee

[BC Tam 2]

Therein I believe lies one massive advantage AK/D7 has over MH - flexibility in determining her own destiny

Can you even begin to imagine the uproar if MH is to reduce her LHR frequencies so that the birds can then be made vailable to try out .... well eg. Berlin

[Juergen Witte 0]

There could also be pax who currently fly to STN to connect to EU destinations - some might even want to go to Paris! So it would not make too much difference to them whether they fly to STN or ORY.

 

You´re right !

Something one has to keep in mind is the fact that the U.K. is not Schengen member !!!

So, flying to ORY will open up new possibilities.

The visa subject is a significant point for non-EU citizens living within the Schengen area.

Best example: I´m German - my wife is Filipino - and we live in Germany. She needs a visa for the UK which is a really painful and time consuming act !!!!!!

This prevents us from flying D7 via STN to KUL (and then 5J to MNL)

From Paris it would be much easier - and access to ORY is also easy either flying AF e.g ex SXB (Strasbourg) or even going by high speed train.

 

So, there are quite a lot of intra-Schengen low cost flights into ORY (Easyjet in particular) and highspeed trains to Paris that will feed indirectly to D7.

 

In my opinion the switching of some flights from STN to ORY instead of acquiring additional capacity is a very smart move !

 

I´m already "desperately" waiting for D7 coming to France although CGN or even FRA would be even better for us ...

(maybe D7 will consider FRA in 1-2 yrs when the new runway at FRA is operational and opens up significantly more slots)

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

I guess some of us here are aware that D7's first A333, 9M-XAA, has been repainted into a new special livery.

 

 

And if the livery is to be trusted, Paris is a confirmed destination.

 

 

And so does Sydney.

 

Pictures are from AirAsia X Group in Facebook.

Edited October 11, 2010 by Mohd Azizul Ramli

[flee 5]

I guess some of us here are aware that D7's first A343, 9M-XAA, has been repainted into a new special livery.

I think you meant to say that the plane is an A333!

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

Thanks flee for the correction.

[Ikman Ikreza 0]

I guess some of us here are aware that D7's first A333, 9M-XAA, has been repainted into a new special livery.

 

 

And if the livery is to be trusted, Paris is a confirmed destination.

 

 

And so does Sydney.

 

Pictures are from AirAsia X Group in Facebook.

 

Yup, i saw after just landing yesterday night this new livery AirAsia X parked at LCCT International departure. Very nice and simple.

[flee 5]

And if the livery is to be trusted, Paris is a confirmed destination.

 

And so does Sydney.

Not sure if it can be 100% trusted as SINGAPORE is not a D7 destination - only a MRO destination!

[Juergen Witte 0]

Something that confuses me right now is that AUH is still in the pull-down menu ...

Who knows whether they decided to resume AUH or not ...

For a system bug it´s there too long already !

So, it makes one wonder if it´s related to the ORY flights

[flee 5]

Something that confuses me right now is that AUH is still in the pull-down menu ...

Who knows whether they decided to resume AUH or not ...

For a system bug it´s there too long already !

So, it makes one wonder if it´s related to the ORY flights

D7 CEO Azran has said this when some people asked him about this:

I cannot find AUH under our list of routes (no plans to revive)

[Yusoff 1]

I guess some of us here are aware that D7's first A333, 9M-XAA, has been repainted into a new special livery.

 

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs116.snc4/36149_444506363471_506548471_5402729_469308_n.jpg

 

 

TG Royal Boat, anyone??...

[Waiping 12]

TG Royal Boat, anyone??...

 

I saw it last Saturday at LCCT so from afar it really looked like TG Royal Barge. I even thought the skyline was actually KL skyline.

[jani 0]

What structure are they trying to depict right under the word "Kuala Lumpur"?

[jjfirdaus 0]

What structure are they trying to depict right under the word "Kuala Lumpur"?

 

Hi Jani

 

If I'm not mistaken, it was Wat Arun of Bangkok.

[flee 5]

It looks like Paris will launch soon - the AirAsia website already has a homepage for France.

 

SEOUL, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- AirAsia X, the low-cost long-haul arm of AirAsia, is to expand its long-haul destination to Paris after Tehran, Tokyo and Seoul.

 

An official announcement will be made in France soon once flight details were finalised with the French authorities, said chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani.

 

He said Paris, a keenly-awaited destination, is expected to be a hit among Malaysians.

 

"Our company is in a strong position, enabling us to expand to new destinations, more so with the addition of another Airbus A330 aircraft by middle of this month, bringing to 11 such aircraft," he told reporters at the launch of AirAsia X's inaugural Kuala Lumur-Seoul direct flight which landed at the Incheon International Airport last night.

 

Azran said the airline intends to fly to Jeddah, Sydney and New Zealand next year.

[Naim 6]

It looks like Paris will launch soon - the AirAsia website already has a homepage for France.

 

yes, i think feb 2011, we can head for orly. :-)

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

D7's schedule into ORY has been uploaded into Aeroport de Paris web guide.

 

According to Aeroport de Paris web guide AirasiaX is to fly KUL-ORY-KUL four Times a week as follows :

from February 14 th , 2011

 

On Sundays and Wenesdays arr ORY 07h45LT dep ORY 10h00 LT

On Mondays and Thursdays arr ORY 15h40LT dep ORY 17h10 LT

 

All operated as non stop flights,

 

Aircraft : A340-300

4 weekly is 100% increase from the last approval. It also means STN's reduction in frequency is confirmed.

[flee 5]

I think that with the UK air passenger tax rising to almost £200 for destinations over 4000 miles, it is going to make STN a less attractive place to fly out of. As such, cutting STN may not be such a bad thing. If demand is high, D7 could simply wet lease another plane to put on additional flights in the summer holiday season.

Edited November 7, 2010 by flee

[flee 5]

This is the KUL-STN flight schedule post Paris launch - so its 6X to STN and 4X to ORY, more or less set in stone:

 

 

No flights to STN on Mondays. Now, I wonder what they will do when XAB and XAC goes in for their C-checks...