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AirAsia Group/AirAsia X Group Service Changes

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From my insider's information, Osaka will be their mini hub owing to lower operation cost compared to Haneda or Narita and AirAsia Japan Mark II will be based there too. Am not sure if AirAsia X US plan is viable for long term. The China Big 4 are offering dirt cheap fare with B787, B77W, A330 and A380 ex-KUL. China Airlines and Eva Air too. ANA Group has three A380 coming, and JAL Group will not want to lose out without putting up a big fight.

 

AirAsia Japan has yet to commence operation since "last century". Japanese Government is largely protective of local industries, so TF and KM need to play the chess carefully,hopefully it doesn't ended up like AirAsia Japan Mark I.

Edited by JuliusWong

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Basically Japan will be the secondary spoke for US operations.

Well, unless they pick up a few 777 for their long distance flights.

Even if D7 were to have the right equipment, they wouldn't fly non-stop to the US. The MY-US market is much too small to even dream of such ULH flights.

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From my insider's information, Osaka will be their mini hub owing to lower operation cost compared to Haneda or Narita and AirAsia Japan Mark II will be based there too. Am not sure if AirAsia X US plan is viable for long term. The China Big 4 are offering dirt cheap fare with B787, B77W, A330 and A380 ex-KUL. China Airlines and Eva Air too. ANA Group has three A380 coming, and JAL Group will not want to lose out without putting up a big fight.

 

AirAsia Japan has yet to commence operation since "last century". Japanese Government is largely protective of local industries, so TF and KM need to play the chess carefully,hopefully it doesn't ended up like AirAsia Japan Mark I.

Yes, the Japan-US market is highly competitive and the North East Asia-US market is similar.

 

The SE Asia-US market is somewhat of an unknown. While we know that the Malaysia-US market is insufficient for Airasia X to sustain routes, we don't really know how big the Fly Thru market will be. But for the Fly Thru market to work, flights need to be non-stop and not via Japan. So Airasia X will need to decide whether it will now be time to take delivery of the A350-900s they have on order.

Even if D7 were to have the right equipment, they wouldn't fly non-stop to the US. The MY-US market is much too small to even dream of such ULH flights.

Yes, ULH and LCC don't seem to jive because ULH flights are, by its very nature, not low cost! The need to carry huge amounts of fuel and duplicate relief crew on board to make such flights mean that payload is reduced.

 

Furthermore, if the first US destination is going to be Hawaii, it is not going to be a low cost destination. Everything in Hawaii is high cost there - so can traditional LCC travellers afford to visit this kind of destination? Airasia X would be well advised to study their experience when they operated the KUL-MLE route before handing it over to AK. That was another high cost destination.

From my insider's information, Osaka will be their mini hub owing to lower operation cost compared to Haneda or Narita and AirAsia Japan Mark II will be based there too. Am not sure if AirAsia X US plan is viable for long term.

BTW, Airasia Japan's main hub will be NGO. The airport authorities are also planning to build a LCCT there.

To operate more flights from HND, they will need Japanese govt. approval - HND slots are tightly controlled items!

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AirAsia Japan has yet to commence operation since "last century". Japanese Government is largely protective of local industries, .....

My goodness, the gestational costs must be piling up day by day too - it may end up still born if it carries on like this much longer

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Believed Air Asia X would be flying from Philippines to US ie Hawaii and then to the west coast - and not from KUL. Thats also the reason the been talking about this fly-thru system.

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I wonder if the rumoured leased B777W is also intended for the US routes in addition to the London service... Interesting times ahead for us in 2017. :)

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First flight to Hawaii by end-june
SEPANG: AirAsia X Bhd will start selling tickets for its service to Hawaii as early as next month with the first flight targeted for June, said chief executive officer (CEO) Benyamin Ismail.
The flight will be from Osaka, Japan, to Hawaii, which would take about eight hours.
Passengers from Kuala Lumpur, Asean or other countries would have to transit in Osaka before reaching Hawaii. The flight from KL-Osaka-Hawaii would take about 14 hours, excluding the transit at the Osaka airport. AirAsia X will be using Airbus A330-300s to operate the long-haul flights.
The next immediate destination for AirAsia X would be London and Paris. However, the two key destinations would only be introduced after the airline receives its first A330 neo (new engine option) next year.

 

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AirAsia X granted London Gatwick rights; to use B777s

 

 

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has announced it has awarded AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) air traffic rights to operate nine (9) weekly scheduled return flights between Kuala Lumpur Int'l and London Gatwick effective June 2017.

 

According to CAPA, to ply the route, the longhaul budget carrier will dry-lease a pair of B777-300(ER)s with their delivery scheduled for the second quarter of the year. The carrier had originally planned to use its incoming fleet of A330-900neo to serve Europe but opted to go the B777 lease route given the upgraded A330's delivery has now slipped to early 2019.

 

AirAsia X ended flights to Europe back in 2012 citing high fuel prices, "exorbitant" taxes, and weak travel demand. Back then, it used its now retired fleet of A340-300s to serve Paris Orly as well as London Stansted/London Gatwick (at different times).

 

AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes has also been quoted in the Thai press indicating Thai AirAsia X (XJ, Bangkok Don Mueang) may also launch direct Bangkok Don Mueang-Frankfurt Int'l, Germany flights this summer as well.

 

http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/52958-airasia-x-granted-london-gatwick-rights-to-use-b777s

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AirAsia X granted London Gatwick rights; to use B777s

 

 

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has announced it has awarded AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) air traffic rights to operate nine (9) weekly scheduled return flights between Kuala Lumpur Int'l and London Gatwick effective June 2017.

 

According to CAPA, to ply the route, the longhaul budget carrier will dry-lease a pair of B777-300(ER)s with their delivery scheduled for the second quarter of the year. The carrier had originally planned to use its incoming fleet of A330-900neo to serve Europe but opted to go the B777 lease route given the upgraded A330's delivery has now slipped to early 2019.

 

AirAsia X ended flights to Europe back in 2012 citing high fuel prices, "exorbitant" taxes, and weak travel demand. Back then, it used its now retired fleet of A340-300s to serve Paris Orly as well as London Stansted/London Gatwick (at different times).

 

AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes has also been quoted in the Thai press indicating Thai AirAsia X (XJ, Bangkok Don Mueang) may also launch direct Bangkok Don Mueang-Frankfurt Int'l, Germany flights this summer as well.

 

http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/52958-airasia-x-granted-london-gatwick-rights-to-use-b777s

 

Is B777 a fuel efficient aircraft to deploy this route?

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If they can fill up the seats yes it is lucarative. They are getting the b777-300er as opposed to the fuel gauzzling a340-300 back then that has limited seating capacity. The 300er can be fitted up 450seats in high density way more than the a340s and use less fuel burn. The only downside is the plane may need higher passenger loads to break even than the fuel efficient and light weight a350s. They have work more on the auxiliary income and marketing.

Edited by jahur

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The 300er can be fitted up 450seats in high density way more than the a340s and use less fuel burn. The only downside is the plane may need higher passenger loads to break even than the fuel efficient and light weight a350s. They have work more on the auxiliary income and marketing.

We still don't know what the lease terms are and whether D7 will refit the cabin to a high density, 10 abreast configuration. For that to be economic, they need to use the aircraft for about 5-7 years.

 

They should have done all the calculations - A350 lease rates will be significantly higher than B77Ws and the operating cost savings may not be sufficient to claw back the higher leasing costs.

 

The initial deliveries (now rumoured to be delayed till 2018) of the A330-900 will be slow - so I think the B77W will be with D7 for some time.

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Another solution AirAsia X should fly to Paris 4x weekly Frankfurt 3x weekly from Kuala Lumpur via Dubai or possibly direct to those 2 routes

Why on earth would they go via DXB? That would just bring about unnecessary costs and travel time

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as mentioned the route is for the 777-300ER which ex-MH birds are not. There have been circulating that the 2 773ERs leased will be coming from EVA air and that the interiors will not be reconfigured as its for a short 2 year period.

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as mentioned the route is for the 777-300ER which ex-MH birds are not. There have been circulating that the 2 773ERs leased will be coming from EVA air and that the interiors will not be reconfigured as its for a short 2 year period.

EVA Air B77Ws only have 311 seats, fewer than the A343s that D7 used to operate on this route.

 

EVA Air's B77W fleet is currently not fully utilised and more new ones will be delivered this year. Are D7 sub-leasing the excess aircraft from them and are getting them virtually FOC?

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777 will be wet leased from Bayu Air

 

Really? Haven't heard about Bayu for a long time, never heard of them working for the AOC. As such for anybody to wet-lease anything from them is quite far-fetched. Especially for savvy companies like AirAsia X.

 

But then again, nothing is impossible.......

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Out of interest B-16701 currently in Star Alliance color while B-16702 has don the infamous ribbon livery before repainted into standard color. Both in active duty right now for EVA.

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Yes, the 2 planes are still in service with EVA.

How long does it take to reconfigure (assuming 311 seats is not enough for an LCC) and paint the aircraft?

 

I guess one way to get new info is to observe if and when EVA takes both planes off their schedules.

Edited by Vicknesh PS

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Another solution AirAsia X should fly to Paris 4x weekly Frankfurt 3x weekly from Kuala Lumpur via Dubai or possibly direct to those 2 routes

Exactly. In fact I was thinking they should have flown to Europe using their existing A330 via Sharjah where they can tap on Air Arabia's traffic.

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Some interesting comments from the top people at D7:

 

 

AirAsia X chief executive officer (CEO) Benyamin Ismail told NST Business that the airline is just exploring other aircraft to begin the European route earlier, while waiting for the delivery of its A330neos. “But our focus is still the A330neo. We’re just looking at the B777 as there are many out there coming out of lease,” he said when contacted yesterday.

 

AirAsia Bhd co-founder and group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes also echoed the same sentiment. “We are looking (at the B777) but doubt we would do it,” he said in a text reply yesterday.

 

AirAsia X may fly B777 to London:

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AirAsia on Monday (05FEB17) filed planned operational schedule for Honolulu on its website, as the airline recently secured US Department of Transportation Approval to serve the US. Based on the airline’s schedule listing, proposed schedule would see first Kuala Lumpur – Osaka Kansai – Honolulu flight commencing on 28JUN17, 4 times a week.






Planned service launch date remains subject to change.






D7001 KUL1400 – 2125KIX2325 – 1230HNL 333 x247



D7002 HNL1600 – 2025+1KIX2200+1 – 0400+2KUL 333 x247






Edited by JuliusWong

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