Air Asia X to buy long haul Airbus A330 jets

[Sanjay Thaker 0]

Wow !! Great news if its true and looking forward to seeing more planes in KLIA in the future !!!!

 

As for your statement on not in line with the DCA's regulation for Cabin Crew, what is the minimum number

of crew that is required ?

 

 

DCA regulation= 12 crew needed for 380 pax

[Louis L. 2]

can i ask something???what is pax???

[Walter Sim 1]

passenger

[Louis L. 2]

i think a330 is a good choice. fleet commonality.

 

yeah..i also will agree with fendi since ak will operate on all a320 fleet and since airbus got the sp called 'fly by wire' thing..it make sense...hehehe..or maybe they'll get more discount from airbus....hehehe..my opinion only...

[N.S. Tim 0]

Malaysia will be swamped with air buses by then... That will be the airbus legacy, thanks to Mr. Fernandez...

 

We might be the biggest airbus operator as to Singapore is to 777 at the moment. Hurray!!

[Teoh Z Yao 0]

We might be the biggest airbus operator as to Singapore is to 777 at the moment. Hurray!!

 

 

Hurray not...

[Naim 6]

April 19, 2007 17:24 PM

 

FAX To Put In 10 Confirmed, Five Option Orders For Aircraft

 

SEPANG, April 19 (Bernama) -- Fly Asia Xpress (FAX) will sign an agreement to put in 10 confirmed and five option orders for the aircraft on Monday for its long-haul services, its chief executive officer, Raja Mohd Azmi, said today.

 

"We will announce the details (Airbus or Boeing) on Monday," he said at a press conference attended by Bernama and Star Biz here today.

 

Asked on market talk the orders would be for Airbus, he said: "I will not deny or confirm it."

 

FAX, is an associate company of low-cost carrier, AirAsia Bhd. It will use AirAsia brand for its long-haul budget services, called AirAsia X.

 

-- BERNAMA

[Seth K 3]

With all the hope, let it be 77W!!!

[Naim 6]

Business Times

 

FAX to buy 10 A330s

By Fauziah Ismail and Anna Maria Samsudin

bt@nstp.com.my

 

April 21 2007

 

AIRBUS continues to be the aircraft of choice for shareholders of Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) when the company inks a sale and purchase agreement for 10 A330-300s on Monday.

 

The company will also put an option to purchase another five of the aircraft in an exercise that will cost FAX US$2.75 billion (RM9.43 billion). Each aircraft has an estimated catalog price of US$183 million (RM627 million).

 

The airline is expected to take the first delivery of the wide-body aircraft in September 2008, in time for the maiden flight of its budget medium and long haul service, AirAsia X.

 

FAX is a private company, jointly owned by Raja Mohamad Azmi Raja Razali, AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes and AirAsia deputy chief executive officer Datuk Kamarudin Meranun.

 

AirAsia itself is already using 50 Airbus' single-aisle planes, the A320, in its operation.

 

Altogether, the airline has ordered 150 units of A320s, valued at US$10 billion (RM34.3 billion) collectively.

 

Raja Azmi, who is FAX chief executive, was tight-lipped when contacted yesterday.

 

"I will not deny or confirm it. We will make the announcement on Monday. You can ask me about the details on that day," he told Business Times via a phone interview yesterday.

 

Business Times understands that Airbus chief commercial officer and executive vice president for customer affairs John Leahy is making his way to Kuala Lumpur for the signing ceremony.

 

Industry sources said Boeing knew as early as December last year that the contract will not go its way as the particular model FAX is looking at cannot be made available in time.

 

FAX, which was set up to operate the rural air services in Sabah and Sarawak is currently operating a fleet of seven Fokker 50s and five Twin Otters.

 

The A330s will be for FAX's long-haul budget airline, AirAsia X, which was launched in January.

 

The new airline targets to carry half a million passengers in its first year of operation to initial destinations including Britain and China.

 

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/S...80.txt/Article/

[Robin 0]

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X has selected Airbus over Boeing for 15 new passenger aircraft, an executive familiar with the deal said on Sunday.

 

“AirAsia X decided to pick the A330-300 because Airbus came with a better commercial deal and the delivery of the aircraft will be faster,†he told AFP on condition of anonymity. He said the official announcement would come Monday.

 

Losing out on the bid was Boeing and its 777-200, he said.

 

The official said the catalogue price of each of the Airbus jetliners was 175 million dollars, making the potential total cost of the deal around 2.6 billion dollars.

 

AirAsia officials had previously said that they would prefer to operate aircraft from a single manufacturer to ensure flying costs remain low. AirAsia has ordered 100 Airbus A320s as part of its ambitious regional expansion.

 

AirAsia X was unveiled in January by low-cost aviation pioneer Tony Fernandes, who launched AirAsia as a regional budget carrier more than five years ago.

 

The new carrier will be operated by Fly Asian Express (FAX), which currently operates rural air services on Borneo island. It expects to carry half a million passengers in its first year of operation.

 

AirAsia X’s take-off has been delayed, possibly until September 2008, as delays in Airbus’s new A380 super-jumbo have disrupted the aircraft leasing market.

 

At its launch in January, the carrier promised flights to Britain beginning this July but Raja Mohamad Azmi, FAX’s chief executive officer, said last month that the service had been put back.

 

“We remain committed to begin the long-haul service. The new take-off date is by September 2008 when we begin to receive delivery of our new aircraft,†said Azmi.

 

AirAsia X initially aimed to begin service with three leased aircraft, either the A330-300 from European manufacturer Airbus or the 777-200 made by US giant Boeing.

 

Fernandes had also said that AirAsia X was considering establishing a hub in Bahrain, calling the Gulf nation an excellent location for a hub in the region.

 

AirAsia has close financial ties with Bahrain and aviation officials said AirAsia X had to make a fuel stop here before continuing to Europe.

 

Fernandes said the carrier will operate to many points in the Gulf, including Bahrain, offering Bahrain-Malaysia return tickets at fares from as low as 100-200 dollars.

 

AirAsia hopes to finalise its Middle East plans within two months after encouraging early discussions with the Bahrain government, the Sydney-based Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation reported recently.

 

Fernandes had previously said that the long-haul airline was expected to carry half a million passengers in its first year of operation to initial destinations including Britain and China.

 

AirAsia was launched in December 2001 with just two aircraft but now offers more than 100 domestic and international flights, including to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Malaysian Fly Asian In USD$2.75 Bln Airbus Deal

 

April 22, 2007

Malaysian low-cost carrier Fly Asian Xpress will buy 10 Airbus A330-300 planes and take an option to purchase five more in a deal worth USD$2.75 billion, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

 

Fly Asian, a sister company of Malaysian budget airline AirAsia, will take first delivery of the aircraft in September 2008, Business Times reported, without citing its sources.

 

Fly Asian is owned by its chief executive officer, Raja Mohd Azmi, AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes and AirAsia deputy group chief executive Kamarudin Meranun.

 

The carrier serves Malaysia's eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo island.

 

Asked to comment on the report, Fernandes said: "Wait till Monday," referring to a press briefing scheduled to be held by Fly Asian on April 23.

 

(Reuters)

 

[Seng Lim 0]

Some important abstract from the official announcement on today:

 

April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Airbus SAS, the world's biggest maker of commercial aircraft, won a 15-plane order worth as much as $2.63 billion from a Malaysian long-haul budget carrier and may supply the airline with more aircraft.

 

Fly Asian will lease between one and three A330s for its initial flights until the first purchased plane is delivered in September 2008, Fernandes said. The aircraft wasn't available any time sooner, he said.

 

The airline may fly to as many as five cities with its leased aircraft, Fernandes said, declining to be specific. The destinations are likely to include China, India, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Japan, he said.

 

In the U.K., Fly Asian will serve either Manchester or Stansted, outside London, he said.

 

``We're in the process of finalizing the destinations,'' Fernandes said.

 

Fly Asia had planned to use the AirAsia X brand for its long-haul flights, though will now drop the `X,' Fernandes said.

 

Full article available at:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=new...id=aQ2VeRabepZU

 

[Kevin Teh 0]

so it will be still Air Asia..... for longhaul. I think this make sense as they can incoporate the current AirAsiaX things in their existing system and maybe offer connection booking as well.

 

I hope their liveries on A330 will not be the one we see on A320.......

[Kee Hooi Yen 0]

Malaysian Fly Asian In USD$2.75 Bln Airbus Deal

 

April 22, 2007

Malaysian low-cost carrier Fly Asian Xpress will buy 10 Airbus A330-300 planes and take an option to purchase five more in a deal worth USD$2.75 billion, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

 

(Reuters)

 

 

When it says option to purchase, does it mean the buyer could purchase or not purchase eventually ?

[Mushrif A 3]

When it says option to purchase, does it mean the buyer could purchase or not purchase eventually ?

 

Yes. They are usually alloted spots on the production line and will have to confirm by a certain date if they wish to take up the option.

 

[mokhzani 0]

I hope their liveries on A330 will not be the one we see on A320.......

 

Reading from the newspapers its look like it will be the same......

 

BTW its a two class configuration, wonder how will it be?

If they intend to go to Europe why didn't they get the 777, it eliminates any technical stop, thus saving cost (landing fees etc.etc)?

[Mushrif A 3]

Reading from the newspapers its look like it will be the same......

 

BTW its a two class configuration, wonder how will it be?

If they intend to go to Europe why didn't they get the 777, it eliminates any technical stop, thus saving cost (landing fees etc.etc)?

 

 

Probably because:

(1) A333s are offered at a really great price and are available earlier;

(2) Saves on tech crew training since they are using A320s;

(3) Landing fees etc are probably a small part of the cost equation as they are getting the Bahrain, Sharjah etc airport folks to compete with each other to offer the best possible package;

(4) Opens up another market in one go, such as Europe (think sun-worshipping backpackers)-to-Middle-east, and Middle-east (think blue-coloured workers)-to-Asia (think Indonesia, Phlippines etc).

(5) Their target market don't really care if the plane stops in between. It's the price that matters.

 

Btw, did they make any announcement on the choice of engines? The model seems to be using RR, but that's just the model.

[Naim 6]

I miss technical stops in the middle-east like they used to when using 742/743/DC10 in the old days. Can take a stroll, stretch legs, go window-shopping, gulp fresher air, etc. So tech stops no problemo!

 

+++

[Seng Lim 0]

Price is the only thing that really matters, having technical stop is just like doing transit in Changi/BKK, no big deal.

[Teoh Z Yao 0]

Where is the website for it?

[Seng Lim 0]

Where is the website for it?

I guess they will share the same website with airasia.com since they have dropped the 'X'. Details on the destinations will only be announce in 6 weeks time thus booking won't be open any earlier than that.

 

[TW Teo 0]

If they intend to go to Europe why didn't they get the 777, it eliminates any technical stop, thus saving cost (landing fees etc.etc)?

There's no mention it's the 777ER, just the 777A which doesn't have the range to reach Western Europe non-stop. It seems like it's a deliberate decision that they're making it a one stopper.

Edited April 24, 2007 by TW Teo

[BC Tam 2]

I miss technical stops in the middle-east like they used to when using 742/743/DC10 in the old days. Can take a stroll, stretch legs, go window-shopping, gulp fresher air, etc. So tech stops no problemo!

Hear hear !!

 

I reckon it would not have passed Datuk TF's attention how successfully mid-east carriers (EK, Qatar, etc) have created hubs mid-point between east/west. This after the mid-east airports were in danger of falling into irrelevance upon advent of modern airliners (744, 722ER, 340) quite capable of east-west, west-east sectors non-stop. Point being, there are plenty of people quite prepared to (some like us even preferring to !) 'endure' the mid-east transit provided one can get the pricing/product/scheduling in good balance.

 

What AK is proposing has an added advantage, you're not likely to miss your onward connecting flight to Europe/Malaysia, not unless the aircraft you arrived on goes unserviceble !!

 

Just some thoughts to share

Edited April 24, 2007 by BC Tam

[Mushrif A 3]

There's no mention it's the 777ER, just the 777A which doesn't have the range to reach Western Europe non-stop. It seems like it's a deliberate decision that they're making it a one stopper.

 

I won't read too deeply into that in media articles. A 777-200 can easily mean 777-200ER or 777-200IGW or the A model and reporters are usually not that accurate with minute technical details.

 

Anyway, does Boeing still offer the A model? It will probably have a relatively very poor value in the secondary market.

 

[TW Teo 0]

I won't read too deeply into that in media articles. A 777-200 can easily mean 777-200ER or 777-200IGW or the A model and reporters are usually not that accurate with minute technical details.

 

Anyway, does Boeing still offer the A model? It will probably have a relatively very poor value in the secondary market.

I agree, the media cannot be trusted with the minute details. However, the prices of the 777-200A is the only one that closely matches the $175 million of the A333. I seriously doubt Boeing will offer such a huge discount for the longer ranged variant... in which I see they're just a bargaining chip with Airbus. But what do I know, it's purely speculation, as aircraft purchases is not based on list prices alone