AirAsia is CAPA's Airline of the Year 2007

[V Wong 0]

see today's bernama news.. here

 

try to beat this, MH

Edited October 31, 2007 by V Wong

[Chan CS 0]

MH, it's time to catch up! Reduce more cost and increase the ticket price! Come on! Charge fat person more (like me)!!

[Andrew Yong 0]

Congrats !!!!Just read some bussiness new regarding MH performance this year.Idris looking for their profit end of this year between 4 bil. to 7 bil.

[Rozhan 0]

Congrats AK! A very deserving win.

 

........AirAsia as a true innovator and catalyst for positive market change in this region and beyond......

 

I agree with that.

[Azri M. 0]

Hehe, if CAPA gives a star rating, they may give AirAsia a 5 star.. then AirAsia is the truly 5 star airline with LCC cost. Will IJ scream?

Edited October 31, 2007 by Azri M.

[Alan B. 5]

To the Air Asia team, well done and a well deserved win.

[Kevin Teh 0]

Congrats to Airasia, and they deserved it! Well done.

[Mohd Yohan 0]

congrats AisAsia... a truely 5star airlines with a LCCT cost (what will IJ say now? )

[Rozhan 0]

Air Asia's ad on the win in today's papers screams:

 

"A class above the rest".....

 

"The biggest award this year didn't go to a premium expensive carrier!"

 

Is that a swipe on MH?

[Keith T 2]

Air Asia's ad on the win in today's papers screams:

 

"A class above the rest".....

 

"The biggest award this year didn't go to a premium expensive carrier!"

 

Is that a swipe on MH?

 

The ad was also published in the Singapore media...

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

More like a slap on the face .

[Yusoff 1]

Air Asia's ad on the win in today's papers screams:

 

 

"The biggest award this year didn't go to a premium expensive carrier!"

 

Is that a swipe on MH?

 

The BIGGEST humiliation to them! 5 star LCC summore lah... This is just the beginning, guys. We wait and see....

[Edwin P K 0]

I love it! Congrats AA!Now it's time to get a FFP. I might join! :PBtw, is that award credible? Not those syktrax crap?

[Keith T 2]

CAPA is an aviation consultancy firm based in Sydney. Unlike Skytrax, CAPA focuses more on operational efficiencies than inflight service.

 

Not sure if their awards are more credible than Skytrax, but at least it's not some online 'click to vote' survey.

 

And notice that the award is for 'industry impact' and not service quality - it's a well-deserved award I'd say for AK has truly pioneered the low cost airline industry in Asia-Pacific. In a way that makes it as much of a trendsetter, in Asia at least, as SQ is.

 

From last year's joint award to CA and CX, here are the factors taken into consideration by CAPA:

 

http://www.centreforaviation.com/aviation/...for_Excellence/

Awarded to the Airline that has had the greatest impact on the development of the airline industry in the region.

 

Additional criteria:

 

* The airline which has fostered growth and competition within the industry, has established itself as a leader, and the benchmark for others to follow

* The airline which has shown leadership through strategic positioning and the expansion and development of its network, in both passenger and cargo operations

* The airline which has created innovative revenue streams and operating efficiencies, resulting in strong operating profits

 

 

Edited November 1, 2007 by Keith T

[Pieter C. 5]

AirAsia To Exercise 25 A320 Options

 

November 1, 2007

Malaysian budget airline AirAsia plans to exercise 25 out of its 50 options to buy Airbus A320s in anticipation that more regional routes will be opened to competition in 2009, its chief executive said on Thursday.

 

AirAsia also intends to raise its number of options for the single-aisle A320 back to 50 by acquiring another 25 options, its CEO Tony Fernandes said.

 

Speaking on the sidelines of an aviation conference in Singapore, Fernandes said he was confident the 10 member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet its deadline to reach an open skies agreement by December 2008.

 

"ASEAN has seen the benefits of liberalization," Fernandes told reporters. "National airlines have realized they can't hold onto protection forever," he added.

 

Citing Malaysia as an example, he said national carrier Malaysia Airlines had become profitable despite competition from AirAsia. "When MAS was a protected airline, they lost lots of money," he said.

 

Transport ministers and officials from ASEAN are meeting in Singapore this week to discuss several issues including an open skies agreement.

 

The agreement envisages liberalizing air travel between ASEAN capitals by the end of 2008, and opening the entire region to competition by 2015.

 

Singapore and Malaysia will also discuss a Malaysian proposal to allow AirAsia and Singapore's Tiger Airways, partly owned by Singapore Airlines, to each operate two flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore from as early as December 2007.

 

AirAsia, Asia's largest budget carrier, introduced its low-fare, no-frills concept in December 2001, and has since embarked on an aggressive expansion.

 

It currently operates over 60 aircraft, and said in January it had agreed to buy 50 A320 planes worth over USD$3 billion.

 

(Reuters)