Thai AirAsia adds 10 more jets
Published: 31/03/2011 at 12:00 AM
SINGAPORE : Thai AirAsia (TAA) aims to enlarge its fleet with 10 additional jetliners to its current 40 in order to penetrate the vast burgeoning markets of India and China.
Tony Fernandes, group chief executive of AirAsia, said the Thai unit of AirAsia needs more planes to capitalise on the "massive" market potential in the world's two most populous countries.
"We can use these additional planes to fly to India where we just scratched the surface, and China too," said Mr Fernandes.
"With one billion in population, India is a huge travel market, and Indians love to come to Thailand. Look at TAA's daily flights from Bangkok to Mumbai and Delhi - they are full every day. We can potentially do three flights a day to those places. And that doesn't even include Kolkata and Amritsar, and so on."
The Malaysian executive did not give a timeframe for the additional planes, but noted the Thai unit keeps growing its revenue despite political and weather setbacks, giving him the confidence to strengthen the fleet.
TAA is still waiting to take delivery of 20 Airbus A320s of the 40 it ordered over the next five years through a lease arranged by AirAsia.
This year TAA will receive two twin-engine 180-seat A320s, one each in September and December, giving it 24 jets.
Mr Fernandes' statement about TAA came in the wake of reports that Southeast Asia's largest no-frills carrier was pondering ordering another 150 A320s from the European planemaker.
He declined to confirm that report, saying the group had orders for 175 A320s, of which 104 were delivered.
Earlier this month, AirAsia X, a long-haul carrier, ordered three more Airbus A330-200s, bringing the number of A330s on order to 28.
The additional wide-body jets, which have a total list price of US$492 million and are scheduled for delivery from 2014, are to serve its European routes.
Mr Fernandes hinted AirAsia may retain much of its stake in TAA when it lists on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in the fourth quarter this year to raise up to 6 billion baht.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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