A330 lease puts AirAsia plan on path

AirAsia's planned long-haul operation appears to be back on track thanks to an Airbus A330-300 it has secured on lease and its planned purchase of 10 additional aircraft, with options for five more.
The Kuala Lumpur-based airline has signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 10 A330-300s plus five options and AirAsia group chief executive Tony Fernandes envisages that the long-haul operation in five years will have 25 A330-300s.
An engine selection has yet to be made for the purchased aircraft, but Fernandes says "we are getting close and by the Paris air show we will have a choice".
He declines to disclose the operation's first destinations, but says it will be focused on serving China, India, South-East Asia, Australia and the Middle East and a small number of points in Europe including the UK.
The operation was to have begun in July, but encountered difficulties securing leased aircraft.
01/05/07 Flight International

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Categories: Foreign May 2007