AirAsia bolsters fleet to meet short-term demand
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AirAsia has ordered 14 more Airbus A320 aircraft, as it aims to meet short-term demand on its short-haul network.
The low-cost carrier already had outstanding orders for almost 400 single-aisle aircraft, the majority of which are for Airbus’ new A320neo models. The latest deal is for the standard A320 (also known as the “ceo”), and will allow AirAsia to meet current demand on its domestic and regional networks.
“Demand is very strong in AirAsia’s traditional countries, but now we have Indonesia, Philippines and India doing extremely well. The robust demand has led us to expanding our fleet, and Airbus has been a great partner in finding us slots,” said Tony Fernandes, AirAsia’s group CEO.
“We still need to find more aircraft to expand our regional reach and are actively sourcing from the leasing market. The competitive environment is at its best, coupled with a stable oil price. With the lowest cost in the world, AirAsia is back on aggressive growth.”
The latest order, which was placed at the Paris Air Show, will increase the total number of A320-series aircraft ordered by AirAsia to 592, cementing its position as the biggest airline customer for the single-aisle jet.
To date, 171 A320ceo and eight A320neo aircraft have already been delivered to the airline, and are currently in service with AirAsia’s carriers in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Another subsidiary, AirAsia Japan, is expected to launch this year.
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