AirAsia X set for more rapid growth

SEPANG: AirAsia Bhd’s long-haul sister airline, AirAsia X, which has been busy opening new routes over the past month, is expected to continue its rapid pace of growth.

Barely a month ago, AirAsia X celebrated its inaugural Kuala Lumpur-London flight. Yesterday, AirAsia X took off to another new destination, Tianjin in China.

AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said the group, which launched its pioneer flight to China via its Kuala Lumpur-Macau route in 2004, would fly to 10 destinations in the republic this year, starting with Chengdu and Xian soon. The group’s other China destinations include Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Guilin and Haikou.

“China is crucial to AirAsia’s expansion plan to become a major player in connecting Malaysia and the greater Asean region to East Asia,” Fernandes said at yesterday’s launch of AirAsia X’s maiden flight to Tianjin by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

Ong said the flights to Tianjin would attract more tourists from China and further stimulate the local economy. “This is not going to be the only new mainland China route that AirAsia is flying to. There are several sectors more.”

He said there were ongoing efforts to explore new routes and negotiations for third, fourth and fifth landing rights for Malaysian carriers.

“It is my job in the transport ministry to get more rights to liberalise the air services sector. India is on our radar,” Ong said.

However, he said, it was the responsibility of the industry players to ensure that these routes were sustainable and able to meet the needs of people.

Ong said the Kuala Lumpur-Tianjin route would help foster stronger bilateral ties between Malaysia and China.

Fernandes, meanwhile, remained optimistic on the group’s business.

“We have had a great first quarter. Our passenger numbers are up significantly and our cost per available seat kilometre is down due to the lowered fuel prices,’’ he said. “Over the past one month, we’ve opened 10 new routes and employed 500 people. Even in the darkest days of the economy, we’re providing jobs.”

Fernandes also announced that AirAsia had been named the world’s best low-cost carrier for 2008 by Skytrax, a Britain-based consultancy.

Fernandes said he was thrilled because the award came much earlier than he expected. “I am really happy to be voted as the world’s best after seven years (in operations).”