MAS and AirAsia ground more planes due to Iceland’s ash cloud

18 April 2010

PETALING JAYA: More Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia X flights to Europe may have to be cancelled as airports in the continent remain closed.

Both airlines have already cancelled all flights to London, Amster­dam, Paris and Frankfurt since Thursday due to the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland.

MAS director of operations Captain Azharuddin Osman said based on current weather conditions and reports, there was a possibility that today’s flights would also be affected.

“As such, before proceeding to the airport, customers should call the MAS call centre 1300-88-3000 (within Malaysia) or 603-7843 3000 (outside Malaysia) for the latest flight information,” he said in a statement posted on MAS’ website.

Captain Azharuddin said passengers of the affected flights could make changes on their original destination by flying into Rome instead but this would be subject to seat availability.

He said MAS was also giving affected passengers three other options – a full refund, exchange of tickets for future flights or re-booking on the next available flight.

Those booked on these flights are advised to watch out for updates on www.malaysiaairlines.com under the tab “Book/Flight Status”.

AirAsia X said its flights between Kuala Lumpur and London Stansted starting today would be subjected to the opening of the UK airspace.

“AirAsia X will contact guests on the affected sector with further instructions.

“We will also be updating our website www.airasia.com with the latest developments regularly,” it said in a statement.

The airlines had cancelled its flights D7 2008 (Kuala Lumpur to London Stansted) and D7 2009 (London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur) scheduled on Thursday, Friday and yesterday.

By Zuhrin Azam Ahmad

The Star

AirAsia X wins rights to Seoul

16 April 2010

It may launch inaugural flight in October to coincide with 50 years of diplomatic relations

PETALING JAYA: After a tough fight that lasted almost a year, AirAsia X won rights to fly seven times a week to Seoul, a core route that the airline had been pinning its hopes on for a long time.

AirAsia X has not decided on a firm date to begin mounting the flights as a lot of groundwork needs to be done but it may be looking to launch the inaugural flight sometime in October to coincide with when the South Korean premier is in Malaysia to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Malaysia.

AirAsia X bosses are thrilled with the Government’s change of heart in acceding to their request and hope they will, in the same manner, one day be flying to Sydney.

»We will keep pushing for Sydney rights because there is a demand out there« AZRAN OSMAN-RANI

Seoul and Sydney are among the core routes that the airline hopes to secure besides Tokyo, Jeddah and several others.

“We will keep pushing for Sydney rights because there is a demand out there. It is sad that many Malaysians are still flying to Sydney via Singapore,” AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani told StarBiz.

The long-haul low-cost carrier has rights to fly 34 non-core routes but Azran reckons flying to these destinations will not help the airline or the country bring in the passenger traffic that is needed for KL International Airport to stand out against its rivals in Bangkok and Singapore.

“We are not sure yet when we will fly to Seoul as there are so many details to be worked out,” Azran said.

Currently, Malaysia Airlines and Korean Air ply the KL-Seoul route with 12 weekly flights each and with AirAsia X’s new flights the connectivity increases to 31 flights each week, which is similar to the 31 flights mounted from Singapore to Seoul. From Bangkok there are 58 weekly flights to Seoul.

By B.K.Sidhu

The Star

AirAsia Group CEO named Officier of the Legion d’Honneur

15 April 2010

On Wednesday, AirAsia Group CEO Dato’ Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes was conferred the title of Officier of the Legion d’Honneur by the government of France for his outstanding contributions to the aviation industry.

Mr. Dominique Bussereau, Secretary of State for Transport of France, conferred the title on Tony in a ceremony held in Paris and attended by some of the biggest names in European business.

Officier of the Legion d’ Honneur is the highest rank of honor that the government of France can award to a non-French citizen. The Legion d’ Honneur was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to recognize outstanding service to France.

AirAsia has contributed largely to the French and European economies by supporting the European-owned and Toulouse-based Airbus, an EADS company. AirAsia has placed firm orders of Airbus aircraft including 175 A320, 25 A330 and 10 A350 aircraft. AirAsia also has an option to purchase 50 more A320 and five more A350 aircraft.

AirAsia uses Airbus aircraft extensively for its flights. It has an all-Airbus fleet for its Malaysia-based operations. Its Thailand and Indonesia-based operations will also have all-Airbus fleets within this year.

AirAsia, which has hubs in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, has democratized travel in the ASEAN region. It connects all 10 ASEAN capitals and more cities with “sky bridges”, linking and benefiting countless communities. By promoting travel in the region through low fares, an extensive network of destinations and great flight frequencies, it has helped the region achieve economic growth.

Tony Fernandes co-founded AirAsia and has led the airline in its transformation from a loss-making Malaysian airline into the ASEAN airline that it is now. AirAsia, Asia’s leading and largest low-cost carrier, also connects the ASEAN region with China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Australia. Through its low-cost long-haul affiliate AirAsia X, it connects the region with more destinations in Asia (China, Taiwan and soon India), Australia and Europe (through the United Kingdom).

Under the leadership of Fernandes, in only eight years, AirAsia grew its fleet from two aircraft to 92, its staff from 250 to 7,000, and its routes from 1 to more than 132. It has to date flown more than 85 million passengers.


AsiaTravelTips

Aviation body wants VietJet Air to be genuinely local

14 April 2010

VietNamNet Bridge – A tentative plan by VietJet Aviation Joint-stock Company (Vietjet Air) to operate under the new brand of Vietjet AirAsia will most likely be barred as the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) wants it to bear a purely Vietnamese name.

Lai Xuan Thanh, deputy director general of CAAV, said Vietjet Air should not develop the brand Vietjet AirAsia that looks exactly like an arm of Asia’s leading low-cost carrier AirAsia that has a stake in the local carrier. Only the word "Vietjet" is accepted.

CAAV in a new document sent to local air carriers but targeting Vietjet Air said they should operate as a truly local carrier with their own brands and logos to avoid any problem as happened to Jetstar Pacific.

Thanh told the Daily on the phone on Monday about the concern after CAAV sent Document 1064/CHK-VTHK to domestic airlines to warn them against using and promoting the brand and logo of a foreign airline for their marketing and flights.

"Vietjet Air must be a domestic airline and create its own logo," Thanh said, adding that Vietjet Air should not be considered and mistaken as an airline in Vietnam under the Malaysia-headquartered carrier when it operates as Vietjet AirAsia.

Last week, leaders of Vietjet Air and AirAsia said after signing a strategic partnership agreement that Vietjet Air would operate as a Vietnam-based budget airline under the tentative trade name of Vietjet AirAsia. This carrier plans to commence services from August this year.

However, Thanh of CAAV said Vietjet Air had not been licensed to operate as Vietjet AirAsia. He explained that AirAsia’s acquisition of a 30% stake in Vietjet Air did not mean it would fly under the brand and logo of the Malaysian airline.

A similar problem happened to Jetstar Pacific in November last year when Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung told this Vietnamese low-cost carrier to scrap the logo of Australia’s carrier Jetstar Airways characterized by the word Jet and the orange star on its aircraft because this misled people as they might misunderstand the local airline with the Australian carrier.

As a result, "Jetstar Pacific was now developing its own logo and brand," Thanh said, adding that "otherwise it will not be granted the right to fly on new routes".

Also, this carrier has been ordered to clarify how to manage its fare revenue through the website www.jetstar.com. In the above-mentioned document, CAAV also dictates that a foreign airline is not allowed to control business, revenue and profit of a Vietnamese airline via the only website they use.

"We want to look into whether a foreign carrier counts on a website to decide revenue and profit of a local company," Thanh explained.

Thanh said a local airline is allowed to sell fares and services via the website of a foreign carrier if it is able to prove that its revenue is not manipulated by its foreign partner.

"This is the point that matters us most," Thanh said. He acknowledged that a local carrier sharing the website with its foreign partner was still new in Vietnam, referring to the website www.jetstar.com, on which passengers can book seats on the flights operated by Jetstar Airways and Jetstar-brand airlines including Jetstar Pacific.

Airline experts said the revenue of Jetstar Pacific was hardly controlled by its foreign partner as up to 80% of its fares were booked at ticketing offices and agents of the local airline, and the rest online. So, the majority of the revenue goes directly to the budget of Jetstar Pacific.

VietNamNet/SGT

Zulfahmi makes AirAsia-SIC debut in Qatar GP

14 April 2010

KUCHING: Muhammad Zulfahmi Khairuddin made his debut for Team AirAsia-Sepang International Circuit in the Qatar Grand Prix 125cc race at Losail International Circuit in Doha on Sunday, completing the 18-lap race in 21st position out of 26 riders on the grid.

BAPTISM OF FIRE: Zulfahmi in action on his 125cc Aprilia.

In a press release issued in Sepang, Zulfahmi’s team manager Fiorenzo Caponera said he was pleased with his charge’s debut.

“It was his first race and his very first night race. Our target for him is to finish the race and he did it. Throughout the weekend, he had exceeded our expectation, especially with his qualifying results,” said Caponera.

He stressed that it was important for Zulfahmi to complete the races and that would be the priority for now.

“This is the first time on race day that Zulfahmi is riding on an Aprilia and we need to gather as much data as possible in order to analyse his strengths and weaknesses.

“With all the information, we will then be able to guide him and work on his weak points as we need to get the best out of him as soon as we can.

“He has very minimal experience on the 125cc machine compared with his teammate Sturla Fagerhaug who has two years’ experience racing in the Red Bull Rookies Cup,” said Caponera.

Despite positive comments from Caponera, 18-year-old Zulfahmi was a little disappointed with his finish.

“I was hoping to collect points but it was a bit difficult as I have yet to be familiar with the bike’s characteristics, plus the other riders have plenty of experience. Nevertheless, I am not discouraged. I enjoy the challenge and I really look forward to the next race in Japan,” said the Selangor-born rider.

On what he learned from his first race, Zulfahmi said: “I was over anxious in the beginning of the race and that affected my rhythm as the race progressed. Hence, I need to develop ways to keep calm and focused.

“I need to work on my mental strength as well, as MotoGP is a gruelling sport which demands complete psychological prowess.”

Before Zulfahmi went on the grid, AirAsia Group CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes spoke to him on the phone.

He gave Zulfahmi a few words of encouragement and wished him the best of luck for his very first race.

When contacted, Fernandes said: “The MotoGP will definitely present tough challenges to Zulfahmi, but we have all the faith in him. Despite finishing in 21st place in Qatar, he displayed true grit and the hunger for victory.”

“He is a very talented rider, and I am confident that he will overcome all challenges and be a serious contender in no time.

“Asean talents like Zulfahmi have the technical competency and the mindset to compete, and with opportunities like this, they can definitely take on the best in the world,” he added.

AirAsia partners Sepang International Circuit (SIC) in forming Team AirAsia-Sepang International Circuit to showcase Asean talents on the world stage.

The team believe Asean has a lot of untapped motorsports talents, but limited opportunities are available to help them shine. This joint effort hopes to provide the platform for these talents to unleash their potential.

AirAsia is also the title sponsor of the 2010 AirAsia British Grand Prix at Silverstone, bringing back MotoGP to the circuit after 24 years away.

AirAsia’s sponsorship is set to deliver added verve to the sport by lending its successful, innovative and passionate traits.

Moreover, as a fast-rising global brand, the airline’s association with MotoGP is expected to stir further interest in the sport not just among motorsports fans but the wider community throughout Asia.

BorneoPost

Air Asia eyes Macau licence

13 April 2010

Malaysian budget carrier Air Asia is one of the foreign airlines interested in taking the air operating licence previously owned by Viva Macau, the Financial Times reported yesterday.
The newspaper said sources close to the situation have revealed that interested parties, including Air Asia, have held preliminary talks on establishing a joint venture in Macau.

The opening follows a dispute between the first local low-cost carrier Viva Macau and the Macau Government which resulted in the revocation of the airline’s air operator certificate (AOC) on March 28 by the Macau Civil Aviation Authority (AACM).

The Government may reinstate Viva Macau’s AOC, with or without new partners, or pursue discussions with other airlines about entering the market, which is dominated by Government-owned Air Macau.
According to the Financial Times’ sources, last year Air Asia held preliminary talks on the future of Viva Macau with the former Chief Executive Edmund Ho, following initial contact between Macau and Ong Tee Keat, Malaysia’s transport minister.
Sources said that Air Asia had considered becoming involved with Viva Macau at the time, but talks had not progressed any further. The Malaysian budget airline would also insist on operational control over any joint venture with Viva Macau, along the lines of its existing joint ventures in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Most likely AirAsia won’t go in because of this and other considerations, but the idea is still being considered,” one person involved said to the Financial Times. He added that the Malaysian airline was “fully occupied” with the Vietnam joint venture with Vietjet Air, which was cleared last week by Hanoi.

A Macau deal would also offer the possibility of taking advantage of the Territory’s “fifth freedom” rights to operate flights to the United States.
Viva Macau cancelled services because of ‘‘fuel payment issues’’ on March 26 and two days later, the city’s first budget airline saw its license revoked by the Government after failing to offer assistance to passengers stranded by flight cancellations.
Air Macau has also ended a sub-franchise contract with Viva Macau at the request of the Government and the Government has begun the de-registration of its leasing aircrafts.
In response to these actions, Viva Macau has started legal action against the Government for compensation as a result of the authorities cancelling their AOC. The grounded airline filed a lawsuit in the Court of Second Instance (TSI).

Viva Macau’s investors include MKW Capital, a private investment company, and the family of the former Chief Executive Edmund Ho.
After the operator closed its office in Macau, the Government said there is flexibility for other sub concessionary contracts and investors are very much welcomed. The AACM received a proposal from a South Korean airline looking to set up a route to Macau.

MacauDailyTimes

AirAsia X to double flights to Perth and Melbourne

12 April 2010

SEPANG : Malaysian low cost carrier AirAsia X plans to double its flights from Kuala Lumpur (KL) to Perth and Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne.

The airline said in a statement that it will be flying twice daily from KL to Perth from July 1 and KL to Melbourne from August 1. Currently, it is servicing the routes with one daily direct flight.

AirAsia is offering an all-in fare of RM199 for KL-Perth and RM249 for KL-Melbourne. The booking period is from April 13 to 18 via its website at www.airasia.com.

Travellers for the KL-Perth route have to travel between July 1 and October 30 this year, while those for the KL-Melbourne route has to fly between August 1 this year and February 12 next year.

In addition, the carrier is also increasing its frequency from Bali to Perth from two daily flights to three, effective June 1.

Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X, said "Loads have been consistently strong year-round on all Australian services and this has given us the confidence to increase our capacity, particularly on Melbourne and Perth routes, and as we grow our network."

Channelnewsasia