20 February 2010
Kuala Lumpur - AirAsia will close down its Kuala Lumpur - Palembang flight as of Sunday (Feb 21), and its Kuala Lumpur - Manado flight as of Thursday, Feb 25, 2010 for purely commercial reasons, Desiree Bandal, spokesman for AirAsia in Kuala Lumpur said on Saturday.
AirAsia stopped its flight to Manado for commercial or low occupancy reasons since serving the Kuala Lumpur - Manado route starting from September 12, 2008, using Airbus 320-319 three times a week.
The KL-Manado flight is AirAsia`s second in Sulawesi after Makassar.
The KL-Palembang route was served since Nov 22, 2006 four times a week using A320 with a capacity for 180 passengers.
The opening of the KL-Palembang route was at that time the 4th for Sumatra after Medan, Padang, and Pekanbaru.(*)
AntaraNews
Saturday, February 20, 2010
WestJet profitable despite 4Q2009 slump; Equal mix of profitable/non-profitable routes for AirAsia X
18 February 2010
WestJet (shares up 1.2%) reported its 19th consecutive quarter of profitability in the three months ended Dec-2009, but unveiled a 52% slump in net profit (to USD19.3 million) and a 7.4% reduction in revenues (to USD545 million).
The weaker result nevertheless prompted CEO, Sean Durfy, to state that the Canadian LCC was “once again one of the top performers in the North American airline industry”. Mr Durfy added that he was “ecstatic and extremely pleased" with the results, noting the LCC's ability to remain profitable during 2009 shows its “business model works even in the darkest times”.
The carrier reported a 7.4% RASM decline in the period (to USD 12.35 cents), less than the expected decline of 11-13%, due to a better-than-anticipated performance in Dec-2009. The carrier’s yields were down 11.0% (to USD 15.74 cents) in the quarter.
Looking forward, Mr Durfy commented that the carrier is expecting continued pressure on fares in 1Q2010 (with RASM tracking for a year-on-year decline of less than 5%), but added that it expected continued profitability in 2010.
AirAsia X has an equal mix of profitable and non-profitable routes: CEO
AirAsia X CEO, Azran Osman-Rani, stated the carrier now has an equal mix of profitable and non-profitable routes, with the carrier’s Taipei service breaking even after six months of operations. Mr Osman-Rani expects the London service will need between 12 to 18 months until it breaks even. Mr Osman-Rani added that plans to launch services to Incheon and Sydney were “critical for our own business, for us to sustain our business model”. Shares in AirAsia X parent, AirAsia, slipped 1.4% yesterday.
Alexander Lebedev denies interest in NIKI shareholding
Meanwhile, Russian billionaire, Alexander Lebedev, denied reports by Die Pressie that he was considering acquiring a stake in NIKI. NIKI is currently in “advanced talks” with existing shareholder, Air Berlin, regarding the German LCC increasing its stake in NIKI.
Selected LCCs daily share price movements (% change): 17-Feb-2010.png)
Source: Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation & Yahoo! Finance
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation
AirAsia launches Kota Kinabalu to Taipei flights
17 February 2010
Asia’s low-cost carrier, AirAsia, has launched direct flights between Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia and Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, from as little as £280 return.
This new daily service will make it even easier for British travellers to twin a holiday in Taiwan with one in Malaysia.
AirAsia’s new route will be operated by the airline’s new 180-passenger Airbus A320 aircraft. Flights departing from Kota Kinabalu will depart daily at 06.00 and will arrive in Taipei at 09.20; while flights out of Taipei will leave at 09.50 and are scheduled to land at Kota Kinabalu at 13.10.
These new flights follow hot on the heels of the launch of AirAsia’s first route connecting Taipei and Kuala Lumpur, which launched in July 2009. To date, AirAsia and AirAsiaX now fly direct to Taipei every day from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Kota Kinabalu.
For more information and flight bookings, visit airasia.com.
EasierTravel.com
Asia’s low-cost carrier, AirAsia, has launched direct flights between Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia and Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, from as little as £280 return.
This new daily service will make it even easier for British travellers to twin a holiday in Taiwan with one in Malaysia.
AirAsia’s new route will be operated by the airline’s new 180-passenger Airbus A320 aircraft. Flights departing from Kota Kinabalu will depart daily at 06.00 and will arrive in Taipei at 09.20; while flights out of Taipei will leave at 09.50 and are scheduled to land at Kota Kinabalu at 13.10.
These new flights follow hot on the heels of the launch of AirAsia’s first route connecting Taipei and Kuala Lumpur, which launched in July 2009. To date, AirAsia and AirAsiaX now fly direct to Taipei every day from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Kota Kinabalu.
For more information and flight bookings, visit airasia.com.
EasierTravel.com
AirAsia Offers 20 Per Cent Discount
17 February 2010
KUALA LUMPUR-- AirAsia Bhd will be offering a 20 per cent price slash for all seats to all destinations during a four-day promotion from Feb 18-21.
In a statement here Wednesday, AirAsia said the promotion will be available exclusively online via its website at www.airasia.com during the promotion period for a travel period from March 23 -May 31 this year.
The discounts for its domestic and international destinations will be available for AirAsia's nine regional hubs namely Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya and Bandung stretching across 20 countries to over 130 routes.
The promotion excludes domestic destinations within Thailand and the new routes to India (Banglore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai from Kuala Lumpur and to Chennai from Penang) for which sales were opened recently, where promotional fares are still available online until February 21.
Its regional head of commercial, Kathleen Tan said guests will be able to book flights to favourite destinations such as London, Australia, China as well as regional favourites like Siem Reap, Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City during the four-day promotion.
Those planning on domestic travel in Malaysia will also benefit from the promotion as domestic destinations are included, she said.
-- BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR-- AirAsia Bhd will be offering a 20 per cent price slash for all seats to all destinations during a four-day promotion from Feb 18-21.
In a statement here Wednesday, AirAsia said the promotion will be available exclusively online via its website at www.airasia.com during the promotion period for a travel period from March 23 -May 31 this year.
The discounts for its domestic and international destinations will be available for AirAsia's nine regional hubs namely Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Bangkok, Phuket, Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya and Bandung stretching across 20 countries to over 130 routes.
The promotion excludes domestic destinations within Thailand and the new routes to India (Banglore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai from Kuala Lumpur and to Chennai from Penang) for which sales were opened recently, where promotional fares are still available online until February 21.
Its regional head of commercial, Kathleen Tan said guests will be able to book flights to favourite destinations such as London, Australia, China as well as regional favourites like Siem Reap, Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City during the four-day promotion.
Those planning on domestic travel in Malaysia will also benefit from the promotion as domestic destinations are included, she said.
-- BERNAMA
Tune Talk has 600,000 subscribers
17 February 2010
TUNE Talk has become the fastest growing telephone company in Malaysia by breaching the 500,000 subscriber mark just five months after its launch in Aug 15 last year.
TUNE Talk has become the fastest growing telephone company in Malaysia by breaching the 500,000 subscriber mark just five months after its launch in Aug 15 last year.
The country’s newest mobile service provider aims to surpass its one million subscriber target within the first year of operation. The number of subscribers hit 600,000 on Feb 9.
"We will achieve this target by boosting our distribution channels supported by innovative marketing and communications strategies, including our web-based approach – we are confident of such a simple yet exciting product," Tune Talk CEO Jason Lo said as he presented Tune Talk’s 500,000th subscriber Zolkefley Mohd Mokhtar from Negri Sembilan with his reward.
Zolkefley got himself a three-day two-night all-expense paid trip to Bali, complete with accommodation at a Tune Hotel, free surfing lessons, a surfboard and a camera.
Tune Talk has introduced its new rebate plan which enables subscribers to enjoy 10% worth of instant free talktime when they top up RM30, RM50 or RM100.
"We aim to make it cheaper and easier to talk and it appears we are achieving that. We work hard to provide better service because we do listen to our customers and subscribers tell us they feel the savings on mobile bills," Lo said.
Tune Talk is currently running a promotion which gives a weekly winner RM10, 000 worth of AirAsia E-Gift vouchers that can be redeemed for any AirAsia or AirAsiaX flight.
Sun2Surf
No Malaysian move for new Lotus team yet
13 February 2010
Lotus has put on hold plans to relocate in the near future to Malaysia.
When the new team's official entry was confirmed last September, the FIA said Lotus' plan was to be based at the Sepang circuit.
Some days later, the Malaysian prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the cars would be designed, made and tested at the venue near Kuala Lumpur.
"It will all be made in Malaysia, and made by Malaysians," he said, adding that even the pit crew will be made up of Malaysians despite being led by the British F1 technical expert Mike Gascoyne.
However, Lotus' 2010 car, launched in London on Friday, has been designed at Hingham, Norfolk (UK).
"Right now, stability is important and there are no plans to move to Malaysia yet," team boss Tony Fernandes, also head of the Malaysian airline AirAsia, said.
"In time, obviously, it would be great to be in Malaysia because there's a Formula One track, but we have no immediate plans to move," he added.
He said the concept of relocating to Sepang will be reconsidered next year.
Fernandes cools Norwich talk
12 February 2010Tony Fernandes has played down speculation he could buy Norwich City, saying his focus is currently on Lotus Racing.
The multi-millionaire businessman recently made an attempt to take over West Ham United, only to see David Gold and David Sullivan secure a deal for the Premier League club.
David Gold has subsequently been linked with a takeover of Norwich, and the Canaries' chief executive David McNally had suggested talks could take place in the future.
The founder of AirAsia is a regular visitor to the Lotus base at Hingham in Norfolk, however, for the time being, Formula One, rather than football is central to Fernandes' focus.
Never say no
"I am quite happy at the moment, and have got my hands full with Lotus," said Fernandes.
"I think the Lotus guys are very happy West Ham did not happen, so now they have 100 per cent of my attention and money!"
Fernandes added: "Everyone is speculating I am going to buy Norwich City.
"I have never been to Carrow Road, but they have the right colours.
"Never say no, but right now my focus is very much on Lotus Racing."
Fernandes believes if run properly, then sports clubs can be very profitable despite the financial troubles being experienced by several teams in the English game.
He said: "If you look at West Ham, it was a classic case of how not to do things.
"I believe in good old fashioned business principles of having a strong balance sheet, with a good cash flow.
"There are tremendous opportunities in sport."
Skysports.com
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