Air Asia Eyeing Halim Airport

31 August 2010

VIVAnews - The Ministry of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) acknowledged that Malaysia-based airline Air Asia states its interest to patch up an airport in Indonesia. One of the targets is Halim Perdanakusumah Airport.

"They want to manage an airport, and the name Halim is out," said SOEs State Minister Mustafa Abubakar in Jakarta, August 31.

According to Mustafa, Air Asia was willing to oversee an airport in Indonesia but it could not yet reveal the prepared allocated investment.

In addition to Halim Perdanakusumah Airport, Air Asia also viewed that the Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport will need better management, for there is no balance between the domestic and international terminals.

In addition to Air Asia, Mustafa said that a number of airport administrators are eyeing several airports in the country, including one managing Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

The minister said foreign investors are starting to put into consideration the development of various airports, especially Soekarno-Hatta, which is more visible and profitable.

By Antique, Syahid Latif

VivaNews.com

AirAsia X Launches Ex-Australia Promotion

31 August 2010

AirAsia X is slicing 20% off all Australian flights to Kuala Lumpur and back to celebrate the arrival of Spring.

AirAsia’s 20% Off Spring Sale is on from Wednesday, 1 September, until 5 September 2010, with 20% off all flights between the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth and the Malaysian hub of KL.

The travel period runs between 1 September 2010 and 14 November 2010. The sale also applies to AirAsia X’s new Premium FlatBed seats.

The Premium seats offer standard business class specifications of 20” width, 60” pitch and stretch out to 77” in full recline position.

They also feature universal power sockets, adjustable headrests and built-in personal utilities such as tray table, drink holder, reading light and privacy screen.

AirAsia X is also offering hot deals on some old favourites departing Kuala Lumpur including Ho Chi Minh from $3, Phuket from $5, Penang from $26, Langkawi from $30, Singapore from $32, Bangkok and Siem Reap from $67 and Bali (Denpasar) from $71. Terms and conditions apply.

AsiaTravelTips.com

Virgin Blue pax up in Jul-2010; AirAsia focuses on ancillaries; Thai Tiger revising business

30 August 2010

Shares in Virgin Blue gained 3.2% on Friday, the same day the carrier released its traffic results for Jun-2010 and Jul-2010.

The carrier reported a 7.3% increase in passenger numbers to 1.6 million (1.4 million for domestic operations and 283,500 on international services) in Jul-2010, with an average load factor of 81.6% (78.7% for domestic and 86.0% for international routes). This follows 1.5 million passengers in Jun-2010 with an average load factor of 75.4%.

Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia may convert debt into equity when listing

In other Asia Pacific LCC news, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes stated Thai AirAsia and IndonesiaMalaysia Business Times report on 30-Aug-2010. The collective debt of the two carriers is approximately MYR800 million. Mr Fernandes added that AirAsia’s 49% shareholdings in Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia would be diluted once they are listed. AirAsia may look to convert their debt into equity when they seek listing, according to a

Mr Ferndandes also said the carrier aims to increase ancillary income to USD19.14 (MYR60) per passenger in the next three years. Shares in AirAsia gained 1.9% on Friday.

Tiger financially strongest option for LCC JV

Also in the region, Thai Airways President, Piyasvasti Amranand, commented that the carrier selected Tiger Airways as its partner to launch LCC JV, Thai Tiger Airways, after looking at a number of options, including Jetstar, Dragonair, Cebu Pacific and Lion Air.

Mr Amranand said Tiger was selected as it is financially the strongest and the two airlines have the “same business concept” and “same enemy”. The two are now revising a business plan, to include regional and domestic routes. Mr Amranand said the carrier would not be losing aviation slots to Tiger Airways as a result of the JV.

Cebu Pacific yet to decide on timing for IPO

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific parent, JG Summit Holdings Inc, stated it is yet to decide the timing of plans to launch an IPO for the LCC. The company said the timing of the offer would depend on approvals from the stock exchange and securities regulator.

Selected LCCs daily share price movements (% change): 27-Aug-2010

Source: Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, Yahoo! Finance & Reuters

Motor racing-Lotus now fully focused on 2011 car

27 August 2010

Formula One newcomers Lotus are now fully focused on next season and taking on the sport's established teams, technical head Mike Gascoyne said on Friday.

The Malaysian-owned team are currently best of the three all-new outfits on the starting grid but are still some distance away from the other nine and a long way from scoring their first points.

Friday at the Belgian Grand Prix marked another milestone for the revived marque, returning after the demise of the original Lotus team in 1994.

"Today was the day a year ago that we actually first walked around our factory and there were three of us," recalled Gascoyne.

"Now there are 220 of us. We hope that we can do a better job for next year, so that is clearly where our focus is."

Lotus, run by AirAsia aviation entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, designed their first car in a hurry but Gascoyne said the 2011 one should be a far more considered effort.

"While it is still important for us to try and maintain 10th place in the championship, I think the most important thing as one of the new teams is that we make that step and close the gap to the established teams and we are able to race them properly," he said.

"I think just being on the grid for us was a huge achievement but you are only a new team once and we are not a new team next year. We are a Formula One team and we have to make sure that we are performing as one so we very much switched our focus on to next year's car."

Lotus's best result in 12 races so far has been 13th for Finland's Heikki Kovalainen in Australia in March.

The old Lotus team founded by the late Colin Chapman won seven constructors' titles between 1963 and 1978 as well as six drivers' crowns.

"Gearbox and hydraulics have been a particularly weak area," said Gascoyne of this season's performance.

"We haven't had the resources to put all the fixes in place and I think we have been let down by some suppliers who have not done as good a job as they should have done. But you cannot make excuses. You have got to put things right," he added.

"I think we are now very much on top of it."

Reuters

Win Up to 100 Free AirAsia Flights

27 August 2010

AirAsia has launched a regional “Tell Us Your Story” promotion, which offers, until 4 October 2010, the chance to win up to 100 free flights.

The “Tell Us Your Story” contest is part of AirAsia’s regional Real People Real Stories branding campaign which is gearing up to celebrate AirAsia’s 100,000,000th guest flown.

Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial, AirAsia said, “From a humble beginning of two aircraft, one destination and a staff of 250 nearly nine years ago; AirAsia now has a fleet of 95 aircraft (and counting), over 130 exciting destinations and 8,000 staff globally. AirAsia has also been awarded the “World’s Best Low Cost Carrier” by Skytrax for two consecutive years in 2009 and 2010. For the past 9 years, AirAsia has redefined air travel across Asia, and not only made it possible for everyone to fly but helped to fulfilled dreams, create job opportunities, and changed the lives of nearly 100,000,000 people who has flown with AirAsia. The airline has been bridging communities in underserved markets such as Bandung, Banda Acheh, Trichy and Hat Yai which no other airline services. That is the AirAsia story in a nutshell, but it is now time for your story to be heard.”

Share how AirAsia has changed your life for the better in any form and submit it before 4 October 2010. You can blog about it, film it, tweet about it, or in any other creative ways you can imagine and stand a chance to win up to 100 free flights. Entries are encouraged to be tagged with the phrase AA100M.

AsiaTravelTips.com

New LCC terminal may have aerobridges

27 August 2010

Both MAHB and AirAsia are looking into it

PETALING JAYA: Aerobridges may be a feature at the country’s new low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) for which the ground breaking is slated for Monday.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has proposed this facility and AirAsia Bhd is mulling over it.

“We have not used that before but it is a proposal and we will look at it. As long as our cost does not go up (too much) and we can still maintain the 25-minute turnaround time, we will be happy to have aerobridges.

“It would be for the comfort of passengers,” AirAsia Bhd group CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes told StarBiz.

Now come rain or shine passengers have to walk up to board the plane(pic). At the new LCC terminal there may be aerobridges.

AirAsia has resisted aerobridges in the past as it needs to keep its cost base low to enable the airline to offer low fares to travellers. The challenge ahead would be to change with the times and offer comfort whilst still manage at low cost.

The ground breaking, to be witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, will mark the construction of the new LCCT, which is expected to be completed in 2012.

The RM2bil terminal can handle 30 million passengers and will be close to the existing KL International Airport (KLIA) terminal. There will be 72 gates and a new dual-mode runaway that will allow for 25 minutes turnaround time and increase efficiency.

It is learnt that the LCCT will be modelled after KLIA. A joint venture between UEM Construction Sdn Bhd and Bina Puri Holdings Bhd will build the terminal.

Wanting to consider MAHB’s proposal for the aerobridges bodes well for the renewed friendship between the two which had a nine-year spat.

“We had a good meeting with MAHB recently and things are progressing the right way. We should finally, after 11 years, have a terminal that will propel our growth,’’ Fernandes said.

The new LCCT is an important step for the industry. Even though its construction has been delayed from its original completion date of 2011, Fernandes is no longer furious.

To him, an airport with better facilities and amenities is worth the wait. In the interim, the existing LCCT terminal will be extended to cater for growth.

“I think, after nine years, we have seen some good cooperation between us and huge economic benefits. We have discussed with MAHB the development of permanent LCCTs at Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang. We also intend to use Langkawi much more.

“The next three to four years looks exciting for us. With the airport development, we expect to see tremendous growth potential. The new airport will make KLIA a premier hub in Asia and that augurs well for our business.”

MAHB managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad could not be reached for comments.

It is unclear if the express rail link (ERL) will be extended to the new LCCT. Fernandes is proposing that KTM Bhd consider linking the new LCCT with its current network to give an alternative to travel from the north to south of the peninsula and at the same time, promote tourism.

By B.K.Sidhu

The Star

AirAsia celebrates the Spirit of Merdeka with Low Fares!

25 August 2010

Domestic fares from RM9* and international fares from RM29*

AirAsia, the leading and largest low cost carrier in Asia has more low fares coming your way with its Merdeka Sales campaign. Fares start from as low as RM9* to domestic destinations and from RM29 to international destinations. The Merdeka campaign is a tribute to all Malaysians in achieving 53 years of Independence.

Ultra low fares for the Merdeka Sales are available up to 12 days from 24 August - 5 September 2010. However, low fares are on first come first served basis and is offered exclusively online. The travel period for this Merdeka Sale promotion is from 3 January 2011 to 31 March 2011.

Travel from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi, Alor Setar, Johor Bahru, Penang, Kota Bharu and Terengganu from RM29*; and to East Malaysia from as low as RM49*. Select from exciting destinations and sexy getaways such as Siem Reap, Bandung, Jakarta, Krabi and Saigon from RM69*, while many other destinations throughout China are also on sale with value-for-money fares.

Alongside the Merdeka Sale which runs up to 5 September, AirAsia is also holding a special Merdeka Sale for Indian destinations which is available for booking from 24 August - 12 September for the same travel period of the Merdeka Sale as well. Enjoy low fares to cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad from as low as RM149*, while fares for Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Trichy and Chennai (from both Kuala Lumpur and Penang) starts from RM199*.

Kathleen Tan, Regional Commercial Head, AirAsia Berhad said, "This is a month of celebration, both for our guests and AirAsia as well, as it is the Merdeka month for Malaysia and for AirAsia. It is a dual celebration as the airline is gearing up towards achieving our 100 millionth guests soon. AirAsia has been synonymous with its low fares and liberating air travel and we have always strive for the best and have been innovating products and services from time to time for the benefit of our loyal guests."

To further add value to our campaign, AirAsia X is also offering its destinations for the Merdeka Sale with fares from as low as RM199* to China (Tianjin), Taiwan, India (Delhi, Mumbai), from RM249* to Australia (Gold Coast, Melbourne,) and from RM699* to London. Guests may take this opportune deal to travel early next year for an adventurous or leisure trip across South East Asia and beyond with Kuala Lumpur as the gateway hub.

Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X commented, "We are proud of our country and having to celebrate Malaysia's 53 years of Independence proves how far we have strived thus far together as a nation. AirAsia X is no stranger in the Malaysian business scene, and we pride ourselves as being part of 1 Malaysia. Without the rakyat, we would not be where we are today. We thank the rakyat for their support and there's no other way than to offer our continuous low fares to our guests, in light of the Merdeka spirit. Guests may take this opportunity to plan for their next year travel and make use of both AirAsia and AirAsia X vast route network for a fantastic holiday venture over 132 routes to 70 hot destinations."

To add value, AirAsiaGo.com offers a selection of more than 70,000 hotels worldwide apart from personalized tour packages with unbeatable prices. Log on online and find out more on the various tour packages that will suit every budget.

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