分类： Air Asia

AirAsia Japan (DJ, Nagoya Chubu) chairman Takashi Ide says the start-up will now likely only launch operations during summer of this year having originally aimed for spring time.

According to the ZipanguFlyer blog, the delay was caused by a number of factors including a last-minute change in management which saw Ide replacing former chairman Yoshinori Odagiri among other appointments.

However, with JPY3 billion (USD26.31 million) in fresh capital, the LCC now looks set to launch revenue operations in either July or August.

Initially, the AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur Int’l) unit will largely focus on Japan’s domestic market employing a pair of two A320-200 (sl)s to connect Nagoya Chubu to Sapporo Chitose, Sendai, and Taipei Taoyuan with double-daily rotations.

Thereafter, in 2017, a further four aircraft will arrive allowing for the launch of added regional flights with Beijing Capital, Tianjin, Guam Int’l, Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok, Macau Int’l, Seoul Incheon, Shanghai Pudong, and Wuxi touted as possible destinations. First profit is forecasted for FY2017.

In 2018, AirAsia Japan will add three A320s for a total of nine, plus two A330s. The new Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) wide-body aircraft will be used to open up Nagoya Chubu-Singapore Changi, while the additional A320s will be based at a new hub at Tokyo Narita and fly to Beijing or Tianjin, Hong Kong or Macau, Sapporo, Taipei, and Shanghai or Wuxi.

During 2019, the fleet will be increased to a dozen A320s and four A330s; the A320s will be based at their third hub at Taipei Taoyuan and start Vietnam and Singapore using fifth freedom rights, while additional A330s will be used to launch Honolulu from both Nagoya and Tokyo’s Narita airport.

By the end of 2020, the LCC’s fleet will include fourteen A320s and six A330s. The additional A330s will be used to open up its first trans-Pacific routes to Seattle Tacoma Int’l, though Ide noted it could be changed to San Francisco, CA depending on which US partner it interlines with. The added A320s will also open up more routes including Taipei and Narita with Seoul. The LCC also plans to conduct its Initial Public Offering (IPO) during FY2020.

Frustrated passengers on board an AirAsia flight scheduled to travel from Malaysia to Australia say they have been stranded in Bali for more than a day, after two separate medical emergencies and then immigration restrictions grounded their plane.

Flight D7206, an Airbus A-330, took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday night bound for Coolangatta on the Gold Coast, but was forced to divert to the Indonesian island of Bali two hours into the trip due to a medical emergency involving a passenger.

The sick passenger, who was experiencing severe stomach pain, disembarked in Bali and, several hours later, on Tuesday morning, the plane took off for Australia.

Passengers from the AirAsia flight scheduled to travel from Malaysia to Australia, but now stuck in Bali. Photo: Channel Nine

继续阅读‘Sort it out!’: AirAsia passengers stuck in Bali after string of delays

BY MUGUNTAN VANAR

KOTA KINABALU: More tourist arrivals from China are expected with the launching of direct daily flights from Kota Kinabalu to Wuhan.

Low-cost carrier AirAsia on Friday started its inaugural flight from Kota Kinabalu (KK) to China’s central Wuhan province at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).

Some 120 passengers from Kota Kinabalu were sent off by state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun on the maiden four-hour flight to Wuhan at 7pm.

With promotional all-in fares from as low as RM249 one way, Air Asia said that they are already seeing “strong forward booking” of up to 70% till March this year.

Air Asia head of commercial operations Spencer Lee said they were confident that Chinese tourist arrivals to Sabah will continue to grow after the commencement of the route. This would strengthen social and cultural ties between both regions, he said.

“Sabahans can now enjoy the best of Wuhan with a direct flight and low fares” he said adding that the return flight on Saturday was almost a fully booked with 180 passengers.

“Our latest route from Kota Kinabalu to Wuhan is part of our initiative and commitment towards developing Sabah as a gateway for tourists from China to East Malaysia,” added Lee.

Masidi told reporters that AirAsia’s maiden flight to Wuhan meant that there were some 61 flights between KK and China every week served by airlines such as Shanghai Airlines, Spring Airlines as well as AirAsia.

“Last year, AirAsia flew 3.8 million passengers to and from Sabah – the highest number by a single airline and contributing greatly to the state’s economy,” he said.

“I believe the future between China and Sabah lies in tourism. I call on the government, private sector, airlines and tour agencies to join hands and work hard in ensuring the success of the state’s tourist industry,” he added.