AirAsia receives first Airbus delivery
AirAsia receives first Airbus delivery
Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Kuala Lumpur
What would you give as a present to an airline commemorating its
anniversary?
Try an airplane.
That's what Malaysia's budget carrier AirAsia got on Thursday.
After flying 17 hours from Touluse, France, a bright red Airbus
A320 bearing the AirAsia logo landed at Kuala Lumpur
International Airport on the exact day the airline was founded
four years ago.
A new toy for the company, one the airlines' employees says.
It was the first delivery of 100 similar types of craft that
will land at the same airport over the next seven years, AirAsia
chief executive officer Tony Fernandez said.
It's hardly a gift though, as it was definitely not free,
although few would argue that it was probably the best deal
AirAsia has ever made.
It had set on buying up to 100 planes, of which 60 would be
delivered one per month. The other 40 planes are still optional
and could be bought at the same price if the airline was
satisfied with the previous deliveries.
The delivery marks a shift in the low-cost carrier's fleet
from Boeing to Airbus, as it plans to stick with a one-type fleet
policy in order to maintain its cost effectiveness.
"Operating one type of plane will save us a lot on
maintenance, training of crews and prices as well," Tony said.
Technically speaking, it was also more convenient for the
crew. "It is easier to fly and has a lot of safety features,"
said Captain Ridzwan Salleh, who flew the plane straight from
France.
The Airbus A320 can carry 180 passengers in what is said to be
a wider cabin. And it is not cheap.
"We are delivering 100 of the best," an AirAsia advertisement
in a local Malaysian paper proclaimed, referring to their Airbus
purchasing plan. In this case, one unit of "the best" comes with
a price tag of US$60 million.
The publicly listed company said that financing would come
from loans.
"This first plane was supported by two French banks," said
Tony, highlighting his optimism for the future of the airline
business.
AirAsia's first Airbus A320 will fly from Kuala Lumpur to
Kinabalu and Kuching, while others delivered over the next six
months will serve regional routes to Bangkok and Jakarta.
At the moment, there are 750 Airbus passenger aircraft of
various types being operated by 54 airlines in the Asia-Pacific
-- around 37 of which were for low-cost carriers.
More might also be seen at Asia's airports as China has also
booked an order for 100 of the aircraft and Indonesian airline
AdamAir is also planning to buy the fly-by-wire aircraft.
Currently most airlines in the region opt to lease the older
generation Boeing craft, which cost around $80,000 per month,
although such a strategy results in higher fuel and maintenance
costs.
By comparison, the monthly leasing fee for a newer generation
Boeing 737-200 ranges between US$200,000 and $250,000.