SYDNEY: Malaysians could look forward to cheaper flights Down Under if AirAsia X could score more regional airport deals in Australia.
Flying to Australian cities could be 20 per cent cheaper, said AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, if the airlines could also fly into Toowoomba in Queensland and Newcastle, north of Sydney.
In an interview with AFR Weekend on the sidelines of the on-going Asean-Australia summit in Sydney on Friday, Fernandes said currently, AirAsia X's fares from Kuala Lumpur to Australia, averages around A$150, one-way.
"If we get more Toowoombas and Avalons, we can bring fares down another 20 per cent, depending on the fuel prices.
"We're looking at Toowoomba as an alternative to Brisbane and we're also very interested in Newcastle.
"We'd also love to go back to Adelaide, and Cairns is of huge interest to us, as is Tasmania," he told the Australian business and finance newspaper.
AirAsia X began flights into Australia in 2007.
It is currently flying direct to Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, with onward flights to more than 130 destinations throughout Asia.
Fernandes said that he was also “very interested in the new Sydney airport” and would like “anything that helps us drive down costs to make it cheaper for more people to fly."
AFR said his remarks followed the announcement in February that AirAsia X would move its Melbourne Tullamarine operations to Avalon, where Jetstar is based.
"We love that Avalon is close to Geelong and the Great Ocean Road, which is a wonderful experience for Asian tourists."
Fernandes, who attended the Business Summit that is running alongside the on-going Asean-Australia Special Summit here, also emphasised the importance of Australia hosting Asean, saying it "gives focus, and also cements what we truly believe: that Australia is inextricably linked to Asia".
Asked by AFR what AirAsia could bring to the Australian market, Fernandes said "balls and innovation".