KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Group Bhd’s long-haul subsidiary, AirAsia X Bhd (AAX), today finalised a firm order with Airbus SE for an additional 12 A330neo and 30 A321XLR aircraft, for a combined value of over US$5 billion.
Delivery of the A330neo is expected to start in middle of 2020 while the A321XLR is slated to begin in 2023.
AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the airline’s latest firm order provides greater flexibility to better manage capacity on key routes, while exploring opportunities to operate non-stop flights between Southeast Asia and cities like Australia, China and Japan.
“This order reaffirms our selection of the A330neo as the most most efficient choice for our future wide-body fleet.
“Additionally, the A321XLR offers the longest flying range of any single aisle aircraft and will enable us to introduce services to new destinations,” he said at the signing ceremony between AirAsia and Airbus here today.
Fernandes said these aircraft would be perfect partners for long-haul low cost operations, allowing the airline to build further on its market leading position in the fast-growing sector.
AAX chairman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said the airline’s firm orders was a testament to its confidence and commitment to longer haul air travel.
“This is the future of our long-haul operations. The A330neo’s revolutionary’s new features and modifications will move our long haul service sectors up to a higher level, while allowing AAX to look at expanding beyond the eight-hour flight radius such as Europe,” she said.
Airbus chief executive officer Gauillaume Faury said the new order for A330neo and A321XLR is a true endorsement of the Airbus solution to mid-market demand with a combination of single aisle and wide-body products.
“This powerful solution will provide AAX with the lowest possible operating costs to expand its network and enable even more people to fly further than ever before,” he said.
The new contract increases the number of A330neo aircraft ordered by AAX to 78 units, reaffirming the carrier’s status as the largest airline customer for the type.
Meanwhile, the A321XLR order sees AirAsia Group strengthen its position as the world’s largest airline customer for the A320 Family with a total of 622 aircraft order.