KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X Bhd's recorded a net profit of RM32.98 billion for its cumulative 18 months period ended December 31, 2022.
Revenue for the period came in at RM878.13 million, predominantly attributable to the return of scheduled passenger flight operations in the second half of 2022 as travel restrictions ease.
Driven by the return of demand after a two-year lockdown period, the company carried a total of 417,195 passengers during the year, with a passenger load factor of 78 per cent.
As announced on December 2, 2020, the financial year end of the airline has been changed from December 31, 2020, to June 30, 2021.
The company then subsequently announced on August 18, 2022, that its financial year end had been changed to December 31, 2022.
As such, no comparative financial information will be available for the preceding year's corresponding periods.
For the quarter that ended December 31, 2022, the company registered a net profit of RM153.48 million, while its revenue stood at RM339.3 million.
AirAsia X chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail said the company expects to relaunch more of its profitable destinations this year and looks forward to the return to China with the announcement of the reopening of the country's border in January 2023, in addition to its planned inaugural flight to Turkey this year.
Most recently, in February 2023, he noted the company resumed services to Busan, South Korea, and had added more flights to the existing routes in our network.
"The company is optimistic about the upward fare trend in the near term as demand for international air travel remains high.
"While we expect this to rationalise somewhat, we do not foresee the fare trend dropping beyond pre-pandemic levels.
"As we rise up to meet the ever-thriving demand for flights, we are diligent in ensuring that aircraft within the company's fleet will be operational within the stipulated timeline, with all safety requirements met," he said in a statement.
He added the company was also in varying degrees of engagement with third-party aircraft lessors for the induction of additional aircraft within its fleet.
"By the year 2024, we expect to have a total of 17 A330s within our fleet, active and operational," he added.
As of December 31, 2022, AirAsia X's fleet size stood at 14 A330s, with seven aircraft activated and operational.