AirAsia's CEO Expects To Boost Airbus Fleet
HONG KONG -- AirAsia, Asia's largest low-cost airline by fleet size, will need to order an additional 60 Airbus jetliners over the next year to meet its plans for expansion in the region, the carrier's chief executive said, a sign of how low-cost air travel is booming in Asia.
Low-cost carriers have proliferated there over the past three years, particularly in Southeast Asian countries where authorities have made it easier for them to get a foothold, such as Malaysia and Thailand.
Malaysia-based AirAsia already has ordered 100 single-aisle A320 jetliners from Airbus and has options for an additional 30 of the planes. It has taken delivery of 13 A320s so far.
Founded in December 2001, AirAsia has been a pioneer in its industry. Together with its two 49%-owned subsidiaries, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia, it flies to more than 70 destinations in the region. The carrier is 62%-owned by institutional and individual shareholders, with the remainder held mostly by the company's senior executives and directors.
"We're finding the A320 to be a phenomenally profitable aircraft," AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said in an interview yesterday. "I believe within the next 12 months that AirAsia will need to look at another order. I believe it will be a confirmation of the 30 options and a further 30 [A320s]."
Mr. Fernandes said that this was his personal view and emphasized that AirAsia's board has made no decision yet to purchase any additional A320s. "There has been no study. It's just my gut feel," he said by telephone from AirAsia's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
A deal for a total of 60 A320s would be valued at $3.9 billion at list prices, though suppliers typically give airlines discounts for big orders.
"We just can't get enough capacity," said Mr. Fernandes. AirAsia now has 50 aircraft in its fleet, most of them Boeing 737s.
AirAsia will need more planes if it is to add the routes it wants to destinations in Vietnam, southern China and eastern India.
It plans first to add routes within Southeast Asia and then expand further afield. For instance, AirAsia already flies to Hanoi in Vietnam, but also is seeking permission to serve Ho Chi Minh City, the country's commercial hub. AirAsia hopes to fly to several cities in China, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Kunming. In India, it wants to fly to Calcutta, Chennai and other cities on the eastern coast.
"My first objective is to try to increase the number of Airbuses coming to us," Mr. Fernandes said. AirAsia currently is receiving A320s at a rate of about 16 a year; he wants to speed up deliveries to about 24 planes a year.
Airbus -- a unit of Franco-German European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. -- and its U.S. rival Boeing Co. both see Asia as their most promising overseas market for commercial aircraft.
Airasia首席执行长称需增加空客订单
Airasia首席执行长表示，为继续扩大市场，公司明年可能还需订购60架空中客车(Airbus)客机。Airasia的这一计划反映了亚洲低价航空市场的繁荣。以飞机数量衡量，马来西亚的Airasia是亚洲最大的低价航空公司。
过去三年来，亚洲低价航空市场蓬勃发展，其中东南亚市场尤其强劲，在马来西亚和泰国等东南亚国家，政府政策对低价航空的发展壮大非常支持。
Airasia之前已订购了100架空客单通道A320飞机，同时还保留有增加30架订单的选择权。目前，这批订单中已有13架飞机交付使用。
成立于2001年12月的Airasia一直是业内领先企业。它旗下在泰国和印度尼西亚各有一家子公司：Thai AirAsia和Indonesia AirAsia，它在这两家子公司分别持有49%的股份。如将这两家子公司也统计在内，则Airasia在亚洲共有70多处飞行目的地。Airasia的外部股东持有公司62%的股份，他们包括机构投资者和个人投资者，其余股份大多为公司内部人士持有，包括公司高级管理层和董事。
Airasia首席执行长托尼?费尔南德斯(Tony Fernandes)在周二接受采访时说：我们发现，A320是一种盈利能力很强的机型。他还表示，相信12个月内公司还将需要考虑增加订单，可考虑行使那30架选择权，然后另外再增加30架。
不过费尔南德斯说，这是他的个人看法，他强调说，公司董事会还未决定增加订单。他在采访电话中说：具体还未做研究。这只是我的直觉。
如按报价计算，60架A320的总金额是39亿美元。不过，大宗订单通常都能拿到折扣。
费尔南德斯说，我们现在感到运力不足。Airasia现在有50架客机，其中大多是波音(Boeing)737。
Airasia还希望增加到越南、中国华南地区及印度东部地区的航线，为此，Airasia必须增加飞机数量。不过根据计划，它会先增加东南亚地区的航班数，然后再考虑其他地区。
Airasia目前已开通到越南首都河内的航班，但它还希望能增加至越南商业中心胡志明市的航线。同时，它还计划开通至广州、深圳和昆明等中国南方城市的航线。印度的加尔各答、钦奈和其他几个东部沿海城市也在它们的日程表上。
费尔南德斯说，我的首要目标是加快订单到货速度。目前Airasia所订A320每年交付16架左右，费尔南德斯希望能增加到24架左右。
欧洲航空防务航天公司(European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co.)旗下的空中客车和美国的波音公司目前都将亚洲视为它们最有前途的商用飞机市场。
BRUCE STANLEY
