AirAsia Buys Aircraft Worth Over US$5 Bln From Airbus

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- AirAsia X has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for 12 additional A330neo as well as 30 A321 XLR aircraft worth more than US$5 billion. AirAsia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said the purchase would allow AirAsia to potentially expand its footprint, especially into the Eastern Europe market. "This order reaffirms our selection of the A330neo as the most effective choice for our future wide-body fleet. "In addition, the A321 XLR offers the longest flying range of any single-aisle aircraft and will enable us to introduce services to new destinations," he said at a press conference here Friday. He added that among destinations that AirAsia was looking into with the new fleet were Nice, France, which is famous for its beaches, as well as London. "London has always been close to our heart and with these new aircraft, we are positive we can reach there and return (profitably)," he said. Meanwhile, Airbus chief executive officer Guillaume Faury said AirAsia X had been the pioneer in long-haul low-cost model in the Asia-Pacific region. "This new order for both aircraft model is an endorsement of Airbus’ solution to meet mid-market demand with a combination of single-aisle and wide-body products. "It will provide AirAsia X with the lowest possible operating cost to expand its network and enable more people to fly further than before," he said. The new contract will increase the number of A330Neo aircraft orders by AirAsia X to 78. -- BERNAMA