AIRASIA X SEES PROPOSED LISTING 'GOOD WAY" TO RAISE CAPITAL FOR EXPANSION

By Premalatha Jayaraman

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- AirAsia Bhd's low-cost long-haul unit, AirAsia X, sees a proposed listing as a "good way" to raise funds for fleet expansion, its chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani said Tuesday.

"We see listing as a good way to raise capital to buy more planes to serve
more routes as well as flying more people direct to destinations," he said at
the CEO Roundtable session at the "Dawn of the New Decade: Alternative
Investment in Asia" forum here.

The forum, organised by International Herald Tribune and The London Speaker
Bureau, ended Tuesday.

Azran was responding to a question raised by a participant on its listing
plans.

"Listing is something that we really want to pursue. We see huge upside in
the long-haul market. Malaysia is deprived of direct flights to go to some major
cities," he said.

Azran said a larger fleet size would enable the airline to serve those
underserved markets.

In June, AirAsia X said it planned to seek public listing in the second half
of next year.

AirAsia X recently announced its latest international route, Kuala Lumpur to
Seoul, South Korea, and Haneda, Japan.

-- BERNAMA