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AirAsia to Operate Chinese-made Airplanes? Maybe Soon Enough

AirAsia to Operate Chinese-made Airplanes? Maybe Soon Enough
COMAC C919 | comac website

Global airlines may consider adding the new and potentially cheaper China made C919 aircraft to their current fleets which mainly consist of aircraft from the two globally established players Airbus and Boeing.

Adding to the list of airlines looking at buying the new and potentially cheaper made in China aircraft C919 to further expand their current fleets, Asia’s low-cost carrier AirAsia, which currently owns an all-Airbus fleet, has said that it may also consider buying the aircraft since it would be foolish to ignore new aeroplanes.

“I think as an airline you have to look at everything. We will be foolish not to look at new planes,” AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said in an interview with Bloomberg Television where he was asked if his company would consider the Chinese-made C919.

As part of the airline’s move into the mainland Chinese market, AirAsia’s executive chairman, Kamarudin Meranun, said his company is considering a series of other measures, including aircraft orders.

Comac C919 | Comac website
Comac C919 | Comac website

“We are working closely with Huawei to create a digital airline and smart airport to transform the way we fly and have also started exploring the COMAC C919. China has been good to us and we want to give back in a big way,” Kamarudin said.

AirAsia's current fleet comprises 173 A320-200s, six A320-200neos, and 30 A330-300s operated by its units in India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

According to COMAC's website, twenty-three customers have already placed orders for 570 of the aircraft.

Comac flying test | Comac website
Comac flying test | Comac website

As reported earlier, AirAsia announced last week that they have signed a joint venture agreement to launch a new Chinese start-up, AirAsia China. AirAsia China is planned to be based in Zhengzhou, in the Henan Province of China, situated on the Yellow River. The venture is to run in partnership with the Everbright Group.

COMAC C919 | comac website
COMAC C919 | comac website

AirAsia already has a presence in China, flying to 15 destinations there, making it the country's largest foreign budget airline.

China is forecast to overtake the US as the world’s biggest air travel market by 2024 but budget carriers have made little headway so far because of the dominance of the big three state players: Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.

Source and reference :

Financial Express

BBC.com

The world of Aviation - blog

Travel Daily Media

China Aviation

Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
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