AirAsia X will be flying a 13 year-old plane on the Australia and China routes-has taken out insurance to cover costs of suspended or delayed flights
Details of AirAsia X's sole plane:
The aircraft with registration 9M-XXA was first delivered for use in Ocober 1994( see entry 54 at http://www.edinavtn.co.uk/assets/files/PDFs/A330.pdf)
History of the aircraft Delivery Date Operator Registration Remark
02/05/1994 Aer Lingus EI-SHN lsd ILFC - ret 28/06/02 as N54AN
27/04/2004 Air Algerie F-OMSA lsd from AWAS - ret to lessor 27/08/05
28/09/2005 Air Madrid EC-JMF Suspended operations 16/12/06 - Stored at BCN - To SN Brussels - reg N54AN
14/09/2007 Fly Asian Xpress 9M-XAA AirAsiaX
(http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-a330-54.htm)
One plane with plans for more is enough for AirAsiaX
Steve Creedy | October 05, 2007
AIRASIAX has rejected suggestions from rival Jetstar that passengers on its new Australian services will be stranded if its only plane breaks down.
The long-haul, low-cost carrier - to start flying to Australia early next month - will begin service with just one leased A330 aircraft flying four times a week to Australia and five times to China, but it's what may come next that has Jetstar paying attention.
Additional aircraft will come on stream over the next five years. The airline has committed to 15 A330-300s, with options on 10, and gets its first two planes next year. It is also looking at extra leased A330s and, possibly, bigger A340s to service Europe.
Jetstar - which has had its own troubles with aircraft problems that have left passengers stranded - has raised questions about AirAsiaX's ability to repatriate Australian travellers if there are problems while it is operating with a single plane.
AirAsiaX chief executive Asran Osman-Rani says the airline has the contingency covered, however, and had an insurance plan to cover costs such as food, accommodation and tickets. "One of the things we will offer is compensation, either in refunds or getting people on board other flights," he said.
"If you think about it, even if I had five planes I wouldn't have a spare just sitting on the ground.
"They're all going to be flying to different destinations and realistically, in our model, I wouldn't expect these planes to be flying about half-full. They'll probably be flying about three-quarters full, if not more.
"So there's a limited ability to really do rescue planes on our own flights." The Malaysian-based carrier last Friday announced one-way introductory fares of $99 on its four weekly return services between Kuala Lumpur and Gold Coast......( http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22531453-23349,00.html)
The aircraft with registration 9M-XXA was first delivered for use in Ocober 1994( see entry 54 at http://www.edinavtn.co.uk/assets/files/PDFs/A330.pdf)
History of the aircraft Delivery Date Operator Registration Remark
02/05/1994 Aer Lingus EI-SHN lsd ILFC - ret 28/06/02 as N54AN
27/04/2004 Air Algerie F-OMSA lsd from AWAS - ret to lessor 27/08/05
28/09/2005 Air Madrid EC-JMF Suspended operations 16/12/06 - Stored at BCN - To SN Brussels - reg N54AN
14/09/2007 Fly Asian Xpress 9M-XAA AirAsiaX
(http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-a330-54.htm)
One plane with plans for more is enough for AirAsiaX
Steve Creedy | October 05, 2007
AIRASIAX has rejected suggestions from rival Jetstar that passengers on its new Australian services will be stranded if its only plane breaks down.
The long-haul, low-cost carrier - to start flying to Australia early next month - will begin service with just one leased A330 aircraft flying four times a week to Australia and five times to China, but it's what may come next that has Jetstar paying attention.
Additional aircraft will come on stream over the next five years. The airline has committed to 15 A330-300s, with options on 10, and gets its first two planes next year. It is also looking at extra leased A330s and, possibly, bigger A340s to service Europe.
Jetstar - which has had its own troubles with aircraft problems that have left passengers stranded - has raised questions about AirAsiaX's ability to repatriate Australian travellers if there are problems while it is operating with a single plane.
AirAsiaX chief executive Asran Osman-Rani says the airline has the contingency covered, however, and had an insurance plan to cover costs such as food, accommodation and tickets. "One of the things we will offer is compensation, either in refunds or getting people on board other flights," he said.
"If you think about it, even if I had five planes I wouldn't have a spare just sitting on the ground.
"They're all going to be flying to different destinations and realistically, in our model, I wouldn't expect these planes to be flying about half-full. They'll probably be flying about three-quarters full, if not more.
"So there's a limited ability to really do rescue planes on our own flights." The Malaysian-based carrier last Friday announced one-way introductory fares of $99 on its four weekly return services between Kuala Lumpur and Gold Coast......( http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22531453-23349,00.html)
The acid test, obviously, is for AirAsia X to get the AOC from the Australian civil aviation authorities. The Australians are very stringent about handing out AOCs. No compromising on standards.
ReplyDeleteIt has already secured the AOC from the Malaysian civil aviation authorities.
With both AOCs in hand, AirAsia X can start flights between KLIA and the Gold Coast.