AirAsia X, the long haul, low fare affiliate of Malaysian based AirAsia Group, signed a letter of intent with International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) for the lease of six Airbus A330-300. These aircraft are the same model as those that AirAsia X purchased directly from Airbus, with Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines and a maximum take-off weight of 233 tons.
The six aircraft, which are scheduled for delivery between 2013 and 2014, will be operated on the carrier’s expanding network, offering low fare services to destinations in Asia Pacific.
AirAsia X will lease the six aircraft on a 10 year lease term. The six leased aircraft will be reconfigured to meet AirAsia X’s existing Airbus A330-300 configuration of 12 Premium Flatbeds and 365 Economy seats.
(L to R) Peter Anderson, Vice President of the International Lease Finance Corporation Singapore; Henri Courpron, CEO of International Lease Finance Corporation; Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X; and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, the Co-founder and Director of AirAsia X.
Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X said, “These six aircraft, together with existing delivery orders from Airbus, will see AirAsia X’s growth develop, with a total of seven deliveries each in 2013 and 2014, with the aim of being the dominant market leader in the low-cost long-haul segment.
“We intend to deploy the additional capacity with a vision to solidify our positions in our identified core markets, including Australia, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
“Our commitment to have a standardized, young, and fuel efficient fleet optimizes our resources and provides better value for our guests,” concluded Azran.
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, co-founder and director of AirAsia X commented, “AirAsia X’s partnership with ILFC will further complement AirAsia Group’s long-term vision of developing its presence in key markets in Asia, and strengthening the connectivity between the AirAsia’s short haul and AirAsia X long haul low cost network for the benefit of passengers’ convenience. This would hopefully fulfill our pledge – Now Everyone Can Fly further.”
“ILFC is pleased to welcome AirAsia X as our new customer in the Asia Pacific region. This new partnership will support the long-haul business of AirAsia X and reinforce the airline’s position in low-cost segment of the market,” said ILFC Chief Executive Officer, Henri Courpron.
