Thursday, 9 February 2012
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
AirAsia Philippines just added new destinations: Davao and Kalibo
Air Asia starts domestic operations next month
AIR Asia Philippines yesterday said that it will start its domestic operations next month with its new Airbus A-320 planes.
Air Asia also targets to beef up its fleet to between 14 and 16 aircraft in five years.
Marianne Hontiveros, chief executive officer of AirAsia Inc., said the local airline will be flying out of Clark to Davao on March 15 in time for Davao’s 75th founding anniversary, and from Clark to Kalibo.
Hontiveros said the airline company hopes to start its regional flights within the year, adding that it has already secured air rights for regional flights to Bangkok, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan.
However, she said that the airline still has to get seats from the respective countries after submitting the air operator certificate (AOC) which it just secured from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) yesterday.
"We are excited to announce that in the coming weeks, AirAsia Inc. will begin its domestic and international operations utilizing two brand-new Airbus A-320s flown in from the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France," she said after the signing ceremony for its AOC.
The contract allows Air Asia to fly passengers from its hub in Clark to domestic and international destinations.She said two more aircraft will be delivered within the year.
Hontiveros did not disclose the amount of investment the company put in for the new fleet, saying the aircraft that will be coming are all leased.
"After we have started our operations, we will evaluate if we need to acquire our own aircraft," she said.
She added that Air Asia is ready for a price war, and assured that the carrier has the lowest airfares while offering the best service.
The airline company originally targets to carry around 850,000 passengers in its first year of operation.
This may be revised given the delays it has faced to secure the license to operate.
Ramon S. Gutierrez, Air Asia director general, said the company has successfully completed the five phases of certification.
Gutierrez expressed confidence that the rigid process and requirements that AirAsia Inc. has fully complied with will enhance a system of checks and balances to ensure safety conscientiousness in Philippine aviation.
"We reaffirm our commitment to make air travel more fun, affordable and accessible to all Filipinos. With the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Angeles, Pampanga, as our hub, we look forward to helping revitalize tourism and significantly increasing passenger traffic at DMIA," Hontiveros said.
AirAsia Inc. registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in March last year to engage primarily in providing passenger and cargo air transportation in the Philippines and abroad.
AirAsia Inc. is a 60-40 joint venture between Filipino investors Antonio O. Cojuangco, Michael L. Romero and Hontiveros, and Malaysia’s AirAsia International Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of AirAsia Berhad.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Local AirAsia unit set to bag key permit
“It (the permit) is tentatively scheduled to be given to AirAsia on Monday,” Ramon S. Gutierrez, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director-general, told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview on Friday, referring to the air operator certificate.
The carrier, a joint venture between the Malaysian-based carrier, which owns 40%, and Philippine businessmen Ms. Hontiveros, Antonio O. Cojuangco III, and Michael L. Romero, had planned to commence operations as early as October last year but failed to do so, pending the receipt of the necessary permits from regulators.
AirAsia Philippines in August last year had already received a temporary operating permit from the Civil Aeronautics Board, however, the carrier had yet to receive the air operator certificate.
The application process takes a long process as airlines are required to submit data on its aircraft, proposed initial training for crew, documentation of maintenance system, among others, Mr. Gutierrez explained.
CAAP had to review the documents submitted as well as conduct an inspection of the airline’s facility as part of the process for granting an air operator certificate, he added.
“Now we have already scheduled granting the approval to AirAsia,” Mr. Gutierrez said.
AirAsia Philippines declined to comment pending actual receipt of the permit.
But it has slated a briefing with the press today for the announcement.
The firm’s entry poses competition to local carriers Cebu Air, Inc. and Philippine Airlines which likewise operate routes from the Philippines to elsewhere in the region.
Last year, the carrier’s first aircraft, a 180-seater Airbus A320, arrived at its hub in Clark.
Its second aircraft, meanwhile, was delivered later in 2011.
Marianne B. Hontiveros, chief executive officer, had said then that the carrier plans to use the first plane to fly to Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau.
Aside from the three international destinations, the carrier plans to fly to Kalibo in Aklan province, Puerto Princesa in Palawan province, Incheon in South Korea, and Bangkok in Thailand.
In the last quarter of 2011, AirAsia Philippines had been granted rights by the CAB to Malaysia, Cambodia, and Japan.
The carrier was granted 1,260 seats a week on the Clark to Kuala Lumpur route, CAB has previously said. It was also granted seven flights per week on the Clark to Cambodia route.
Moreover, AirAsia Philippines was granted six flights per week that it can utilize either on the Clark-Osaka route or Clark-Nagoya route.
AirAsia Philippines, which hopes to have a fleet of 14 or more aircraft in about four years time from 2011, is expecting the delivery of another two aircraft this year, Ms. Hontiveros said.
The carrier unveiled plans for a $25-million capital expenditure in December 2010.
Its parent has been flying to the country since 2005 from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. -- Kathleen A. Martin
Thursday, 2 February 2012
AirAsia Japan received Air Operators Certificate
Published by Ozgur Tore
Thursday, 02 February 2012 15:48
AirAsia Japan Co., Ltd., announced today that it has received Air Operators Certificate, required by the Civil Aeronautics Act, from the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
AirAsia Japan carries on preparations including training on flight crew, flight attendants, engineers and guest service staff for its commencement of domestic flight service in August 1,2012 followed by international flight service in October 1,2012.
Kazuyuki Iwakata, CEO of the airline said, “We have achieved a big step to make our ideal “Now, everyone can fly” where everyone can enjoy flights easily at any time come true.
We are accelerating our preparation for inauguration in August and hope to welcome our guests as early as possible in the Sky of Japan.”
Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia said, “We announced the establishment of AirAsia Japan in July last year, and it is great to see the progress of preparations that are in place for our operations in just a few months.
I strongly believe in the Japanese market, where low cost travel is still a new concept to many and the potential of this new market excites me.
We are doing good progress and hopefully come this August, the Japanese will have a brand new experience to talk about in both the aviation and travel industry.”Shinichiro Ito, Group CEO, ANA said, “This is a start of a new age in Japanese aviation history with a fully-fledged low cost carrier beginning operations in the largest aviation market in this country this year for the first time.
We aim to generate new demand in this industry together as a whole. ANA believes that AirAsia Japan will make air transport more accessible and provide a convenient and efficient travel option for a wide range of people.“
Thursday, 02 February 2012 15:48
AirAsia Japan Co., Ltd., announced today that it has received Air Operators Certificate, required by the Civil Aeronautics Act, from the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
AirAsia Japan carries on preparations including training on flight crew, flight attendants, engineers and guest service staff for its commencement of domestic flight service in August 1,2012 followed by international flight service in October 1,2012.
Kazuyuki Iwakata, CEO of the airline said, “We have achieved a big step to make our ideal “Now, everyone can fly” where everyone can enjoy flights easily at any time come true.
We are accelerating our preparation for inauguration in August and hope to welcome our guests as early as possible in the Sky of Japan.”
Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia said, “We announced the establishment of AirAsia Japan in July last year, and it is great to see the progress of preparations that are in place for our operations in just a few months.
I strongly believe in the Japanese market, where low cost travel is still a new concept to many and the potential of this new market excites me.
We are doing good progress and hopefully come this August, the Japanese will have a brand new experience to talk about in both the aviation and travel industry.”Shinichiro Ito, Group CEO, ANA said, “This is a start of a new age in Japanese aviation history with a fully-fledged low cost carrier beginning operations in the largest aviation market in this country this year for the first time.
We aim to generate new demand in this industry together as a whole. ANA believes that AirAsia Japan will make air transport more accessible and provide a convenient and efficient travel option for a wide range of people.“
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