AirAsia X won’t buy “too expensive” Airbus A350
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AirAsia X group co-chief executive Tony Fernandes has thrown the carrier’s order for 10 Airbus A350-900s into doubt.
Speaking in a Facebook video he says, “The A350 is not an aircraft we will buy. Too expensive. Fares would go up.”
AirAsia X is understood to have been eyeing an order for additional A350s or Boeing 787s to complement its fleet of A330-300s, and 66 on-order A330-900s.
Its 10 A350-900s on order are scheduled to start delivering in 2019, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows.
In the same video, however, Fernandes also appeared to throw cold water on a return to flying to London, saying that there were “no plans” to resume services to the UK capital.
His comments appear to contradict comments from carrier’s head of network and regulatory Venggatarao Niadu, who recently indicated that the carrier would look to expand its network to Europe and the United States “in about 2019”.
AirAsia X previously flew from Kuala Lumpur to London and Paris using A340s, but those routes were dropped in 2012.
Airbus indicates that an A350-900 costs around $317 million at list prices.
Questions & Answers
Q.What specifically makes the A350-900 too expensive for AirAsia X?
What specifically makes the A350-900 too expensive for AirAsia X?
Tony Fernandes states that purchasing the A350-900 would be too expensive and would necessitate an increase in passenger fares. Airbus list prices for an A350-900 are around $317 million.
Q.When were AirAsia X's A350-900s on order originally scheduled for delivery?
When were AirAsia X's A350-900s on order originally scheduled for delivery?
The 10 A350-900s that AirAsia X has on order were scheduled to begin being delivered to the airline in 2019, according to Flight Fleets Analyzer.
Q.What other aircraft types does AirAsia X currently operate or have on order?
What other aircraft types does AirAsia X currently operate or have on order?
AirAsia X currently operates a fleet of A330-300s. The carrier also has 66 A330-900s on order, which will complement its existing fleet.
Q.Does this statement align with AirAsia X's previously communicated network expansion plans?
Does this statement align with AirAsia X's previously communicated network expansion plans?
No, Fernandes' comments appear to contradict recent statements from Venggatarao Niadu, who indicated the carrier intended to expand to Europe and the US around 2019.