AirAsia orders Airbus A320s

9 January 2007

AirAsia, the region's largest low cost carrier, has placed a firm order for an additional 50 Airbus A320s, with a further 50 A320s on option.

The contract was signed on the 8th of January 2007 by Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia and John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers of Airbus. The order brings the AirAsia Group's (Malaysia AirAsia, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia) total orders to 150 aircraft, plus 50 options.

AirAsia placed its original order for 60 A320s in March 2005, with a re-order for an additional 40 aircraft announced at the Farnborough Airshow in July 2006. The airline currently operates a fleet of 15 A320s on an expanding domestic and regional network.

According to Airbus, the A320s are steadily replacing AirAsia's old generation Boeing 737 fleet and will do the same at Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia in 2007 and 2008, respectively. AirAsia's Kuala Lumpur hub will be fully operated with A320s by July 2007.