AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes yesterday revealed his plans to start a new super-premium regional airline in partnership with national carrier Malaysia Airlines.
“Here is another idea that has come out of AirAsia which will create more value, more jobs and more business,” Fernandes told reporters.
“If an idea like this does materialize ... it will definitely involve Malaysia Airlines,” he said.
Fernandes said that the proposed short-haul carrier would cater largely to business travelers, among others, who need to travel across the region quickly.
“For me as a traveler, time is very precious,” Fernandes said.
“If you can create a product where you do not need to wait one hour before you check in ... and Malaysia can be the home of this idea,” he said.
News reports last week said that Fernandes would launch a super-premium full-service carrier in May next year to rival Qantas’ upcoming carrier RedQ.
The Sun daily reported that the airline, likely to be called Caterham Jet, would begin operations from an airport near the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Fernandes declined to elaborate on the business plan, but said that it was a lucrative proposal that would create more jobs and opportunities in Malaysia.
“Yes, there is an idea. There is a wonderful opportunity for people who don’t want to queue up, but want to have a private jet experience,” he said.
BOOST TO FLAG CARRIER
Fernandes also said the new airline would allow the lossmaking flag carrier Malaysia Airlines to boost its revenue and compete directly with its regional rival, Singapore Airlines (SIA).
“If this idea can work, Malaysia Airlines can get one up against SIA because SIA does not have this kind of first-class premium service in the short-haul sector,” he said.
The Sun report said proposed routes for the new airline include Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore using Bombardier CRJ aircraft.
Earlier, Fernandes launched AirAsia’s new passenger loyalty program, “BIG,” which he said would boost ticket sales by 500 million ringgit (US$158 million) annually from next year.
Fernandes said that the program would help to fill about 20 percent of empty seats on AirAsia flights.
Fernandes, who is also Formula One Team Lotus principal, bought British sports car company Caterham Cars earlier this year.
Malaysia-based AirAsia has become one of the airline industry’s biggest success stories after Fernandes acquired the then-failing company a decade ago.
Its full-year net profit last year nearly doubled to 1.07 billion ringgit compared with 2009.
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