Malaysian start-up carrier AirAsia has called in a US consultancy to help draw up a strategic plan to develop it further as the country's second scheduled international airline.
The five-month-old carrier has hired Gellman Research Associates (GRA) to prepare the report, due to be submitted by the end of the month to AirAsia's major shareholder, Hicom Holdings and to the Malaysian Government.
GRA's findings are expected to focus on the proposed expansion of AirAsia's international route network and recommendations on the future type of aircraft required. The airline's long-term goal is to compete more fully with flag carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) for international traffic.
Since its launch in November, AirAsia has acquired two Boeing 737-300s on lease from General Electric Capital. Aside from domestic destinations, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu, the airline has has just inaugurated its first service to Jakarta, in Indonesia.
The airline also wants to launch a service to Shanghai in direct competition with MAS. Other possible destinations include Fukuoka in Japan, Xiaman in China, and the central Asian republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
It is unclear as to what extent the plans will be affected by the recent death in a helicopter accident of Hicom chairman Ahmad Yahaya, the primary driving force behind AirAsia and its parent company.
Talk of the airline acquiring a Boeing 747 has faded and interest instead appears to be focused on leasing a widebody twinjet, such as a Boeing 767 or Airbus Industrie A310. There are also plans to acquire additional 737s.
Another recent Malaysian start-up carrier, Asia Pacific Airlines, has ceased operations. The third-tier airline operated a fixed-wing fleet of three Fairchild Metro 23s on some 30 sectors before shutting down. Its owner says that it hopes to restructure and relaunch the airline shortly on a smaller number of niche routes.
Source: Flight International
