KUALA LUMPUR, August 2 – AirAsia Group proudly announces the addition of four brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft to its fleet, marking a significant milestone in its growth journey. This latest expansion brings the airline's total fleet to 221 aircraft, with eight A321neos now operational in AirAsia Malaysia and Thailand.
As the longest-fuselage aircraft in Airbus' single-aisle A320 fleet, the A321neo features advanced technology and fuel efficiency that align with AirAsia's goals of reducing operational costs while enhancing the travel experience for its guests. The aircraft's versatility allows it to land at smaller airports and serve secondary cities with 30% lower costs compared to wide-body aircraft.
The new A321neos have already commenced flight operations, providing greater flexibility on short to medium-haul routes including Kuching, Tawau, Shenzhen, Kunming, Phuket, Krabi, and Chiang Mai.
"This year marks a pivotal year for AirAsia's growth as we resume our Airbus A321neo deliveries, aligning with the strong forecast demand," said Bo Lingam, CEO of AirAsia Aviation Group. "These new aircraft are game-changers, allowing us to enhance our route network, offer longer-range flights, and improve operational efficiency. We are also proud to be working with AerCap, the largest aviation leasing company in the world, which underscores industry confidence in our growth trajectory. Airbus remains instrumental in our expansion plans over the next five years."
"These aircraft will be a key enabler for our Fly-Thru services that have been integral to our network growth, complementing our direct flights and connecting our guests affordably to numerous unique and unexplored destinations around the world. AirAsia's Fly-Thru guests have grown to 18% this year, and with the new aircraft, this is expected to increase to 25% by 2025," added Lingam.
Looking ahead, AirAsia anticipates its fleet to exceed 300 aircraft within the next five years, carrying over 100 million guests annually. This expansion marks the beginning of AirAsia's new era as the world's first low-cost network carrier, with the aim to connect ASEAN with the world and vice versa.
In the first half of 2024, AirAsia launched 20 new routes across the Group, serving over 130 destinations and carrying more than 31 million guests. Maintaining an impressive load factor of 90%, the airline continues to demonstrate robust performance and resilience. Notably, AirAsia also launched a new airline in Cambodia and proudly won the Skytrax World's Best Low-Cost Airline Award for the 15th time.