AirAsia Orders 100 More A320s from Airbus

AirAsia, the largest low cost airline in Asia, has placed an order with Airbus for 100 more A320 Family aircraft. The contract covers an additional 64 A320neo and 36 A320ceo aircraft for operation across the carrier’s network.

The order was announced during a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron to the Airbus wing manufacturing facility at Broughton in the U.K., where Cameron witnessed the signing of documents by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, group CEO, AirAsia and Fabrice Brégier, president & CEO, Airbus.

The contract reaffirms AirAsia’s position as the largest A320 family airline customer in the world. Altogether, the carrier has now ordered 475 single aisle aircraft from Airbus, comprising 264 A320neo and 211 A320ceo. More than 100 aircraft have already been delivered to the airline and are flying out of its bases in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, and Tokyo.

Fernandes said during the signing: “We have three gold mines in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. On the other hand, Philippines and Japan have enormous potential growth. With these added aircraft, it goes in-line with our strategy to further build our already extensive network through new routes and added frequencies and allow AirAsia to maintain its market leadership."

“AirAsia is one of the great success stories of recent years in the airline business,” says Brégier. “The repeated confidence the airline places in the A320 is a clear endorsement of the reliability, efficiency, and unbeatable operating economics offered by the world’s most modern single aisle product line.”

AirAsia’s all-A320 fleet currently flies to some 70 destinations on a route network spanning 20 countries across Asia. In addition, affiliate AirAsia X operates widebody A330-300s on longer services from Kuala Lumpur to Northern Asia and Australia.

The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling and most modern single aisle aircraft family. To date, more than 8,800 aircraft have been ordered and over 5,300 delivered to more than 380 customers and operators worldwide.