Wirraway
24th Feb 2004, 22:16
AFP
No-frills bring flying to Asia's masses
SINGAPORE (AFP) — As the white and red AirAsia plane, a Boeing 737-300, prepared to land at Singapore's Changi Airport on its maiden flight last week, chief executive Tony Fernandes walked into the cockpit to view his latest conquest.
The landing was a sweet moment for the maverick Malaysian entrepreneur following his persistent struggle with the Singapore government for permission to fly his no-frills airlines into the city-state.
"It was very emotional for me. As a young kid, I used to fly on MSA (Malaysia-Sinapore Airlines) to come to Singapore with my mum," Fernandes told reporters travelling on the inaugural flight.
"So to actually fly in on your own company is kind of cool. So I had to be there. I requested the captain whether I could sit with him."
Fernandes' trail-blazing effort is revolutionizing air travel in the region as more budget airlines prepare to bring the flying experience to millions of Asians who have never taken a plane in their lives because of prohibitive prices.
The Malaysian budget carrier has expanded hub operations to Thailand and is keen on setting up a joint venture in Singapore, where two more no-frills rivals — Tiger Airways and ValuAir — are set to take flight this year.
Peter Harbison, managing director of the Australia-based Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, said "dozens" of no-frills carriers were expected to emerge in the next 10 years.
Fernandes relishes an encounter with a Singapore taxi driver who thanked him because he and his family flew on an airplane for the first time to have a holiday to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
AirAsia's call centre in Bangkok is a beehive of activity as 40 young Thais process 6,000 calls daily, including inquiries and bookings from first-time flyers, its manager Nuanphan Manuk said.
Star buys are tickets to Phuket and Chiang Mai, both popular Thai resorts.
Flying a budget airline is a pleasant experience for short-haul flights, even without the amenities offered by standard carriers, such as free meals, wine and in-flight movies or music.
On AirAsia for example, the cabin is clean despite the quick turnaround time at airports. Seats are covered with black leather and the floor is laid out with a red carpet.
Passengers have to pay for food, water and other beverages sold by flight stewardesses, dressed in glaring red suits. But for one who has had a heavy meal before boarding, in-flight meals are unnecessary.
To those who need food, prices are affordable. For the two-hour Singapore-Bangkok flight, prices range between 20 baht (51 U.S. cents) for a hot drink and 100 baht for a snack pack of light food, a fruit drink and a pen.
But the ultimate attraction is the ticket cost which can be 70% cheaper than those charged by regular airlines.
British tourist Alex Alden, 25, who was aboard the maiden Singapore-Bangkok flight on February 16, said he was happy to give up services normally seen as routine on premium carriers to get a cheaper ticket.
"I don't care about any pampering. It's a short-haul flight," said Alden of St. Albans, England. "The price is good for my budget."
Singaporean businessman Ronald Chen, 29, said he was impressed with the service despite having to pay for water and snacks that normally come free.
"The price makes travelling more accessible to everybody for holidays. It will encourage young people like myself to travel," Chen said.
Kahan Singh Gill, the leading crew member on the Singapore-Bangkok flight, said flight attendants performed multiple tasks to keep costs down.
They clean the plane as soon as the passengers disembark, without any regard for rank.
Analysts said budget airlines would become formidable rivals to the regular carriers, normally seen as bigger boys with deeper pockets.
Global aviation consultant Mo Garfinkle said these new kids on the block operated in a culture radically different from traditional airlines, where operations were regimented.
This culture is exemplified by the budget airlines' flamboyant, risk-taking chief executives such as British tycoon Richard Branson of Virgin Blue.
AirAsia's Fernandes, a former music industry executive, also prefers a casual management approach where staff are on a first name basis.
His frank, no-holds-barred repartees have made him his company's own best public relations advocate.
Fernandes hired his airline's Singapore operations chief — a leading crew of another airline — at Changi Airport after interviewing him on the spot.
"I came into Changi about three to four weeks ago. This guy came up to me and said he would like to work for AirAsia," he recalled. "After we talked, I told him to meet me outside after my passport is stamped. We met and I said 'okay you're hired.'"
On the inaugural Singapore-Bangkok flight, Fernandes sat near the tail of the plane and at one point walked the aisle to press hands with passengers.
Kahan, the air steward, said that during the Christmas, Lunar New Year and Hari Raya holidays, Fernandes would wait at the door and give packets containing money to children as they disembarked.
Garfinkle, the chief executive of US-based aviation consultants GCW Consulting, said at a conference here this month many traditional airlines still did not understand their low-cost competitors and tended to underestimate their management.
"I believe we haven't seen the restructuring of the industry that will be forced upon traditional airlines. And those changes are not just about cost, but also about culture," Garfinkle said
Copyright 2004 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
===========================================
No-frills bring flying to Asia's masses
SINGAPORE (AFP) — As the white and red AirAsia plane, a Boeing 737-300, prepared to land at Singapore's Changi Airport on its maiden flight last week, chief executive Tony Fernandes walked into the cockpit to view his latest conquest.
The landing was a sweet moment for the maverick Malaysian entrepreneur following his persistent struggle with the Singapore government for permission to fly his no-frills airlines into the city-state.
"It was very emotional for me. As a young kid, I used to fly on MSA (Malaysia-Sinapore Airlines) to come to Singapore with my mum," Fernandes told reporters travelling on the inaugural flight.
"So to actually fly in on your own company is kind of cool. So I had to be there. I requested the captain whether I could sit with him."
Fernandes' trail-blazing effort is revolutionizing air travel in the region as more budget airlines prepare to bring the flying experience to millions of Asians who have never taken a plane in their lives because of prohibitive prices.
The Malaysian budget carrier has expanded hub operations to Thailand and is keen on setting up a joint venture in Singapore, where two more no-frills rivals — Tiger Airways and ValuAir — are set to take flight this year.
Peter Harbison, managing director of the Australia-based Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, said "dozens" of no-frills carriers were expected to emerge in the next 10 years.
Fernandes relishes an encounter with a Singapore taxi driver who thanked him because he and his family flew on an airplane for the first time to have a holiday to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
AirAsia's call centre in Bangkok is a beehive of activity as 40 young Thais process 6,000 calls daily, including inquiries and bookings from first-time flyers, its manager Nuanphan Manuk said.
Star buys are tickets to Phuket and Chiang Mai, both popular Thai resorts.
Flying a budget airline is a pleasant experience for short-haul flights, even without the amenities offered by standard carriers, such as free meals, wine and in-flight movies or music.
On AirAsia for example, the cabin is clean despite the quick turnaround time at airports. Seats are covered with black leather and the floor is laid out with a red carpet.
Passengers have to pay for food, water and other beverages sold by flight stewardesses, dressed in glaring red suits. But for one who has had a heavy meal before boarding, in-flight meals are unnecessary.
To those who need food, prices are affordable. For the two-hour Singapore-Bangkok flight, prices range between 20 baht (51 U.S. cents) for a hot drink and 100 baht for a snack pack of light food, a fruit drink and a pen.
But the ultimate attraction is the ticket cost which can be 70% cheaper than those charged by regular airlines.
British tourist Alex Alden, 25, who was aboard the maiden Singapore-Bangkok flight on February 16, said he was happy to give up services normally seen as routine on premium carriers to get a cheaper ticket.
"I don't care about any pampering. It's a short-haul flight," said Alden of St. Albans, England. "The price is good for my budget."
Singaporean businessman Ronald Chen, 29, said he was impressed with the service despite having to pay for water and snacks that normally come free.
"The price makes travelling more accessible to everybody for holidays. It will encourage young people like myself to travel," Chen said.
Kahan Singh Gill, the leading crew member on the Singapore-Bangkok flight, said flight attendants performed multiple tasks to keep costs down.
They clean the plane as soon as the passengers disembark, without any regard for rank.
Analysts said budget airlines would become formidable rivals to the regular carriers, normally seen as bigger boys with deeper pockets.
Global aviation consultant Mo Garfinkle said these new kids on the block operated in a culture radically different from traditional airlines, where operations were regimented.
This culture is exemplified by the budget airlines' flamboyant, risk-taking chief executives such as British tycoon Richard Branson of Virgin Blue.
AirAsia's Fernandes, a former music industry executive, also prefers a casual management approach where staff are on a first name basis.
His frank, no-holds-barred repartees have made him his company's own best public relations advocate.
Fernandes hired his airline's Singapore operations chief — a leading crew of another airline — at Changi Airport after interviewing him on the spot.
"I came into Changi about three to four weeks ago. This guy came up to me and said he would like to work for AirAsia," he recalled. "After we talked, I told him to meet me outside after my passport is stamped. We met and I said 'okay you're hired.'"
On the inaugural Singapore-Bangkok flight, Fernandes sat near the tail of the plane and at one point walked the aisle to press hands with passengers.
Kahan, the air steward, said that during the Christmas, Lunar New Year and Hari Raya holidays, Fernandes would wait at the door and give packets containing money to children as they disembarked.
Garfinkle, the chief executive of US-based aviation consultants GCW Consulting, said at a conference here this month many traditional airlines still did not understand their low-cost competitors and tended to underestimate their management.
"I believe we haven't seen the restructuring of the industry that will be forced upon traditional airlines. And those changes are not just about cost, but also about culture," Garfinkle said
Copyright 2004 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
===========================================