411A
12th Aug 2007, 00:07
AirAsia X, which was formed in January 2007, has announced that Richard Branson's Virgin Group has acquired a 20% stake in the new Kuala Lumpur-based long-haul LCC, designed to complement the existing AirAsia network.
AirAsia X has leased an A330 and ordered 15 others from Airbus, and plans startup in 4Q07. It has permission to fly to London Stansted and Avalon (near Melbourne), Australia, and is expected to initially offer four flights a week to Australia. Possible additional destinations include Birmingham or Manchester in the UK, as well as India, China, the Middle East and the US.
The airline has a capitalization of $40m, and plans to raise a further $80m from shareholders and may sell shares in Malaysia in three years.
AirAsia X also took the opportunity to pay a tribute to the pioneer and founder of the low cost model, the late Sir Freddie Laker of Skytrain in Europe. Witnessing this significant naming ceremony was the son of the late British airline entrepreneur Mr. Freddie Allen Laker Jr, who signed the name "Semangat Sir Freddie" (Spirit of Sir Freddie) onto a model A330, representing the first AirAsia X aircraft.
Interesting isn't it.
Sir Freddie is still remembered, after all these years, as the pioneer of long haul inexpensive flights.
After all the present day airline execs are long forgotten, Sir Freddie will still be remembered as being at the forefront of it all.
AirAsia X has leased an A330 and ordered 15 others from Airbus, and plans startup in 4Q07. It has permission to fly to London Stansted and Avalon (near Melbourne), Australia, and is expected to initially offer four flights a week to Australia. Possible additional destinations include Birmingham or Manchester in the UK, as well as India, China, the Middle East and the US.
The airline has a capitalization of $40m, and plans to raise a further $80m from shareholders and may sell shares in Malaysia in three years.
AirAsia X also took the opportunity to pay a tribute to the pioneer and founder of the low cost model, the late Sir Freddie Laker of Skytrain in Europe. Witnessing this significant naming ceremony was the son of the late British airline entrepreneur Mr. Freddie Allen Laker Jr, who signed the name "Semangat Sir Freddie" (Spirit of Sir Freddie) onto a model A330, representing the first AirAsia X aircraft.
Interesting isn't it.
Sir Freddie is still remembered, after all these years, as the pioneer of long haul inexpensive flights.
After all the present day airline execs are long forgotten, Sir Freddie will still be remembered as being at the forefront of it all.