New Malaysia Widebody Charter Airline
 

A new privately owned airline, Eaglexpress Air Charter, is planning to start Boeing 747-400 operations in Malaysia as early as next month, assuming its air operator certificate (AOC) is approved.

[The AOC] "hasn’t been approved yet, but they have been issued with a service permit for provisional approval,” says Mohd Yunus Charlie Charrington, director of air transport within Malaysia’s department of civil aviation. “They have to pass a technical audit before they are issued with an AOC and certificate of airworthiness.”

Airline CEO Azlan Zainal Abidin says the carrier hopes to receive its AOC on Feb. 13, the same day it completes its proving flight. He says the airline on Monday signed a contract with Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) parent, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad (PMB), for the purchase of a former MAS Boeing 747-400, and it plans to buy two more 747-400s from PMB for delivery in March and April. MAS Engineering & Maintenance will help Eaglexpress with maintenance support, says Azlan.

In addition, Eaglexpress plans to acquire one 747-400F that will be used to launch wet-leased freighter services in April from Kuala Lumpur to Los Angeles and Anchorage via Seoul Incheon International Airport. Azlan says the carrier has already secured one customer for its freighter.

The passenger business, meanwhile, will be operating charter flights on behalf of travel agents, beginning with services from Malaysia to Australia, South Korea and China, says Azlan. The airline also wants to cater to Muslim pilgrimage traffic from Asia to Saudi Arabia. Azlan says there always seems to be a shortage of air services for Haj and Umrah, and this explains why the airline decided on the long-range 747-400s.

Once it has established its widebody passenger aircraft business, Eaglexpress hopes to expand into narrowbody passenger charters by flying Boeing 737-800s to destinations within Asia, Azlan says. Longer-term, it hopes to be in a position to acquire 747-8s and Boeing 787s, he adds.

Having a new airline in Malaysia—particularly a passenger airline operating aircraft as large as a 747—is significant because the Malaysian market is now largely dominated by AirAsia and MAS. It is difficult to get an AOC in Malaysia for scheduled services because this is a cabinet-level decision. But Eaglexpress needs approval only from the department of civil aviation because it will operate only charters. Azlan declines to rule out the possibility that it may operate scheduled services, but says this is up to the government to decide.

Azlan, who is a former MAS pilot, says he owns 20% of the airline, while South Korean pilot Shin Man Soo owns 40%. The other shareholders, each with 20%, are Wan Ismail Abdul Rahman, former CEO of Maybank Finance, and Aseh Che Mat, former secretary general of Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs. Aseh is now chairman of MWE Holdings, a Malaysian company that makes clothing and electronic goods. He also sits on the boards of some other companies, including Pos Malaysia, the national postal service





Aviation Week 20/1/2012

Nothing can really move.
 

With the present BN government still in power , aviation industry for schedule passenger carriers is DEAD. If it is going to scratch Air Asia/AAX in anyway you can kiss and say goodbye. Virtually the whole Malaysian cabinet is in AA/AAX. The stake is just too high. PERIOD.

Isn't Azlan Z A ( "z"hort a**e ) together with Sam Black involved with Asmara Air in contravention of some MAS rules which subsequently led to their sacking by the pigmy nawawi? So MAS is doing business with people they unceremoniously sacked? The going ons in and around MAS never fail to amaze me!

Maybe they will reopen the routes AAX axed?:}

Seems interesting indeed looks promising with support from ex-ministers to make this set up smooth one. Any idea guys what kind of package they are offering for Capt's position? Are they still hiring Direct entry Capt? If so what would be the best way to 'channel' your application. Many thanks Happy Flying..:ok:

Eaglexpress Air Charter a shit company
 

Dear All,

I have been ****** by that company,and a conman his name is Azlan Zainal Abidin the CEO,he asked me to pay for my B747-400 type rating in the USA,and he will offer me a job starting as a First Officer the job offer was $5k per month and I did signed the contact before I start the training,and then after I finished my type rating,he change the contract,and offered me $2K,and I had to pay my apartment in KL,and my flight tickets and the transportation too,then when I asked why they did that and when I will get my salary!?,they terminate my contract the next day and I was out out just like that!!,I lost so much money and I'm without a job and can't find a job on the B747-400 any were!!,I hope no one go to work for them!:ugh::=

Skypilot320,

You just to have to search for Asmara Air on pprune to see the sort of short a*** , conman, unsavoury character this guy really is. You being conned is very believable.

Yeah I met that guy at a hotel in PJ once.
Seemed very full of himself and Full of something else.

Stay away from this company. Contracts have been broken by the management. Allowances have been cut.
A lot of promises before joining. Once joined, the contact is different. Many are waiting to leave.
The company is run by a group of insurance people who do not know how to run an airline.

I really wonder how much of the info given by all of you about this airline has any reliable credibility. Cause from a really close friend of mine who was in Airasia previously is now with EagleExpress. He seems pretty ok with the company.

I've asked him about working conditions and any bad stuff he's experienced so far and still he's pretty positive about his time there. He even said working with them is more relaxed, yes hours isn't as much as AirAsia cause when he was there he was getting milked dry every month.

And as for the user who said he got offered 5k before he did his rating in the States. My friends first question was "why did he go all the way to US while most of the non rated guys(including my friend) did ours in MAS? Plus, rating is initially paid off by the company and then deducted from your salary monthly once you get on line."

Also no one was offered such a low amount, my friend is getting 12k basic on the right seat. He did not disclose flight allowances etc but i assume he's getting around 15k a month.

So for me to see all these very very negative comments about this airline is quite baffling. My friend might be bull****ting too but why would he? He seems pretty happy about being there while when he was in AirAsia he used to complain to me about everything.

By all means if anyone has any solid evidence to back these negative claims please do come forward. We all need to know about facts, and not just "i heard from someone that heard from someone that knew someone in the company that told that someone" talk.

With all due respect. I don't think, that anyone would really waste their time, writing on these forums unless they have had some kind of bad experience. The negative comments speak loud and clear for themselves.

Gong shows like this don't last.

Koji188,
I concur with skyangel regarding his statement.
Nobody in the right frame of mind would want to spend time to belittle an up an coming company where one may be looking for a Job with this outfit someday when it became successful.
AirAsia when it started nobody would bet a penny to forecast that they will be what they are today.
So why we and some participate in this thread is to caution fellow pilot not to be taken for a ride.
Why dont you go in for SHOT and see it for yourself. They are desperate for young pilot . If you are >60 forget it, they have much too many.
The MAX 120 years total age on seat is making the CEO A**land desparate..

I symphatize you Skypilot....

Hello Dom P.

Although i was with you on your remarks for Eagle E. being a start up, and so on, your last remark in your Thursday message, especially your last sentence, made me wonder, what was that about, 120 years on seat?? Can you elaborate?

Anyway, are they operating as we speak?, making serious money?, if so,they may do something right. If not, someone may have gambled money without having the fun associated with doing so at the casino.:E

Cheers
E.B.

koji188, $15K in the right seat are you serious? Sounds a bit too good to be true ... unless of course you are talking ringgit not dollars, in which case it sounds too BAD to be true :hmm: which is it?

ess bus, i think dom p was talking about the total age of the crew sitting in front of the A/C (2 x retirees)

luke, 15k myr is pretty good here in MYS for right seat. fo's in AK would give their left nut for 15k myr

The company is Malaysian, of course we're talking about ringgit. And I never mentioned it to be in Dollars. As for what cavnotok said, yea its pretty decent for FO to get 15k RINGGIT in Malaysia. And the 15k was an assumption on my side, I assumed that amount by roughly calculating allowances etc. The FO only told me about the basic that he is getting.

My post about this company is based on what my close friend of mine told me about his experience there. Yes, some of you may think it's all bull and what the negative things that has been said about the company is far more believable than what i have mentioned, but all I'm doing is giving info that I have gotten first hand FROM someone in the company who is actually doing some flying.

And also, when he was in Airasia he was earning 10-12k a month, flying an average of 80 hours a month. That was pretty good money for him I would say. But he left because he was worked like a dog and he didn't like it. Now he's earning more and working in a more relaxed environment.

Thats why it would be nice if people like skypilot to bring out more details about his experience there. I'm not saying he's bluffing, but i'd like to point out again the details regarding his claim.

1. Skypilot claims that the company told him to go to the United States for his 744 rating. While my friend and a few of the non rated guys did it in MAS in Malaysia, Subang to be exact.

2. He also claimed that he had to pay for his own rating which he did in the States. Which was also quite weird because all the non rated guys that underwent the training, were initially funded by the company and then a sum is deducted from their salary monthly as repayment for the training.

Most of the pilots that went for training were FO's and 1 737 Captain. So Skypilot, would you be kind enough to give us more details regarding your experience with them? It would be very useful to everyone here.

Cheers.

perhaps skypilot is an expat, and your guys are local?

Still does not detract from the fact the airline is run by a no neck conman. No one in their right mind would make baseless claims, unless they have had their fingers burnt. I know someone that was conned out of money from the short a** CEO. A substantial amount. This guy will not stop at anything to make a fast buck, even if it means conning his employees and anyone else. The airline appears to be falling apart at the seams. There are too many people involved that have no experience in the airline business, and to add insult to injury they have a conman for a CEO. Anyone that knew him at MAS knows this guys track record. Wouldn't trust any outfit this guy's involved in. Be prepared to get your fingers burnt, lose cash and anything else if you're willing to get involved. Dom Perignon is right in what he's said in his posts.

Any other info besides a** CEO? Would love to know more detailed info about your experience with this individual.