Firefly gets first of 20 ATR72-600s

EXPANSION DRIVE: Airline targets Indochina market, mulls 90-seater aircraft

FRESH from receiving the first of 20 ATR72-600 turboprop aircraft that it ordered last December, Firefly chief executive officer Ignatius Ong has hinted the possibility of the airline being a launch customer for Avoids de Transport Regional G.I.E (ATR)'s proposed next-generation turboprop (NGTP) 90-seater aircraft.

"If it is available now, I would grab it," Ong said at a briefing here. "A 90-seater aircraft would fit nicely into Firefly's route expansion plan."

The NGTP, however, is still on the drawing board, with ATR seeking inputs from its customers in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe. Malaysia is its biggest customer in the region, counting Firefly, MASWings and Berjaya Air as its clients.

ATR would need at least 50 confirmed orders and 50 options in order to launch the NGTP programme, expected to be in 2019 or 2020. 

"We are aware of the (NGTP). We are considering it as we would be operating into congested airports and with slots being limited, we can put into operation aircraft with higher capacity to help meet the demand," he said.

In the meantime, Firefly will deploy its current fleet of 12 ATR72-500s and the 20 ATR72-600s, which will be delivered between now and 2016, on existing and new routes. 

It currently operates 25 routes, 10 of which are in Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.  Last year, it carried 1.7 million passengers.

It is set to make Kota Bharu and Johor Bahru as its hubs and expand its network to Indochina, such as Vietnam and Cambodia, as early as next year following the introduction of the ATR72-600 turboprop aircraft into its fleet.

Kota Bharu will serve points in southern Thailand while Johor Bahru will service Sumatra. Firefly will commence the Johor Bahru-Pekan Baru service in August.

It currently operates out of Subang and Penang, connecting secondary destinations within the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle. Ong said Firefly will exercise the option for 16 additional ATR72-600s once all of its confirmed orders are delivered by 2016.

This would see Firefly phasing out the older ATR72-500s from 2015 onwards as Ong plans for Firefly to own and operate a fleet of aircraft with an average age of three years.

Earlier, he received Firefly's first ATR72-600 from ATR chief executive Filippo Bagnato in a simple ceremony at the Toulouse-Blagnac airport in France. The second turboprop aircraft will be delivered later this year, with three planned for next year. 

The aircraft flew out of the airport yesterday and will be making four stops - three night stops in Greece, Oman and Maldives and one refuelling stop in Bahrain - before arriving at the Subang Airport on Sunday evening. The new aircraft will begin operations on July 12.

Source: Business Times (www.btimes.com.my) | 5 July 2013 |

Firefly takes delivery first of 20 new ATRs

TOULOUSE, (France): Community airline Firefly has taken delivery of the first of 20 ATR72-600 turboprop aircraft it ordered last December, bringing the total number of aircraft in its fleet to 13. The other 12 aircraft in the Firefly fleet are the 70-seater ATR72-500s.

The ATR72-600s will be delivered in phases within the next five to six years. Besides the 20 confirmed orders, Firefly has an option to acquire 16 more of the ATR72-600s.

Firefly chief executive officer Ignatius Ong received the aircraft from ATR chief executive officer Filippo Bagnato in a simple ceremony here. 

The aircraft was ferried home out of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport yesterday. The flight will make four stops - three night stops in Greece, Oman and Maldives and one refuelling stop in Bahrain - before arriving Subang Airport on Sunday evening.

The new aircraft will begin operations on July 12 to Johor Bahru. Ong said the new aircraft is part of Firefly's growth and expansion plan as well as our continous effort to serve our customers better.

"Our exclusive ATR72 fleet has allowed us to develop a unique high frequency network out of Subang, Penang and Johor Bahru. "The ATR aircraft are unrivalled in terms if passenger comfort and environmentally friendliness. This will further improve guests' experience."

The wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines currently operates out of Subang and Penang, connecting secondary destinations within the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle as well as providing air linkages between Malaysia and Singapore.

Source: Business Times (www.btimes.com.my) | 04 July 2013 | 

Firefly welcomes its first ATR 72-600

Malaysian carrier starts fleet upgrade to rapidly expand its route network

Firefly welcomes its first ATR 72-600 (c) ATR

Firefly, Malaysia Airlines' subsidiary carrier has today taken ownership of its first brand-new ATR 72-600. The aircraft is the first of 20 latest generation firm ATRs, plus 16 options, ordered by Malaysia Airlines in December 2012. Firefly currently operates 12 ATR 72-500s, and with the arrival of the new ATR 72-600s will almost triple its exclusively ATR 72 aircraft fleet, taking the total to over 30 aircraft.

With this significant fleet expansion Firefly will rapidly increase capacity on their domestic network augmenting flight frequencies on routes to key destinations in Subang, Penang, Kota Bahru and Johor Bahru. The airline will also be able to boost their regional offering ensuring its customers better connectivity within the ASEAN network, -specially Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore-, thus reinforcing the position of Firefly in these markets and key business routes.

The new-generation ATR-600s are equipped with a new full-glass cockpit and feature a high comfort layout seating 72 passengers with larger overhead bins. In addition to the performance advantages and enhanced comfort, these aircraft offer an improved operational flexibility for the airline.

The freshly delivered ATR 72-600 will enter into service this month. The aircraft's first commercial flight should take place following its arrival in Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang on 12 July, 2013, when the ATR 72-600 takes off for Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

“We have been looking forward to this day for quite some time now. We are thrilled to finally receive our new aircraft. Our exclusive ATR 72 fleet has allowed us to develop a unique high frequency network out of Subang, Penang, Kota Bahru and Johor Bahru. Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle communities, their population and economy will also capitalise on this important investment”, says Ignatius Ong, Chief Executive Officer of Firefly.

"We are very proud that the new ATR aircraft is here to launch Firefly's fleet expansion,” said Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR. “It is great to see the ATR 72s play an integral role in Firefly's success. The airline is exclusively relying on the ATR 72s to expand its business and its presence as a major actor of the regional aviation in South East Asia. The partnership is being very fruitful, and Firefly can definitely benefit from the many advantages of the ATR aircraft.” He added “We are pleased to introduce today the latest generation aircraft ATR 72-600 into the Malaysian market./ This aircraft offers the best operating economics of any aircraft in its seat category, as well as top-class standards of comfort and cabin interior designs”.

About the ATR 72-600:

• Passenger capacity: 68-74 seats
• Engines: Pratt & Whitney 127M
• Maximum power at take-off: 2,750 horse power per engine
• Maximum weight at take-off: 23,000 Kg
• Maximum payload: 7,500 Kg
• Maximum range with full passenger load: 900 nautical miles (1,665 Km)

About Firefly:

Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, began operations in April 2007. Currently, it operates a fleet of 12 ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft out of Penang and Subang, connecting secondary destinations within the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle as well as providing air linkages between Malaysia and Singapore. Firefly provides incredible value as well as convenient flight timings and excellent service to its passengers. 

About ATR:

Founded in 1981, ATR has become the world leader on the market for regional aircraft with 90 seats or less. Since its creation, ATR has sold over 1,300 aircraft. ATR planes are represented in the fleets of 180 operators in 90 countries and have totaled over 21 million flight hours. ATR is an equal partnership between two major European aeronautics players, Alenia Aermacchi (a Finmeccanica Group company) and EADS. Its head office is in Toulouse. ATR is ISO 14001 certified. This is the international standard in the field of environmental friendliness.

Source: EADS (www.eads.com) | 5 July 2013 |

Firefly to expand into Indochina

TOULOUSE, (FRANCE): Community airline, Firefly, is planning to expand its service into Indochina in an effort to boost the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

Firefly chief executive officer Ignatius Ong said the airline planned to implement the new initiative now that it has taken delivery of the first turboprop regional aircraft from Avions de Transport Regional (ATR).

"We will focus on new routes in Indo China which is to Vietnam and Cambodia from next year onwards," he told reporters after taking delivery of the ATR 72-600 aircraft from Avions de Transport Regional on Wednesday.

Firefly purchased 20 units of the 72-seater airplane from ATR which will be delivered in stages until 2019. The company, which is targetting a revenue of RM350 million this year and flies 25 routes in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airline which began operations in April 2007.

With 12 aircrafts, Firefly's passengers grew from 100,000 at the beginning to 1.2 million passengers last year.  Ong said in materialising the new route, the company planned to make the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, as its hub for Indochina flights. 

Commenting on ATR's plan to manufacture the 90-seater regional aircraft, he said: "If the opportunity knocks I will sure grab it." He said Firefly would fully support ATR's initiative to manufacture the new aircraft as it would be a practical choice for the airline to use the 90-seater aircraft to meet demand. 

Meanwhile, ATR chief executive officer Filippo Banagto said the matter was still under discussion especially with its shareholders as it would involve engineering modification. 

"We have received requests from Firefly and Latin America for the design but the main focus for us right now is to complete aircraft orders in hand," he said, adding that Firefly was ATR's bluechip customer. 

Ong said, to proceed with the design, ATR must at least secure orders for 100 units of the 90-seater aircraft and receive approval from company shareholders.-- Bernama

Source: Business Times | 4 July 2013 |

Airline sector said to be driving GDP

Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) regional CEO Filippo Bagnato(left) handing over the first of the 20 new ATR72-600 turbo prop aircraft to Firefly CEO, Ignatius Ong (right) in Toulouse on Wednesday. - Bernama

By Wong Wei-Shen

TOULOUSE: Premier short-haul airline operator Firefly Sdn Bhd sees the airline industry as a catalyst to continue driving Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth, on the back of increasing domestic flight traffic in Asia.

“I see the airlines driving the GDP instead of the GDP growth driving the industry. Without us, the growth may not be as high,” chief executive officer (CEO) Ignatius Ong told reporters at a briefing.

Last year, Firefly recorded 1.7 million passengers.

Ong was in Toulouse to sign the first delivery of one of the 20 new ATR72-600 turbo-prop aircraft the airline had purchased from Avions de Transport Regional (ATR). 

“We have been looking forward to this day for quite some time now. We are thrilled to finally receive our new aircraft. Our exclusive ATR72 fleet has allowed us to develop a unique high frequency network out of Subang, Penang and Johor Bahru, which greatly benefits Firefly. 

“It has also benefited our Malaysian communities, the economy as well as the rest of the population in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle,” he said at the handover ceremony at the ATR headquarters on Wednesday. 

Ong highlighted that the new aircraft would replace the existing fleet of 12 ATR72-500s. “The new aircraft would reinforce existing routes such as Johor, as well as service new routes like Johor to Pekan Baru, Sumatra, which would begin on Aug 1, 2013,” he said. 

The first ATR72-600 plane’s inaugural flight to Johor has been scheduled for July 12, 2013.“The purchase of this new aircraft is part of our growth and expansion plan as well as our continuous effort to serve customers better. ATR aircraft are unrivalled in terms of passenger comfort and environmental friendliness. This would further improve guest experience,” he said.

Ong is also considering expanding the airline’s flight network to the Indochina region, into countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia.Ong said Firefly’s expansion plans depended on where the airline operator placed its hubs. 

The Malaysia Airlines (MAS) subsidiary is currently operating from two hubs, namely Subang and Penang. It is also in the midst of establishing hubs in Johor and Kota Bharu. New destinations would probably only be added from next year onwards, said Ong. 

Ong added that should the demand for Firefly flights increase in the next few years, Firefly may decide to continue using the ATR72-500 instead of replacing the whole ATR72-500 fleet with the ATR72-600 aircraft, which has the capacity to seat 72 passengers, to match the demand.

“We have the option of keeping the ATR72-500s,” he said. Meanwhile, Ong said he would jump at the opportunity if there were an option of buying a 90-seater aircraft from ATR. ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato said the aircraft manufacturer was currently checking the concept and configuration of establishing the 90-seater aircraft. 

“We have received a lot of demand for the 90-seater from South-East Asian and Latin American major operators,” Bagnato said.However, the anticipated launch of the 90-seater next year would be subject to demand of at least 100 orders of the aircraft, as well as the approval of ATR’s shareholders. 

Firefly expects to receive its second ATR72-600 by the end of the year, while the remaining 18 aircraft will be delivered in stages over the next six years.In December last year, MAS signed a RM3bil contract to purchase 36 new ATR aircraft for Firefly, including its sister company MASwings. Out of the total 36 aircraft, Firefly is taking 20 aircraft.

Ong aims to keep Firefly’s fleet young, ranging from an average age of three years to a maximum of six years, with the purpose of keeping aircraft maintenance low.

Source: The Star Online | 5 July 2013 | 

Firefly mulls buying 90-seater ATR planes for regional expansion

By Wong Wei Shen

TOULOUSE (France): Firefly Sdn Bhd is open to the possibility of taking up a 90-seater turboprop aircraft from Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) once it is available.

Firefly chief executive officer Ignatius Ong said: "We definitely need to look at the 90-seater because slots at airports are becoming an issue. We are fully committed to ATR in this sense."

The 90-seater aircraft, when established, will be a key point in Firefly's growth and expansion plans in Asia and Southeast Asia, he said here late Wednesday.

"Not only would we be stimulating demand, the additional capacity will reduce our operating costs, which will then be translated into savings passed down to the consumer," he said

ATR chief executive officer Filippo Bagnato said the company is in the process of checking the concept and configuration of a 90-seater aircraft.

"We have received a lot of demand for the 90-seater from Southeast Asian and Latin American major operators," Bagnato said.

However, the anticipated launch of the 90-seater next year is subject to demand of at least 100 orders of the aircraft, as well as the approval of ATR's shareholder. It is possible that it will commence services in 10 years time.

Source: The Star Online | 4 July 2013 |

Firefly set to fly to new heights

By Marina Emmanuel

THE arrival of two new ATR 72-600s for Firefly Sdn Bhd by the end of this year is set to see the airline increasing the frequency of existing flights and adding new routes, both locally and in the region.

Apart from Penang and Subang, currently serving as Firefly hubs, Johor will soon be made the third one. The airline is also setting its sights on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia to establish a fourth one.

Besides that a potential destination to be added is Vietnam, while new airports in Indonesia and Thailand are being explored, Firefly chief executive officer Ignatius Ong said.

Existing and profitable routes from airports like Penang and Kota Bharu are likely to see an increase in frequency of flights, along with Singapore's Changi airport.

Ong said as Firefly evolves from a community airline into a premium one, a fleet replacement of the ATR 72-500 planes will likely commence from 2015 or 2016. He did not rule out the possibility of returning to offering jet operations.

"We intend to use all our aircraft to compete aggressively with anyone who is on the (aviation) scene," he said. "Firefly welcomes competition so long as the other players compete ethically and do not compromise on safety.

"While we intend to continue using turbo-propeller planes for our operations, I am not saying no to flying the jets (again) although the jets will prove to be a very competitive market for us to operate in," he added.

Parent company, Malaysia Airlines, in December last year inked a RM3 billion deal to purchase 36 new ATR planes for Firefly and MASwings. Firefly will take on 20 aircraft and is expected to take delivery of its first new plane next month.

Ong said the proposed aircraft replacement programme is aimed at keeping Firefly's fleet young while ensuring that maintenance costs are lowered and safety remains a priority to all passengers.

He also said that since business flyers make up the bulk of Firefly's passengers, the airline is looking to tap into the leisure market by offering value-added packages during the weekends.

This includes the introduction of day-trip food, shopping or heritage package from Subang to Penang over the weekend - in which a passenger will be given a rental car for six hours to explore either the island's famed hawker food, heritage trails or shopping malls.

"We embarked on a rebranding exercise last year, which has so far seen the introduction of new uniforms for the cabin crew. "Other changes like a new aircraft logo will be introduced, although we will maintain the existing Firefly logo and livery.

"Through all these, safety will remain our top priority as we continue to leverage on the safety protocol adhered by our parent company, Malaysia Airlines, by not cutting corners," Ong added.

He also said that added frequencies would be introduced to destinations like Johor and Langkawi in response to continued developments in the Iskandar Development Region.

"As for Langkawi, we are anticipating greater demand for flights to the island as development ramps up and connectivity is needed by not only tourists but also service providers of contraction and other companies."

Source: Business Times | 27 June 2013 |