Firefly to start Kota Bharu - Bangkok route in May

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines subsidiary Firefly is looking forward to start its Kota Bharu - Bangkok route in May.

“I believe tourism in Thailand will bounce back,” said the company’s chief executive officer Ignatius Ong. In January, Firefly had deferred the commencement of the route to March due to the political unrest in Bangkok.

The short haul airline is aiming for a 15% to 20% jump in passenger growth this year. “Last year, we had close to two million passengers.“This year, we look for further growth as we are taking delivery of two new ATR 72-600 turboprops, which will help us to increase flight frequencies,” he said. 

Ong pointed out that the company now had a fleet of 14 turboprops, after taking delivery of two new planes last year. “Another 18 turboprops will be delivered within the next four to five years,” Ong told reporters after launching a “Petrol Crazy” campaign, in association with Petron Malaysia and Star Radio Group. 

Also present were Petron retail head Faridah Ali and Star Radio Group chairman Datuk Borhanuddin Osman.The “Petrol Crazy” campaign has RM72,000 worth of Petron’s Blaze RON97 petrol to be given away to Firefly passengers, Petron customers and listeners of Red FM and Suria FM.

Each participant is in the running to win up to RM100 worth of Blaze RON97 petrol, which can be redeemed from Feb17 till 28. 

To join the campaign, participants will have to listen to Red FM or Suria FM for the “Password of the day”, provide a valid identification card, and fill out the relevant form and submit it at a designated Petron station.

Source: The Star Online | 18 February 2014

Firefly to introduce 3 new routes in Asean in the next two years

PETALING JAYA: FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd (Firefly), the low-cost carrier of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), will introduce three new routes in Asean in the next two years.

Chief Executive Officer Ignatius Ong said the airline had received approvals on the new routes, but will need to wait for arrival of its new aircraft before announcing the said routes.

Ong said the plan is part of the company's vision to focus on expansion and strengthening its presence in Asean. He said for this year, the airline is waiting for two more aircraft to come in and also to increase frequency to the existing primary domestic routes.

"We have a couple more. I have announced recently, which is to Bangkok from Kota Bharu, but that has been postponed to May.

"We were supposed to launch it in January but because of the situation in Bangkok now, we've had to postpone it," he told the media after the launch of the "Petrol Crazy" contest in association with Petron here Monday.

Ong said the airline would increase its aircraft fleet to 14 by year-end with the delivery of two new ATR 72-600s in the second quarter.

He also said in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2014, the airline is targeting a 20 per cent increase in passenger growth this year. Last year the number of passengers almost reached the two-million mark. 

Source: BERNAMA | 17 February 2014

AirAsia plans to focus on new routes this year

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, will focus 60 per cent of its efforts on introducing new routes this year.

AirAsia Bhd chief executive officer Aireen Omar said the remaining 40 per cent will be on increasing frequency on existing routes.

"AirAsia is always committed to providing new options for customers," she told reporters when announcing the carrier's new route to Kalibo, the Philippines, here, yesterday. AirAsia will provide direct flights connecting Kuala Lumpur to Kalibo from today. 

Kalibo is the gateway to the beach paradise island of Boracay in the Philippines and this four-time weekly route will operate every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, marking AirAsia's third Philippine destination with direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Miri and Kota Kinabalu.

Aireen also said AirAsia expects to have more than 80 per cent load factor on the new route and will consider increasing its frequency, depending on demand.

"We are determined towards connecting communities from this region. We have an abundance of world-class island and beach destinations, and we are proud to add Kalibo, which is the gateway to the magnificent Boracay island in the Philippines to our extensive list of exciting destinations," she said.

AirAsia has the widest network coverage throughout Asean, and the Philippines is an emerging market for low-cost carriers.

"We are proud to be part of it, especially with the presence of our affiliate, AirAsia Zest, in the Philippines, connecting communities domestically with our low fares," she added.

In conjunction with the announcement, AirAsia will be giving away free seats with applicable taxes and fees from as low as RM77 one-way, which are available for online booking from 12pm tomorrow until February 23, 2014.

AirAsia has carried over 220 million guests in its 12 years of operations and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to over 150. 

Source: BERNAMA | 18 February 2014

AirAsia tumpu usaha perkenal laluan baharu tahun ini

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia, syarikat penerbangan tambang rendah terkemuka dan terbesar di Asia, akan memberi tumpuan 60 peratus usahanya untuk memperkenal laluan baharu tahun ini.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif AirAsia Bhd Aireen Omar berkata baki 40 peratus tertumpu kepada peningkatan kekerapan laluan sedia ada.

"AirAsia sentiasa komited untuk menyediakan pilihan baharu kepada pelanggan," katanya kepada pemberita ketika mengumumkan laluan baharu syarikat itu ke Kalibo, Filipina di sini hari ini.  AirAsia menyediakan penerbangan langsung yang menghubungkan Kuala Lumpur ke Kalibo mulai esok.
  
Kalibo adalah pintu masuk ke pulau dengan pantai terindah, Boracay, di Filipina dan penerbangan empat kali seminggu itu akan berlepas setiap Isnin, Rabu, Jumaat dan Ahad, menandakan destinasi ketiga Filipina untuk AirAsia dengan penerbangan langsung dari Kuala Lumpur, Miri dan Kota Kinabalu.

Aireen juga berkata AirAsia menjangkakan mampu mencapai sehingga 80 peratus muatan bagi setiap penerbangan di laluan terbaharu itu, dan akan menimbang untuk meningkatkan kekerapan jika ada permintaan.
  
AirAsia mempunyai jaringan liputan paling luas di seluruh Asean, dan Filipina merupakan pasaran membangun bagi syarikat penerbangan tambang rendah.
  
"Kami berbangga menjadi sebahagian daripada rangkaian itu, terutama dengan kehadiran rakan kami AirAsia Zest di Filipina, yang menghubungkan penduduk dengan tambang rendah kami," katanya.
  
Bersempena pengumuman itu, AirAsia menawarkan tempat duduk percuma dengan cukai dan yuran berkaitan serendah RM77 sehala ke destinasi berkenaan, boleh ditempah dalam talian mulai 12 tengah hari esok hingga 23 Februari, 2014.
  
AirAsia mengangkut lebih 220 juta penumpang dalam tempoh 12 tahun beroperasi dan berkembang daripada hanya dua pesawat kepada lebih 150. 

Sumber: BERNAMA | 18 Februari 2014

Firefly akan perkenal 3 laluan baharu di ASEAN dalam tempoh dua tahun

PETALING JAYA: FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd (Firefly), syarikat tambang rendah Malaysia Airlines (MAS), akan memperkenal tiga laluan baharu di ASEAN dalam tempoh dua tahun.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya Ignatius Ong berkata syarikat penebangan itu sudah memperoleh kelulusan untuk laluan baharu ini, namun perlu menunggu ketibaan pesawat baharu sebelum mengumumkan laluan berkenaan.

Ong berkata rancangan itu merupakan sebahagian daripada visi syarikat untuk memberi tumpuan ke atas usaha mengukuhkan kehadirannya di Asean.

Beliau berkata tahun ini syarikat penerbangan itu sedang menunggu dua lagi pesawat selain meningkatkan kekerapan laluan domestik utama sedia ada.

"Kami ada beberapa lagi. Saya sudah mengumumkannya baru-baru ini, iaitu ke Bangkok dari Kota Bharu, namun ditangguhkan ke Mei.

"Kami sepatutnya melancarkannya pada Januari namun berdasarkan situasi di Bangkok sekarang, kami menangguhkannya," katanya pada media selepas pelancaran pertandingan "Petrol Crazy" bersama Petron di sini hari ini.

Ong berkata syarikat penerbangan itu akan menambah jumlah pesawatnya kepada 14 menjelang akhir tahun dengan penyerahan dua pesawat baharu ATR 72-600 pada suku kedua.

Beliau juga berkata sempena Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2014, Firefly menyasarkan peningkatan 20 peratus pertumbuhan penumpang tahun ini. Tahun lepas jumlah penumpang hampir mencecah dua juta orang. 

Sumber: BERNAMA | 17 Februari 2014

AirAsia to start Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu services; axes Male flights

SEPANG: AirAsia Singapore is set to begin direct flights to Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu in April, while AirAsia X has confirmed the suspension of flights on the Colombo-Malé sector in April.

The four-times-weekly Kota Bharu service commences on April 21, with flights departing from Singapore at 09.10 to touch down at 10.30.

Thrice-weekly flights to Kuala Terengganu leave Singapore at 09.10 and arrive at 10.35, and the service will start on April 22.

To commemorate the new flights to the two Malaysian destinations – gateways to the popular beach getaways Redang and Perhentian Islands – AirAsia Singapore is offering zero-dollar base fares on the routes. Both offers are open for booking until February 16 and valid for travel until October 25.

Separately, AirAsia’s longhaul arm AirAsia X will suspend flights from Colombo to Malé from March 1, almost five months after it began tagging the service onto the Kuala Lumpur-Colombo route (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 25, 2014).

However, the carrier will continue to operate Kuala Lumpur-Colombo flights with a four-times-weekly frequency.

Challenging business conditions were cited as a reason for the cancellation. “The suspension of Malé, Maldives is a move made to improve operating cost efficiencies and concentrate capacity in AirAsia X key markets of Australia, China, Taiwan, Japan, (South) Korea, Nepal and Sri Lanka,” the airline said in a media release.

Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X, said in the same release: “Despite our efforts, external factors such as the depreciation of Asian currencies against the US dollar and the chronic lack of hotel room supply in Maldives resulted in cancellation of thousands of bookings by travel operators.”

AirAsia X will offer guests who hold bookings after these dates an option of a full refund, a reroute to another AirAsia X destination, or a rebook of a return flight prior to February 28, for no additional cost.

Source: TTG Asia e-Daily | 12 February 2014

AirAsia launches three new routes under expansion plan including Singapore - Kota Bharu route

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia stepped up its expansion plan with the launch of three new routes from Johor Bahru - Tawau, Singapore - Kota Bharu and Singapore - Terengganu.

The low-cost carrier’s head of commercial Kenny Wong said on Tuesday the launch of the three new routes “is another step we're taking towards our aggressive expansion plans in Malaysia and in the region”.
 
He said AirAsia was also appointed sole operator to provide air services to bridge the gap between these destinations.

AirAsia is offering a base fare from as low as RM69 from Johor Bahru to Tawau, available from now until Feb 16, with the travel period from April 18 to Jan 31, 2015.

It was also giving away free seats from Singapore to Kota Bharu or Terengganu and available for booking online from now until Feb 16.

The travel period for this promotion was from April 21 to Oct 25 for Singapore - Kota Bharu and April 22 to Oct 25 for Singapore - Terengganu.

"The offers are available for booking at www.airasia.com, where guests are only required to pay for applicable fees and taxes from RM29 one way.

"Apart from the website, the flights can also be booked via AirAsia's mobile apps which are available on iPhone, Android devices, the Blackberry Z10 and now on the Windows Phone platform," it explained.

AirAsia had also launched three new routes connecting Sabah and Sarawak with Peninsular Malaysia in January where guests could fly directly from Kuching to Langkawi, and from Miri to Penang and Terengganu beginning March 20.

Source: The Star Online | 11 February 2014

AirAsia to fly thrice weekly from Kuching to Kota Bharu

KUCHING: AirAsia Bhd (AirAsia) officially announced the introduction of direct flights from Kuching to Kota Bharu, Kelantan’s state capital.

The three times a week flights will commence on March 22 onwards, making it AirAsia’s eighth domestic route from Kuching and also giving the airline the distinction of the sole airline to connect Kuching directly to the East Coast of Peninsular.

In conjunction with this, AirAsia are giving away free seats which are available for booking online at www.airasia.com starting yesterday until Feb 2.

Guests will only need to pay for the applicable taxes and fees from RM29 one way. The travel period for these free seats will be from the commencement of the inaugural flight on March 22 until January 31 next year.

AirAsia’s head of commercial, Kenny Wong, said the flights will operate every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, departing Kuching at 7am and arriving at Kota Bharu at 8.55am, while vice-versa flights from Kota Bharu will depart at 9.20am and arrive back in Kuching at 11.20am.

“AirAsia is committed towards connecting communities, especially bridging the gap between East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia.

“We recently launched the Kota Kinabalu–Kota Bharu direct flights last November, and the response has been overwhelming.

“This shows that there is a pent-up demand to connect both Sabah and Sarawak directly to the East Coast of the peninsula, and we are proud to announce this new route from Kuching directly to Kota Bharu, which we expect to receive the same overwhelming response,” he said

With Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY2014) now going on, he also expressed optimism this new direct route will provide the best opportunity for international tourists from either end to further discover the various attractions that Malaysia has to offer.

“With just a short flight, they will be able to experience the diverse cultures, cuisines and warmth of Malaysians; and AirAsia is proud to be the sole airline to operate this route, further contributing towards the efforts of VMY2014,” added Wong.

AirAsia already connects Kuching to the north of Peninsular with direct flights to Penang, and to the south as well with direct flights to Johor Bahru.

The airline was also proud to state that it connects both East Malaysia and Peninsular with 427 flights weekly, and offers the best connectivity within East Malaysia as well.

Source: The Borneo Post | 21 January 2014

AirAsia terbang 3 kali seminggu bagi laluan Kuching - Kota Bharu

AirAsia Bhd (AirAsia) memperluas jaringan rangkaian di Malaysia Timur, terutama di Sarawak dengan pengumuman pelancaran penerbangan terus tiga kali seminggu dari Kuching ke Kota Bharu, yang akan mula beroperasi 22 Mac ini.

Ia adalah laluan domestik AirAsia yang kelapan dari Kuching dan AirAsia adalah satu-satunya syarikat penerbangan yang menghubungkan Kuching secara terus ke Pantai Timur Semenanjung. 

Penerbangan terus tiga kali seminggu itu akan beroperasi setiap Selasa, Khamis, dan Sabtu dengan waktu berlepas dari Kuching pada jam 7 pagi dan tiba di Kota Bharu pada jam 8.55 pagi, sementara penerbangan dari Kota Bharu pula akan berlepas pada jam 9.20 pagi dan tiba di Kuching pada jam 11.20 pagi.

 

Tempat duduk percuma

 
Sempena pembukaan laluan itu, AirAsia menawarkan tempat duduk percuma yang boleh di tempah menerusi laman www.airasia.com dari 20 Januari hingga 2 Februari 2014. 

 
Penumpang hanya perlu membayar cukai dan surcaj yang bermula dari RM29 sehala. Tempoh perjalanan untuk tempahan tempat duduk itu bermula daripada 22 Mac 2014 hingga 31 Januari 2015. 

 
Selain laman sesawang, tempat duduk percuma juga boleh ditempah menerusi applikasi mudah alih AirAsia yang tersedia bagi iPhone, peranti Android, Blackberry Z10 dan kini platform telefon mudah alih Windows. Ketua Komersial AirAsia, Kenny Wong, berkata syarikat komited dalam menghubungkan komuniti, terutama untuk mendekatkan jurang antara Timur Malaysia dan Semenanjung Malaysia. 

November lalu, kami melancarkan penerbangan terus Kota Kinabalu - Kota Bharu dan menerima sambutan yang memberangsangkan. Ini menunjukkan adanya permintaan bagi menghubungkan Sabah dan Sarawak secara terus ke Pantai Timur Semenanjung dan kami berbangga mengumumkan laluan secara terus Kuching ke Kota Bharu ini yang kami jangka akan mendapat sambutan baik, katanya. 

 
Tahun Melawat Malaysia

 
Katanya, tambahan pula dengan sambutan Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2014 yang sedang berlangsung, penerbangan terus ini memberi peluang kepada pelancong antarabangsa dari kedua-dua bandar berkenaan untuk terus meneroka pelbagai tarikan menarik yang ada di Malaysia. 

 
Menerusi penerbangan yang singkat ini mereka boleh mengalami kepelbagaian budaya, makanan tempatan dan keramahan rakyat Malaysia. 

 
AirAsia berbangga menjadi satu-satunya syarikat penerbangan yang beroperasi bagi laluan ini yang juga akan menyumbang kepada usaha menjayakan Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2014, katanya. 

 

Sumber: Berita Harian Online | 20 Januari 2014