BUDGET carrier AirAsia Group Bhd is looking to return some planes to lessors and shrink its fleet, as the airline looks to weather the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, group chief executive Tony Fernandes announced today.
“We are not going to buy new planes and we are going to return as many as we can. I estimate by the end of next year we’ll be flying 180 planes,” Fernandes told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
The group currently has 245 aircrafts.
AirAsia, like other airlines, has been hit hard by travel restrictions due to the pandemic.
Earlier this week it shut down its Japan operations, and its long haul arm AirAsia X Bhd said it was looking to restructure US$15.3 bil (RM63.34 bil) of debt.
It is also looking to raise around US$600 mil (RM2.48 bil) in capital by the end of the year.
Fernandes said AirAsia remains in talks with supplier Airbus SA about reducing pending orders.
“I don’t see us getting into a position where we want to buy planes for a number of years. And even if we want to buy planes, there will probably be a lot of cheap second hand planes,” he added. – Oct 8, 2020, Reuters
