Tan Sri Tony Fernandes - Founder and Group CEO of AirAsia Bhd

INDIA is the biggest market that Tony Fernandes is hoping to anchor in next year.

He had big dreams and had hoped to land in India this year, but it simply did not happen. He had to abandon two launch dates – September and October – as AirAsia India could not obtain a permit. While he hopes to receive the schedule operator permit or SOP in January to begin flying out of Chennai, Bernama has reported that he may now need to wait until mid-2014 before it can start flying.

Given his expertise in managing low-cost airlines, Fernandes remains confident of taking India by storm, but also knows all too well that India is not an easy market. There are too many players and it is a very competitive market, although it is booming due to its growing upper-middle-class segment.

Besides India in 2014, Fernandes – who has returned from his sojourn in Jakarta – has to come up with a strategy for AirAsia to take on the competition on home turf and increase income.

Barely two years after making Jakarta their new base, Fernandes and his confidant, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, returned to Kuala Lumpur in November this year. Before leaving for Jakarta, they had left the running of AirAsia to Aireen Omar, but Kamarudin has since been redesignated as executive chairman of AirAsia, and Fernandes as group CEO and non-independent executive director.

The entry of Malindo Air has intensified competition on the home turf not just in the domestic routes but also some regional routes. Although both AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines have discounted the new player, they are, in reality, feeling the heat from the airline, and their return suggests that they are indeed worried about competition on the home turf.

One of Fernandes’ biggest challenges in 2014 is to manage competition and price fares right, although to him, “so long as we keep fares low, people will fly”.

Getting into India will give him a link to a vast market, but it will not give him immediate returns. Hence, AirAsia Malaysia remains the cash cow. However, he has to relook at costs once again.

Fernandes is also a lot richer after the back-to-back listings of his private companies, namely, long-haul carrier AirAsia X and Tune Ins Holdings Bhd this year, which raised more than RM1.2bil.

In 2014, Fernandes is looking at listing Indo AirAsia, and aside from India, he also wants to get into Myanmar, a tough market which other airlines are also eyeing. This will give him another hub that he needs, as he has dreams of AirAsia becoming like Emirates.

Also in the cards for next year are plans to introduce a mall in the sky – selling duty-free stuff to boost ancillary income.

He also has to shift operations from the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang to KLIA2. Will he use aerobridges or make his passengers walk the tarmac at the new airport?

Most importantly, Fernandes has to deliver what the shareholders want - better dividends. – By B.K. Sidhu

Source : The Star Online, 28 Dec 2013

AirAsia India unlikely to start flying before summer 2014

NEW DELHI: AirAsia India, which was initially optimistic about starting operations by October this year and then January 2014, may now need to wait until summer 2014 before it can start flying, according to media reports.

AirAsia India is a 49:30:21 joint venture between AirAsia Bhd, Tata Sons and Telestra Tradeplace.

Tata Sons later entered into another joint venture with Singapore Airlines Tata-SIA to create a full-fledged airline in India. In Tata-SIA, Tata Sons is the majority shareholder with a 51% stake.

The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has cleared both airline ventures.

FirstPost.com reported that Tata-SIA has applied to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for a no-objection certificate (NoC), giving mandatory details such as number of directors on its board and seeking security clearance for them from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

AirAsia India had already secured the NoC earlier. However, it has still not been granted the operating permit and is therefore unlikely to take to the skies before the summer schedule of 2014, reported the online business daily.

The report quoted an unnamed senior official in the ministry confirming both these developments to the daily, saying the NoC application from Tata-SIA has been received over the last few days.

According to the report, there has been much speculation about the apparently fast-track treatment that the Tata-SIA venture has received from various government departments against the rather slow pace of clearances being accorded to AirAsia India.

The NoC for Tata-SIA may also arrive fairly quickly. Thereafter, it will approach aviation regulator DGCA for a flying permit. For AirAsia India, though, delays abound.

Now, another hitch could be the voluntary retirement that current Director General of Civil Aviation has taken his last day in office is Dec 31. And until now, there has been no decision on a successor, said Firstpost.com.

So it is possible that AirAsia's launch plans get further delayed since its operating permit still needs to be issued by the DGCA. The official quoted earlier said there is a long-drawn procedure for issuing a Scheduled Operators' Permit (SOP), the report said.

The two ventures are expected to address widely different segments of the domestic aviation business AirAsia India would be an ultra low-cost carrier, based out of Chennai, whereas Tata-SIA would be a full service carrier, based in New Delhi.

The report also said that there has been persistent speculation over the Tatas pulling out of AirAsia India since the two business models are widely divergent and may not offer synergies.

This speculation has been denied by the Tatas and Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singhhad earlier clarified that no aviation rule has been violated by the Tatas in having a stake in two separate airline ventures.

The ministry official quoted earlier said in case the Tatas were to pull out, the entire process would have to be cancelled. "The FIPB approval was given based on the shareholding structure submitted at that time. If there is going to be a change in shareholding, a fresh FIPB approval will of course be needed," he said – Bernama.

Source : The Star Online, 27 Dec 2013

Tourism Malaysia tingkat usaha pemasaran di Utara India

NEW DELHI 23 Dis. - Tourism Malaysia merancang untuk mempergiatkan usaha pemasaran di utara India dengan kemasukan Malindo Air, yang menawarkan lebih banyak kapasiti tempat duduk bagi laluan New Delhi-Kuala Lumpur, kata Pengarahnya, Amran Abdul Rahman.

Syarikat penerbangan yang berusia sembilan bulan itu akan memulakan laluan New Delhi-KL pada 30 Disember ini menggunakan pesawat Boeing B737-900ER.

"Pada masa ini, hanya Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yang memberi perkhidmatan laluan itu. Walaupun ada permintaan, jumlah tempat duduknya terhad," katanya kepada Bernama di sini hari ini.
Setelah Malindo Air mula beroperasi, akan terdapat tambahan 1,260 tempat duduk seminggu, katanya.

"Dengan MAS menawarkan 4,720 tempat duduk setiap minggu, tambahan ini akan memberikan sejumlah 23,920 tempat duduk sebulan, yang akan membolehkan kami memperluaskan usaha pemasaran kami ke bandar peringkat kedua dan ketiga di utara India," kata Amran.

Tourism Malaysia, katanya, merancang untuk memperkenalkan negara di timur laut India serta Jammu-Kashmir.

"Langkah Malindo ini merupakan petanda yang baik dengan Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2014. Oleh itu, kami merancang untuk mengadakan pameran bergerak di negeri-negeri timur Laut seperti Manipur dan juga Jammu-Kashmir," kata beliau.

Malah, ejen pelancongan di wilayah utara sudah memulakan promosi dan pengiklanan mengenai Malindo Air kepada pelanggan mereka.

Semasa ditanya sama ada Malindo Air akan dapat mengekalkan laluan dalam keadaan kos operasi yang tinggi, beliau berkata, perkara ini tidak akan menjadi isu kerana permintaan trafik amat besar.

Sumber :

Utusan Malaysia, 24 Disember 2013

AirAsia to take off in Indian skies by February 2014

AirAsia's launch, which was supposed to take place in January has been delayed by a month as the Malaysian airline has been awaiting operator's permit from aviation regulator, DGCA.

The aviation ministry has allowed AirAsia to import aircraft, but the launch has been delayed by a month - the carrier will now take to the Indian skies by February next year.

AirAsia has now managed to get a no objection certificate (NOC) from civil aviation ministry for the acquisition of aircrafts, which means the Malaysian airline can start the process of importing aircraft into India. But even that process is going to be closely linked to AirAsia getting air operator's permit, as AirAsia is not keen to get the aircraft into India and have them sitting on the ground unless they have a license to fly.

Both these issues will be linked closely to each other, but at least it is one step forward. They can start the process of acquisition of aircraft. In Phase-I, they are looking at getting in four aircrafts. They may stagger them by getting two first and two later and then eventually get an aircraft in a month.

As far as the launch is concerned, they are still pending clearance from the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA). With the air operating permit has not come in, the earlier launch date (end of 2013) has now been pushed.

The import permissions are subject to Air Asia India getting an airline licence. The aviation regulator needs to ratify pilot, cabin crew and engineering certifications in conjunction with the type of aircraft being imported.

According to sources, earlier deadline of January is likely to be missed and now they are working with end of February, but all of this depends on by when the regulatory clearances come in. As of now, AirAsia is hoping to launch in India by February end, so it is one step forward, but not really more certain in terms of being able to kick-start in India as yet.
Read More about "AirAsia India to launch with 10 A320s, wants obstacles lifted", 9 Dec 2013.
Source: http://www.livemint.com/Companies/HAjgswvoZKmvcLcX8m3iRK/AirAsia-India-to-launch-with-10-A320s-wants-obstacles-lifte.html

Source:
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/airasia-to-take-offindian-skies-by-february_1007206.html?utm_source=ref_article
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-now/corporate/still-to-get-permission-to-import-aircraft-airasia/videoshow/27247649.cms

Foto : Wikipedia.org

Malindo Air gets green light for India flights

Malindo Air kembang operasi ke India

Malindo Air, syarikat penerbangan hibrid Malaysia, melebarkan sayap penerbangannya apabila menerima kebenaran beroperasi daripada pihak berkuasa India untuk mengadakan operasi antara Malaysia dan India.
Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya Chandran Rama Muthy berkata, syarikat itu akan memulakan penerbangan pada 30 Disember 2013 ke Delhi, 2 Januari 2014 ke Trichy dan ke Bombay pada 15 Februari 2014.
Katanya, tambang promosi satu hala boleh didapati sekarang dengan tambang penuh mulai RM399 untuk laluan Kuala Lumpur (KL) ke Trichy dan RM599 daripada KL ke Delhi dan Bombay.

Source : www.hmetro.com.my , 4 Dec 2013

Malindo Air gets green light for India flights

One of the most awaited route for Malindo Air which is India finally received permission from India’s aviation authorities to commence flights to the country, and will now launch services to Delhi on 30 December 2013.
The first flight will be to Delhi and subsequently will be quickly followed by two further routes, with flights to the southern city of Tiruchirappalli commencing on 2 January 2014 and services to Mumbai launching on 15 February.
“We are excited to announce the wonderful news of Malindo Air expansion to the cities of India,” said Chandran Rama Muthy, Malindo’s CEO. “The decision to start our services to these long-awaited new routes emphasises the value and importance of tourism, trade and business links between India and Malaysia.”
The three new routes will operate using 180-seat, two-class Boeing 737-900 aircraft.
Stay tuned, wait for Malindo Air promotion for Delhi soon.

Source : http://go-malindoair.com/malindo-air-gets-green-light-for-india-flights/

In the other hand, warning for the fake ticket!

-> Malindo Air beri amaran penjual tiket palsu

MALINDO Air menasihati orang ramai supaya tidak terpedaya dengan penjual tiket penerbangan palsu yang mendakwa sebagai wakil syarikat penerbangan itu.

Menurut kenyataan yang dikeluarkan Malindo Air, sebarang bentuk transaksi mesti diikuti dengan pertukaran tiket atau resit rasmi sebagai bukti transaksi.

"Sekiranya pengguna sudah berada dalam situasi itu, diminta segera membuat laporan polis dan memaklumkan kepada kami dengan butiran lengkap.

“Kakitangan syarikat penerbangan kami tidak pernah membuat transaksi perniagaan ataupun memuktamadkan niaga janji di bawah akaun persendirian dengan mana-mana agensi tanpa arahan dan pengawasan," katanya.

Menurutnya, terdapat individu atau pihak yang mahu menimbulkan situasi itu dengan niat mencemari reputasi syarikat penerbangan itu.

"Dengan peraturan dan pemantauan ketat urusan niaga janji yang dilakukan di antara kakitangan dan orang ramai, jelas sekali amat mustahil untuk sesiapa sahaja, malah mencuba untuk terlibat dengan aktiviti seperti itu," katanya.

Sumber : Sinar harian http://www.sinarharian.com.my/malindo-air-beri-amaran-penjual-tiket-palsu-1.227770 , 6 Dec 2013


About Malindo Air

 

Malindo Air is an airline based in Malaysia, headquartered in Petaling Jaya. It is a joint venture between National Aerospace and Defence Industries (NADI) (51%) of Malaysia and Lion Air of Indonesia (49%).

 

The name "Malindo" is derived from the names of respective countries: Malaysia and Indonesia. Malindo Air initially planned to start operation on 1 May 2013 from the new KLIA2 terminal. However, Malindo Air brought forward the launch date to mid-March 2013 with domestic destinations. The airline offers only economy class and business class seats.

 

Founded in 11 Sept. 2012

 

Source : Wikipedia