Page 30 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2015 Online Magazine

FEATURE AIRLINES

Asia could require fresh capital to the on the list of the World’s Best Low-Cost
tune of $ 1.9 billion. It warned that if airlines in 2015. This year has been an
there was no significant improvement important one for the long-haul LCC, as it
in profitability soon, “Air Asia is unlikely was to have transitioned to an all Boeing
to be a going concern for much longer.” 787 fleet by August. The switch from its
Air Asia however, could benefit from six older Boeing 777-200s, which were
the record slump in fuel prices that will handed down from Singapore Airlines,
improve profitability. Media reports have to the fuel-efficient Dreamliner will
stated that banks and private investors transform the operational efficiencies of
are being sounded out in an effort to take the airline and enable the addition of new
the company private. Air Asia operates an and more profitable routes. The airline
all Airbus fleet and has placed orders for has placed orders for 10 787-8s and 10
171 A320ceos and 304 A320neos. It has 787-9 airliners. Scoot has configured its
taken delivery of 165 A320ceos and has a 787-9s to accommodate 375 passengers
current operational fleet of 172 airplanes. in a two-class layout, while its 787-8s will
The long-haul LCC AirAsia X, an be able to accommodate 335 passengers.
affiliate carrier of the AirAsia Group also
made it to the Skytrax 2015 list of the IndiGo
World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines. It has India’s civil aviation sector continues to be OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Indian
placed orders 31 A330-300s, 55 A330-900s a laggard when compared to its massive budget airline SpiceJet has
and 10 A350-900s. It has taken delivery of potential and regulatory authorities recovered from near collapse
19 A330-300s and has an operational fleet continue to hinder efficient operation and represents the Boeing hope
for a large 737 MAX order from
of 20 airplanes including a single A340. of airlines with a maze of rules and an Indian operator
unnecessary interference. The Indian
Scoot LCC scenario is marked by the dominant BELOW: Long-haul LCC Scoot is
Long-haul LCC Scoot is one of the LCC presence of IndiGo, which has placed making the shift from older 777s
to brand new 787s. It has 20 787s
subsidiaries operated by SAG, the other orders for a total of 530 A320 family on order spread equally across
being Tigerair. Scoot made it to 1oth place airplanes (100 ceos and 430 neos) till date. the -8 and -9 models

30 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM