NEW PLANES: AirAsia and Hawaiian Airlines announce aircraft orders

There must be something in the air this morning because both AirAsia and Hawaiian Airlines have been busy ordering a whopping amount of brand new planes.

Perhaps they’re just celebrating the fact that its Friday?

AirAsia’s long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X, has placed an order with Airbus for an additional 34 A330neo widebody aircraft!

The order was announced at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK by Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia Co-Founder and AirAsia X Group Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Chairman of AirAsia X and Eric Schulz, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer.

(Left to right) Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Eric Schulz; AirAsia X ChairmanTan Sri Rafidah Aziz; AirAsia Chairman and AirAsia X Group CEO Datuk Kamarudin Meranun flanked by cabin crew at the commercial announcement with Airbus held at 2018 Farnborough Airshow.

The latest agreement reaffirms AirAsia X’s position as the largest airline customer for the A330neo, with the total number of aircraft ordered by the airline increasing to 100. All the A330neo aircraft ordered by AirAsia X are the larger A330-900 model.

“Our decision not only to reconfirm our existing order for 66 A330neo, but to add 34 more, follows what is probably one of the most thorough aircraft evaluations the industry has ever seen,” AirAsia Co-Founder and AirAsia X Co-Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said.

“We have looked at every aspect of the A330neo from technical performance and reliability to passenger comfort and it is clearly the right aircraft for us to expand efficiently our fast-growing long haul network.”

“I would like to personally thank Eric Schulz, who has been put through his paces with AirAsia, as well as Jerome and Alain. We are a tough customer but we get behind a product we know is right.”

Meanwhile, Hawaiian has finalised an order for 10 787-9 Dreamliners, valued at $2.82 billion, with including purchase rights for 10 additional 787s.

“The Dreamliner’s operational performance and passenger-friendly cabin makes it an ideal aircraft to serve as our flagship aircraft of the future,” said Peter Ingram, president and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines.

“The aircraft provides Hawaiian with more seating capacity and greater range to expand within our current network and offer new destinations to and from Asia Pacific and North America.”

Hawaiian announced in March that it had selected the 787-9 Dreamliner to serve medium to long-haul routes, signing a letter of intent for the aircraft.

The 787-9 is the longest-range Dreamliner with the ability to fly up to 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 kilometers) with 290 passengers in a standard two-class configuration while using 20 percent less fuel than older generation aircraft.

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