KUALA LUMPUR - AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes
revealed Monday his plans to start a new super-premium regional airline in
partnership with national carrier Malaysia Airlines.
“Here is another idea that has come out of
AirAsia which will create more more value, more jobs and more business.
“If an idea like this does materialise... it
will definitely involve Malaysia Airlines,” he told reporters.
Fernandes said the proposed short-haul carrier
would cater largely to business travellers, among others, who need to travel
across the region quickly.
“For me as a traveller, time is very precious.
If you can create a product where you do not need to wait one hour before you
check in and fly out and Malaysia can be the home of this idea,” he said.
News reports last week said that Fernandes
would launch a super-premium full-service carrier in May next year to rival
Qantas’ upcoming carrier RedQ.
The Sun daily reported that the airline,
likely to be called Caterham Jet, would begin operations from an airport near
the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
Fernandes declined to elaborate on his
business plan for the new airline but insisted that it was a lucrative aviation
business segment which will create more jobs and business opportunities in Malaysia.
“Yes, there is an idea. There is a wonderful
opportunity for people who don’t want to queue up but want to have a private
jet experience,” he said.
Fernandes also said the new airline would
allow the loss-making flag carrier Malaysia Airlines to boost its revenue and
compete directly with its regional rival Singapore Airlines.
“If this idea can work, Malaysia Airlines can
get one up against SIA because SIA does not have this kind of first class
premium service in the short haul sector,” he said.
The Sun report said proposed routes for the
new airline include Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore using Bombardier CRJ
aircraft.
Fernandes, who is also Formula One Team Lotus
principal, bought British sports car company Caterham Cars earlier this year.
Malaysia-based AirAsia has become one of the
airline industry’s biggest success stories after Fernandes acquired the
then-failing company a decade ago.
Its 2010 full-year net profit nearly doubled
to 1.07 billion ringgit (S$439 million) compared to 2009.
AFP
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