Latest news with #AirAsia
Hype Malaysia
a day ago
- Business
- Hype Malaysia
AirAsia Triumphs As World's Best Low-Cost Airline For 16th Consecutive Year At Skytrax 2025
They've won at life! AirAsia has once again been named the World's Best Low-Cost Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2025, marking its 16th consecutive win. This reflects the airline's strong presence across ASEAN and beyond, with a network of over 130 destinations, affordable fares, and a focus on operational excellence. Through its multi-hub strategy in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia, AirAsia continues to make travel more accessible, affordable, and seamless across Asia. At the Paris Air Show 2025 in France, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, Chairman of Capital A and Co-Founder of AirAsia, accepted the award, saying: 'Sixteen years on, this recognition remains just as meaningful as ever. We started with a simple dream to make flying affordable for everyone. To be recognised for the 16th time reaffirms that we have stayed true to that mission and continue to soar high in the minds of the many millions of passengers who choose to fly with us each year. While this award is truly another fantastic achievement, we never rest on our laurels and it inspires us to go even further.' Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and Co-Founder of AirAsia, shared his thoughts on the win, saying: 'This is a deeply emotional win for me. From flying just 200,000 guests in our first year to aiming to welcome our one billionth guest this year, this journey has been made possible by the unwavering support of our guests, and the tireless dedication of our incredible Allstars. Every challenge we have faced, every comeback we have made, was made possible by their trust and effort. We thank the Skytrax team for recognising our work, and I would like to share the award with my Allstars – it belongs to them. Thank you for believing in the dream.' Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: 'We congratulate AirAsia on this fabulous achievement at the 2025 World Airline Awards. This success for a record sixteenth time is a clear reflection of their dedication to providing quality, affordable travel options to customers. This is a most competitive and fast growing market for low cost airlines, and this award demonstrates AirAsia's success.' The award also serves as a testament to the airline's contribution to connecting both primary and underserved secondary and tertiary cities. This model has enabled the launch of unique and strategic routes such as Kuala Lumpur-Labuan Bajo, Bangkok-Narathiwat, Manila-Tagbilaran, Jakarta-Silangit, and others expanding access to emerging travel corridors and tourism growth areas. Looking ahead, the airline is set to deepen its connectivity across Central Asia and the Middle East, marking a significant step forward in its ambition to become the first truly global low-cost network carrier. At the same time, AirAsia's continued emphasis on guest experience sets it apart. Having flown close to one billion guests, the airline maintains high levels of customer loyalty and brand advocacy across its key markets. Ranked as the 24th most valuable airline brand globally with a value of US$1.93 billion (RM8.22 billion), AirAsia reflects both strong regional roots and global appeal. The Skytrax World Airline Awards is one of the most prestigious honours in global aviation. The online survey ran from September 2024 to May 2025, with 22.3 million eligible entries from over 100 nationalities. More than 325 airlines were included in the results. The survey and awards are fully funded by Skytrax, with no fees charged to participating airlines. What's your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0
Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘An act of sabotage is an act of terrorism against India': Gaurav Taneja says he'll ‘lose his mind' if this Air India 171 theory is true
YouTuber Gaurav Taneja, known as Flying Beast online, offered his detailed theory for what could've caused the recent Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad. On June 12, over 250 people died when a Boeing 787 crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Investigations are still ongoing. But in these last few days, Taneja has offered several comments on the case, beginning with his suggestion shortly after the tragedy that it seemed to be a rare case of 'dual engine failure'. He has since defended the pilots against questions about their competence, and has also raised concerns about airline safety standards in India. Before he became a content creator full time, Taneja graduated from IIT Kharagpur and served as a commercial pilot for a decade. In his new video, which runs at nearly an hour long, he laid out his reasons for suggesting that pilot error could have partially been the cause for the crash. This comes days after he said that the easiest thing to do for airlines is to blame the pilots, because they typically aren't alive to defend themselves after disasters of this magnitude. In the past, Taneja also blew the whistle on Air Asia, accusing the airline of slack safety protocols and dangerous KRAs for pilots. He was terminated from his job. Also read – Gaurav Taneja, aka Flying Beast, opens up on chance of pilot error in detailed analysis of Air India Flight 171 crash: 'May have killed the wrong engine' In his video, he dunked several theories around the Air India 171 crash, ruling out a bird strike, bad weather, or even a software malfunction. He suggested that the aircraft suffered a single-engine failure during takeoff, at a point when it was too late to abort. He also suggested that the aircraft was overloaded with cargo, which caused it to consume a larger than normal chunk of runway. Air India 171 crashed seconds after takeoff, when it dropped out of the sky after seemingly losing all lift and power. Experts have also indicated that the ram air turbine (RAT) was automatically deployed as a last-ditch measure, indicating all loss of power. Taneja said in the video, 'Fuel contamination is a wild theory. If this turns out to be true, I'll lose my mind. Let me tell you why this can't happen. On that day, several aircraft in Ahmedabad would've received fuel. The aircraft in question must've stood in the bay, it would've taxied to the runway, it took off. There must be some fuel leftover from its previous flight as well. The truck that fuelled this aircraft must've fuelled other aircraft as well.' He said that there are several checks and balances in place to prevent contaminated fuel from entering an aircraft. 'The fuel supplier checks the fuel first, airline engineers conduct checks as well. Fuelling trucks are so advanced these days, they also have the capability to check. If it finds that there is something wrong with the fuel, it will stop the fuelling process itself. It's all automatic, the aircraft handles everything itself. So now, if you tell me that the fuel was contaminated, it's an act of sabotage. It's an act of terrorism against the country. I don't want to believe this is true.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Southeast Asia Budget Airlines: Southeast Asia's Budget Airlines Push for Growth Amidst Rising Costs and Competition, ET TravelWorld
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETTravelWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETTravelWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. Southeast Asia's biggest budget airlines are pursuing a bruising capacity expansion race despite rising cost pressures that are squeezing profitability and led Qantas Airways to shut down Singapore-based offshoot Jetstar carriers have proliferated in Asia in the past two decades as disposable incomes rise, supported by robust travel demand from Chinese for air travel in Asia is expected to grow faster than other regions in the next few decades and carriers like Vietnam's VietJet Aviation and Malaysia-headquartered AirAsia are to buy more planes to add to their already large orderbooks as they seek to gain market margins are thinner than in other regions. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline industry body, this year expects Asia-Pacific airlines to make a net profit margin of 1.9 per cent, compared with a global average of 3.7 per across Asia have largely restored capacity since the pandemic, which has intensified competition, especially for price-sensitive budget travellers, and pulled airfares down from recent high airfares in Asia dropped 12 per cent in 2024 from 2023, ForwardKeys data shows. AirAsia, the region's largest budget carrier, reported a 9 per cent decline in average airfares in the first quarter as it added capacity and passed savings from lower fuel prices onto its to challenges for airlines, costs such as labour and airport charges are also rising, while a shortage of new planes is driving up leasing and maintenance shifting landscape prompted Australia's Qantas to announce last week that its loss-making low-cost intra-Asia subsidiary Jetstar Asia would shut down by the end of July after two decades of Asia said it had seen "really high cost increases" at its Singapore base, including double-digit rises in fuel, airport fees, ground handling and security charges."It is a very thin buffer, and with margins this low, any cost increase can impact an airline's viability," said IATA Asia-Pacific Vice President Sheldon Hee, adding that operating costs were escalating in the data firm OAG in a February white paper said Asia-Pacific was the world's most competitive aviation market, with airfares driven down by rapid capacity expansion "perhaps to a point where profits are compromised"."Balancing supply to demand and costs to revenue have never been more critical," the report said of the region's Asia has an unusually high concentration of international budget flights. Around two-thirds of international seats within Southeast Asia so far this year were on budget carriers, compared to about one-third of international seats globally, CAPA Centre for Aviation data took the option to move Jetstar Asia's aircraft to more cost-efficient operations in Australia and New Zealand rather than continue to lose money, analysts operators in Southeast Asia were struggling for profits amid fierce competition even before the pandemic and now there is the added factor of higher costs, said Asia-based independent aviation analyst Brendan carriers offer bargain fares by driving operating costs as low as possible. Large fleets of one aircraft type drive efficiencies of Asia was much smaller than local rivals, with only 13 aircraft. As of March 31, Singapore Airlines' budget offshoot Scoot had 53 planes, AirAsia had 225 and VietJet had 117, including its Thai arm. Low-cost Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific had four are adding more planes to their fleets this year and further into the on Tuesday signed a provisional deal to buy up to another 150 single-aisle Airbus planes at the Paris Airshow, in a move it said was just the beginning as the airline pursues ambitious deal comes weeks after it ordered 20 A330neo wide-body planes, alongside an outstanding order for 200 Boeing 737 MAX which has an existing orderbook of at least 350 planes, is also in talks to buy 50 to 70 long-range single-aisle jetliners, and 100 regional jets that could allow it to expand to more destinations, its CEO Tony Fernandes said on Wednesday."At the end of the day, it is go big or go home," said Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Southeast Asia Budget Airlines: Southeast Asia's Budget Airlines Push for Growth Amidst Rising Costs and Competition, ET Infra
Advt Advt Go big or go home Southeast Asia's biggest budget airlines are pursuing a bruising capacity expansion race despite rising cost pressures that are squeezing profitability and led Qantas Airways to shut down Singapore-based offshoot Jetstar carriers have proliferated in Asia in the past two decades as disposable incomes rise, supported by robust travel demand from Chinese for air travel in Asia is expected to grow faster than other regions in the next few decades and carriers like Vietnam's VietJet Aviation and Malaysia-headquartered AirAsia are to buy more planes to add to their already large orderbooks as they seek to gain market margins are thinner than in other regions. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline industry body, this year expects Asia-Pacific airlines to make a net profit margin of 1.9 per cent, compared with a global average of 3.7 per across Asia have largely restored capacity since the pandemic, which has intensified competition, especially for price-sensitive budget travellers, and pulled airfares down from recent high airfares in Asia dropped 12 per cent in 2024 from 2023, ForwardKeys data shows. AirAsia, the region's largest budget carrier, reported a 9 per cent decline in average airfares in the first quarter as it added capacity and passed savings from lower fuel prices onto its to challenges for airlines, costs such as labour and airport charges are also rising, while a shortage of new planes is driving up leasing and maintenance shifting landscape prompted Australia's Qantas to announce last week that its loss-making low-cost intra-Asia subsidiary Jetstar Asia would shut down by the end of July after two decades of Asia said it had seen "really high cost increases" at its Singapore base, including double-digit rises in fuel, airport fees, ground handling and security charges."It is a very thin buffer, and with margins this low, any cost increase can impact an airline's viability," said IATA Asia-Pacific Vice President Sheldon Hee, adding that operating costs were escalating in the data firm OAG in a February white paper said Asia-Pacific was the world's most competitive aviation market, with airfares driven down by rapid capacity expansion "perhaps to a point where profits are compromised"."Balancing supply to demand and costs to revenue have never been more critical," the report said of the region's Asia has an unusually high concentration of international budget flights. Around two-thirds of international seats within Southeast Asia so far this year were on budget carriers, compared to about one-third of international seats globally, CAPA Centre for Aviation data took the option to move Jetstar Asia's aircraft to more cost-efficient operations in Australia and New Zealand rather than continue to lose money, analysts operators in Southeast Asia were struggling for profits amid fierce competition even before the pandemic and now there is the added factor of higher costs, said Asia-based independent aviation analyst Brendan carriers offer bargain fares by driving operating costs as low as possible. Large fleets of one aircraft type drive efficiencies of Asia was much smaller than local rivals, with only 13 aircraft. As of March 31, Singapore Airlines' budget offshoot Scoot had 53 planes, AirAsia had 225 and VietJet had 117, including its Thai arm. Low-cost Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific had four are adding more planes to their fleets this year and further into the on Tuesday signed a provisional deal to buy up to another 150 single-aisle Airbus planes at the Paris Airshow, in a move it said was just the beginning as the airline pursues ambitious deal comes weeks after it ordered 20 A330neo wide-body planes, alongside an outstanding order for 200 Boeing 737 MAX which has an existing orderbook of at least 350 planes, is also in talks to buy 50 to 70 long-range single-aisle jetliners, and 100 regional jets that could allow it to expand to more destinations, its CEO Tony Fernandes said on Wednesday."At the end of the day, it is go big or go home," said Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.
Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
South-east Asia's budget airlines bet on travel demand, despite competition woes
[SEOUL] South-east Asia's biggest budget airlines are pursuing a bruising capacity expansion race despite rising cost pressures that are squeezing profitability and led Qantas Airways to shut down Singapore-based offshoot Jetstar Asia. Low-cost carriers have proliferated in Asia in the past two decades as disposable incomes rise, supported by robust travel demand from Chinese tourists. Demand for air travel in Asia is expected to grow faster than in other regions in the next few decades, and carriers such as Vietnam's VietJet Aviation and Malaysia-headquartered AirAsia are to buy more planes to add to their already large order books as they seek to gain market share. But margins are thinner than in other regions. The International Air Transport Association (Iata), an airline industry body, this year expects Asia-Pacific airlines to make a net profit margin of 1.9 per cent, compared with a global average of 3.7 per cent. Airlines across Asia have largely restored capacity since the pandemic, which has intensified competition, especially for price-sensitive budget travellers, and pulled airfares down from recent high levels. International airfares in Asia dropped 12 per cent in 2024 from 2023, ForwardKeys data shows. AirAsia, the region's largest budget carrier, reported a 9 per cent decline in average airfares in the first quarter as it added capacity and passed savings from lower fuel prices onto its customers. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Adding to challenges for airlines, costs such as labour and airport charges are also rising, while a shortage of new planes is driving up leasing and maintenance fees. This shifting landscape prompted Australia's Qantas to announce last week that its loss-making low-cost intra-Asia subsidiary Jetstar Asia would shut down by the end of July after two decades of operations. Jetstar Asia said it had seen 'really high cost increases' at its Singapore base, including double-digit rises in fuel, airport fees, ground handling and security charges. 'It is a very thin buffer, and with margins this low, any cost increase can impact an airline's viability,' said Iata Asia-Pacific vice-president Sheldon Hee, adding that operating costs were escalating in the region. Aviation data firm OAG in a February white paper, said that Asia-Pacific was the world's most competitive aviation market, with airfares driven down by rapid capacity expansion 'perhaps to a point where profits are compromised'. 'Balancing supply to demand and costs to revenue have never been more critical,' the report said of the region's airlines. 'Go big or go home' South-east Asia has an unusually high concentration of international budget flights. Around two-thirds of international seats within South-east Asia so far this year were on budget carriers, compared to about one-third of international seats globally, Capa Centre for Aviation data shows. Qantas took the option to move Jetstar Asia's aircraft to more cost-efficient operations in Australia and New Zealand rather than continue to lose money, analysts say. Budget operators in South-east Asia were struggling for profits amid fierce competition even before the pandemic and now there is the added factor of higher costs, said Asia-based independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie. Low-cost carriers offer bargain fares by driving operating costs as low as possible. Large fleets of one aircraft type drive efficiencies of scale. Jetstar Asia was much smaller than local rivals, with only 13 aircraft. As at Mar 31, Singapore Airlines' budget offshoot Scoot had 53 planes, AirAsia had 225 and VietJet had 117, including its Thai arm. Low-cost Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific had 99. All four are adding more planes to their fleets this year and further into the future. VietJet on Tuesday (Jun 17) signed a provisional deal to buy up to another 150 single-aisle Airbus planes at the Paris Airshow, in a move it said was just the beginning as the airline pursues ambitious growth. The deal comes weeks after it ordered 20 A330neo wide-body planes, alongside an outstanding order for 200 Boeing 737 MAX jets. AirAsia, which has an existing orderbook of at least 350 planes, is also in talks to buy 50 to 70 long-range single-aisle jetliners, and 100 regional jets that could allow it to expand to more destinations, its CEO Tony Fernandes said on Wednesday. 'At the end of the day, it is go big or go home,' said Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines. REUTERS
