In the news: A new year means new beginnings – for AirAsia X, it’s a gift of 25 new Airbus for flying to more destinations, for Tune Hotels two additional properties in the Philippines and Indonesia, for Malaysia a beautiful video to promote Visit Malaysia Year 2014.
AirAsia X spends US$6 billion on 25 Airbus A330-300s
AirAsia X, the long haul, low fare airline affiliate of the AirAsia group, has ordered 25 Airbus A330-300 aircraft valued at US$6 billion (RM19.5 billion) – the world’s largest single order in a single purchase – to cater for its expansion plans in the Asia Pacific .
This deal, inked in Tolouse, France on December 18 last year, increases AirAsia X’s order to 51 from Airbus, supplemented by an order of 6 A330-300s leased from the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), bringing AirAsia X’s total confirmed fleet deliveries to 57 by 2019.
The airline will start taking delivery of its newly-ordered A330-300s in 2015, as it begins a major expansion of its network across the Asia-Pacific region. It currently operates 15 A330-300s on services linking its Kuala Lumpur base to 18 destinations in Asia, Australia and Saudi Arabia
Tan Sri’ Tony Fernandes, co-founder and director of AirAsia X, said, “This order stamps our firm intent to dominate the long-haul, low cost carrier space and marks the next phase in our development to be the undisputed global market leader. Our commitment would allow us to remain as the youngest wide body fleet age in the region at under five years throughout 2019, with corresponding competitive fuel efficiency, reliability and cabin comfort benefits.
The order would also cater to the airline’s expansion plans in Malaysia, and the proposed new Thai AirAsia X hub as well as other long-haul ventures planned across Asia, he added.
“The developments will complement the AirAsia group’s long-term vision of developing its presence in key markets in Asia and strengthen the connectivity between long-haul and short-haul low-cost network.”
As the new order includes the latest extended range versions of the A330-300 aircraft, providing the carrier with the ability to offer non-stop service to destinations in Europe or one-stop service to the US, AirAsia X did not discount the possibility of restarting flights to Europe in the future.
The carrier axed routes to London and Paris – the two European destinations it flew to – on March 30 and March 31, 2012 respectively as part of its cost-cutting measures. The London route was launched in 2009, and Paris in 2011.
Tune Hotels rings in 2014 with two new hotels in Philippines, Indonesia
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International budget hotel group, Tune Hotels, celebrates the arrival of the new year with the opening of two new properties – Tune Hotel Davao in the Philippines (pictured left) and Tune Hotel Bekasi in Indonesia.
The 155-room Tune Hotel Davao is located at J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City, and the 157-room Tune Hotel Bekasi is at Blu Plaza, Jl. Chairil Anwar 27-36 in Bekasi Timur.
Mark Lankester, Tune Hotels’ group CEO, said, “What a celebration! We have two hotels opening just days apart in two of the most vibrant economies in Asean and this surely is a big cause to celebrate for Tune Hotels. Both Indonesia and Philippines are great markets for us and our rapid expansion in both countries signifies their importance.”
Tune Hotels now has seven hotels in operation in the Philippines and six in Indonesia.
Lankester said 2013 had been a great year for the hotel group with in the two countries, with the launch of three new hotels each in the Philippines and Indonesia this year alone.
“By early 2014 three more are coming up in Indonesia and another in the Philippines, and these underscore our plans for the two countries,” he added.
Tourism Malaysia celebrates VMY2014 with a Truly Asia video
January 1 saw Malaysia turning on its charms to welcome visitors from all over the world as it kicks off the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY2014). It also saw Tourism Malaysia launching the special video (below) as part of its efforts to leverage on social media to complement existing marketing programmes for the year.
The NTO’s integrated digital marketing programme includes video content on YouTube and TrulyAsia TV, and the ShareMy initiative to encourage tourists to explore Malaysia virtually in the online social realm. Other promotional mediums include Facebook, Twitter, Tourism Malaysia website, and the Malaysia Trip Planner mobile travel app.
The Malaysian government has allocated a budget of RM1.2 billion (US$374.2 million) over a two-year period for the implementation of VMY 2014 programmes, as well as advertising and promotional expenditure. It targets 28 million tourist arrivals and RM76 million in tourism receipts for the year.
VMY2014 has as its theme, “Celebrating 1Malaysia, Truly Asia” and the Proboscis Monkey (pictured above left) as its mascot.
The grand launch of VMY2014 was on January 4 at Kuala Lumpur’s Daratan Merdeka (Independence Square), and was officiated by Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, and Minister of Tourism and Culture, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri.
• Video below, courtesy of Tourism Malaysia and YouTube, features the voice of Malaysia’s singing sensation/songwirter Yuna and is the first video for VMY2014.
