AirAsia boss seeks more budget terminals

More Asean countries need to provide low-cost carrier terminals and reduce other costs to enable budget airlines to thrive.

AirAsia Group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandez said regional air travel showed great growth potential.

He said only Malaysia and Indonesia now offered low-cost carrier terminals in a region which has a population of 600 million.

Warm reception: Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan (right) arriving in Sepang with other guests on Saturday. The group arrived from Jakarta onboard the special AirAsia flight. — AZMAN GHANI / The Star

“Airlines in the United States can have up to 500 planes plying various routes and they have only 300 million people, so the ASEAN region not only offers a huge opportunity for AirAsia to expand but I believe there is enough room for other low cost carriers to come in and compete too,” he told a press conference upon arriving in Jakarta on board a flight chartered for the ASEAN 42nd Birthday celebrations.

The celebration is being held in three cities and the chartered flight will take AirAsia and ASEAN officials from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur and then on to Bangkok.

Source : STAR

[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]