AirAsia has expressed its interest in purchasing re-engined version of the Airbus A320 and urged Airbus to go ahead with the project.
AirAsia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said: “We need Airbus to hurry up and make a decision – I hope by the end of the year. Both Airbus and Boeing have taken a long time deciding about the next generation.”
Fernandez said he wanted to expand services to Europe but added that the move depended on development of the Airbus A350. He said Europe was of fundamental importance to AirAsia. The company’s long-haul subsidiary Air Asia X is to begin operating a Paris-Kuala Lumpur flight on February 14, using A340s but Fernandes said the A340 “for us is not the best aircraft for Europe. It really depends on the A350, which is a real option to develop Europe,” AirAsia will not receive A350s before 2015 so the airline is in discussions to lease or purchase A330-200s the stand in aircraft of choice.