According to Airliner World magazine, Malaysian low cost operator, Air Asia is on the verge of making a decision for 80 short-haul aircraft as it continues to expand its successful operations. According to the airline's Chief Executive Tony Fernandes, both Airbus and Boeing have an equal chance of winning the tender. Currently the LCC operates a mixed fleet of 737Classics. Deliveries are expected for late 2005/early 2006.

I think this will be a fiercely fought battle between A and B (A319? and B73G?).

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Photo © M Radzi Desa

Wow, 80 A319's would be perfect!
But I asume some of them are options.. I don't see them ordering 80 firm for the moment. Anyway, if they order the A319, Malaysian customers will be very happy. Perfect, beautifull plane!

Perhaps they'll surprise all of us and order Embraer EMB190/195s.

Especially the EMB190 will become known not only as a regional jet but also as a smaller mainline jet after jetBlue starts flying them next year. Spacious, medium range, great economics, 100 seats = only 2 FAs, less empty seats on T/O, more frequencies.

The future is A vs B vs E, you'll see...

I can see this order going either way (A or B, not E - yet  ), and although we might get a few hints, my best is that we will not know for sure until the order is announced.

 
-Will

Howdy,

I don't see AK buying anything else besides Boeing aircrafts. With Valuair, Tiger Airways and Silkair of Singapore using the A320, I just don't see Tony choosing the A320. Maybe except for cutting cost on flight pilot training, I guess they would just expand their current B737 classics with B737NGs. I hope for B737-700s and B737-800s with winglets! As for the Embraers, I don't think they might since no neighbor airlines are using it yet.

Cheers!



Kind regards,
Ben Alexandre

The future is A vs B vs E, you'll see...

I hope so, at least in narrowbodies. For sure it will add more variety to those endless Airbus vs. Boeing wars here on a.net. Hopefully, I'll try Air Asia (along with Nok Air) in two weeks myself. Can't wait for it!

Horus,
any idea about the exact date for the decision to be made?

L410Turbolet, the article didn't mention an exact date but here is a part of the article:

"Adaptability in delivery schedules is understood to be key to the order, with first aircraft expected late 2005/early 2006."

So judging by this urgency, I don't think it'll be too long.

Horus

This is old news, they have been asking Boeing and Airbus for prices for a month or two.

The EMB have NO WHERE near the CASM of the 73G and 319...

Wow, 80 A319's would be perfect!
But I asume some of them are options.. I don't see them ordering 80 firm for the moment. Anyway, if they order the A319, Malaysian customers will be very happy. Perfect, beautifull plane!

I don't know if it's a perfect fit for them or not, but it's Airbus ugliest creation to date before the A380 beats it in that dept. Both of those Airbii are so ugly it's almost obscene. I woudnt care for aviation at all if that's all the aircraft that flew.

just thought I add to the value of the thread lol  

seriously, I hope they go with Boeing and help the local economy!

I don't know if it's a perfect fit for them or not, but it's Airbus ugliest creation to date before the A380 beats it in that dept. Both of those Airbii are so ugly it's almost obscene. I woudnt care for aviation at all if that's all the aircraft that flew.
Ugly? Nah. They are the cutest planes for my model airport, and I am not talking about the 1/500 versions.  

-Will

I think they should go for the 737NG especially with winglets looks far sexier than the 319.
However, politics is hard to say in Malaysia these days. After all they prefer the Mig29 over the F-18s.

For the majority of Malaysian whose flying experience is only the B737-400/300 (Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia), an A320/319 would be wierd and unnacustomed to. The A320 family have no place in Malaysia, it will be the friendly and longtime friendship of the B737 that remains and will be in the hearts and minds of Malaysian.

For the majority of Malaysian whose flying experience is only the B737-400/300 (Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia), an A320/319 would be wierd and unnacustomed to. The A320 family have no place in Malaysia, it will be the friendly and longtime friendship of the B737 that remains and will be in the hearts and minds of Malaysian.

Uh, actually i dont think many Malaysians care if its a 737 or 320/319. I dont see why a 320/319 would not fit in here. It suits the need just as well as the 737 does. It gets pax from point A to point B.

I agree with MAS A330. IMHO I don't think many AirAsia customers would care about which type of aircraft the airline would use to transport them, as long as it is safe and well maintained and able to do the job.

For budget airline users, the type of aircraft is secondary, the main attraction for them is the low ticket prices.

After all they prefer the MiG29 over the F-18s.
Wow! Really? and your source?
Actually SU-30 over F-18.

FYI, Malaysian have both MiG29 and F-16. Thanks.

FYI, Malaysian have both MiG29 and F-16. Thanks.

FYI, we dont have F-16.

FYI, we dont have F-16.
Sorry. I mean F/A-18D Hornets based at Butterworth Air Base, Penang.

maybe an order for the B717? i think it would fit quite snuggly into their network while keeping cabin crew numbers down since this aircraft has only 2 exit doors...

I don't see AK buying anything else besides Boeing aircrafts. With Valuair, Tiger Airways and Silkair of Singapore using the A320, I just don't see Tony choosing the A320. Maybe except for cutting cost on flight pilot training, I guess they would just expand their current B737 classics with B737NGs

If you are trying to keep pilot training cost down, then the 737NG would be the way to go. The 737NG can easily be configured to display the 737-Classic cockpit display and crews can maintain cross-certification between the NG and Classic variants.

I hope they choose the Boeing 717.

PIA777

I agree with PIA777 and Asianguy767. I think the 717 would be a perfect fit into that area. Customer satisfaction on the 717 is also very high, or so I have heard. I think it would be great to maybe see a 717/73G joint order!  

-Tim  

Even though Air Asia is a Boeing operator now, don't be surprised if they switch to Airbus. The points made above notwithstanding, there hasn't been a single order lately where the size is completely out of proportion to the resources of the airline which has not gone to Airbus.

I agree with PIA777 and Asianguy767. I think the 717 would be a perfect fit into that area. Customer satisfaction on the 717 is also very high, or so I have heard. I think it would be great to maybe see a 717/73G joint order!

Some airlines are thrilled to death, but I can think of several JetStar birds that have been traded and repainted more than a dozen times in 5 years.

The points made above notwithstanding, there hasn't been a single order lately where the size is completely out of proportion to the resources of the airline which has not gone to Airbus.

I wouldn't go that far. Boeing has scored many coups this year, very few of us thought Air NZ would order the 777s and 7E7s and the First Choice/Blue Panorama has exceeded the resources of the airlines, in some people's opinion.

One type is plenty cheaper than operating a mixed fleet, Southwest has proven this over the years, so going with the 737NG would make perfect sense. Even though the 717 is cheaper to operate than any 100 seater aircraft, I would still go with the 737NG

In terms of operating a mixed fleet, just look at the problems that Easyjet is having.