KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — Malaysian budget airline AirAsia Bhd is sticking with Airbus and has no plans currently to purchase Boeing aircraft, Group CEO Tony Fernandes said at a press briefing late yesterday.
“Boeing is keen to have us as a customer...but right now we are still very much an Airbus customer,” he told reporters.
To a question if he had plans to buy Boeing planes, Fernandes said “not at the moment.”
Last month, Reuters reported that sources said AirAsia — Airbus' largest Asian customer — was set to confirm an order of wide-body jets from the European planemaker after Boeing tried to win the airline over and extend a lead in the lucrative long-haul market.
Yesterday, the airline also announced the sale of its aircraft leasing operations to firms managed by BBAM Ltd, one of the world's largest aircraft portfolio managers, in a staggered deal that will see the budget carrier transfer ownership of up to 182 Airbus jets.
The deal, valued at US$1.2 billion (RM4.7 billion) in the first phase, will help the airline pare down debt and return money to shareholders, as well as give it firepower to grow its business. — Reuters
