AirAsia plans to expand fleet as China leads travel demand surge

AirAsia plans to expand its fleet as it taps demand in a region projected to surpass the US as the world’s biggest air-travel market in 2 decades, led by China. The airline is looking to add 5 aircraft this year and as many as 10 more in 2017 “depending on demand,” chairman Kamarudin Meranun said Wednesday. The company is also planning to increase the number of destinations in China from 18 and frequency of its flights in the world’s second-biggest economy, he said. “We see the strongest growth in China,” he said. AirAsia currently has about 170 aircraft in its fleet. AirAsia is among airlines in the region adding more aircraft as economic growth and rising incomes make air travel affordable to more people. <br/>