Indonesia AirAsia to treble fleet by 2027 - Fernandes

Indonesia AirAsia will increase its fleet from 28 to 75 within the next three years, according to Tony Fernandes, the CEO of Capital A, which holds a 46.25% shareholding in the low-cost carrier. The budget carrier currently operates twenty-eight A320-200s (all of which are leased save for one), while Indonesia AirAsia X does not presently have any aircraft assigned to it. Fernandes spoke to media on the sidelines of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on September 4. He said he had been targeting increasing the fleet to 50 aircraft within three years but had recently revised that upwards. Fernandes also used the meeting to campaign for more international airports to open in Indonesia and added that the potential for more flights within the ASEAN region was considerable. He pointed out that only 32 of Indonesia's 340 airports handle international traffic and suggested it was in Indonesia's interest, as much as AirAsia's, to improve connectivity in and out of the country. “We at AirAsia are very optimistic about developing tourism and logistics in Indonesia. We plan to add Singapore Changi flights to many cities in Indonesia," he said. "If you imagine what Bali has, it can be done in around seven or eight places in Indonesia."<br/>