Indonesia AirAsia ‘in final stages’ of Garuda cooperation, eyes fleet expansion

Indonesia AirAsia says it is finalising the cooperation agreement with compatriot Garuda Indonesia, as it targets a significant fleet expansion in the near term. In a brief update, the low-cost operator says it is “in the final stages” of the partnership, which will see the interlining of several AirAsia flights with that of Garuda’s Citilink low-cost unit. The cooperation will see AirAsia tap into Citilink’s extensive domestic network, with the latter interlining on AirAsia’s Southeast Asia network. AirAsia parent Capital A signed a wide-ranging partnership with Garuda in September 2023, with an early-2024 target for the interlining agreement to commence. Indonesia AirAsia did not provide reasons for a change in timeline. Separately, the carrier confirms it is seeking out “various funding sources” and is looking to grow its fleet from 25 aircraft currently to 100 jets in 2031. The disclosure was made during a media roundtable led by Capital A chief Tony Fernandes. <br/>