AirAsia gains a vital catalyst to return to full fleet with CFM’s continuous support

Plans to restore 180 by end of Q3 200 planes reactivated by year-end

KUALA LUMPUR, September 13, 2023 -- Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia Aviation said, “We are very pleased with the latest development on our engine supplier and service provider. This will accelerate our plan to bring capacity back, in fact more than 2019, as we will be more efficient. This will allow for higher utilisation of planes with less downtime and more consistent flight schedules with better on-time-performance, and enable more efficient use of spares with our engineering arm, ADE. This bodes well to our commitment to safety, reliability, and operational excellence.”

[Pre-Covid— AirAsia planes seen parked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Terminal 2 in 2020]

AirAsia, the world's leading low-cost airline, has announced that its plan to fully reactivate its 204 aircraft, supported by a refreshed agreement with its long-term partner and engine provider, CFM International. CFM’s focus on improving fleet stability on site and 24/7 virtual monitoring of AirAsia’s LEAP-1A engine operation provides a crucial catalyst for AirAsia to reinstate its full fleet across the Group.

CEO of Capital A Tony Fernandes said, “After over two years of Covid, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We have made enormous strides in bringing back our planes and restarting our operations, balancing a mismatch of cost of 204 planes and revenue of flying 143 planes on average this year. Today, we have brought back 175 planes. CFM’s fleet stability support brings a vital catalyst for us to return to full activation. I am proud of Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), our own engineering facility, and want to thank each and every one of our engineers for not only doing the day-to-day work but also focusing on the Group’s aircraft reactivation work. We look forward to fourth quarter results when we’re going to see the real performance of AirAsia with the full fleet.”

With CFM’s strong focus on fleet stability and services support is a catalyst to enabling AirAsia to operate their LEAP engine fleet longer, and helping the airline reduce maintenance costs and operational expenses. 

Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International said: “AirAsia has been a valuable CFM customer for nearly two decades and we are delighted to support them and their plans to fully reactivate their fleet. We take AirAsia’s trust as a great responsibility to keep supporting their fleet with the high-level CFM standards.” 

AirAsia looks forward to capitalising on this achievement, as the airline reinstates its 204 fleet and expands to above 300 aircraft in the next five years, as it continues to connect people across Asean and beyond with affordable and best-value travel options.

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