Friday, June 17, 2011

airasia land at haneda international terminal

Malaysia-based AirAsia become the first budget airline to land to Tokyo Haneda Airport international terminal.

AirAsia X offer three flights per week initially between Kuala Lumpur and Haneda Airport in the capital's Ota Ward, at fares possibly less than half those of regular airlines,

Serving the route is an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, with a 2-class configuration comprising of Premier Class and Economy Class. The 3-weekly flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays under the midnight slots, departing Haneda at 23:45pm just before midnight, and scheduled to arrive Kuala Lumpur at around 6:30am in the morning. The return flight will depart Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon at 14:40pm and will arrive Haneda at 22:30pm.

AirAsia currently offers flights to about 20 countries. AirAsia X went into operation in 2007 to serve point-to-point, long-haul business destinations.

In 2009, the company posted the equivalent of 84.5 billion yen ($1 billion) in sales and carried 14.25 million passengers. The Tokyo-based financial services group Orix Corp. has a stake of more than 10 percent in AirAsia X.

The entry of AirAsia X could intensify price competition among Japanese and foreign airlines serving Haneda Airport.

During the current season, Japan Airlines Corp. and All Nippon Airways Co. charge about 60,000 yen to 70,000 yen for a round trip on the low end of regular fares between Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. AirAsia could offer a price less than half of that.

AirAsia, which had considered a route to Ibaraki Airport before its opening in March, apparently has its eye on serving other Japanese airports as well.

Currently, six foreign low-cost carriers fly into Japanese airports.

Haneda Airport is in the process of transforming itself into an international hub.Airlines in Malaysia were granted slots for seven flights a week to the airport. National carrier Malaysia Airlines has already taken up three of them.

Malaysia Airlines begin flights between Kota Kinabalu, a resort on Borneo Island, and Haneda three times a week.

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