AirAsia confirms Japanese relaunch
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AirAsia has confirmed that it will be re-entering Japan’s aviation market in 2015.
The Malaysian low-cost carrier group pulled out of Japan in September last year, following the breakdown of its partnership with ANA.
But the company has now sealed a new agreement with several Japanese companies, including Octave Japan Infrastructure Fund, Rakuten, Noevir Holdings and Alpen, to re-establish AirAsia Japan.
“We are very excited to return to Japan’s skies together with Octave, Rakuten, Noevir and Alpen this time round,” said Tony Fernandes, group CEO of AirAsia. “I am more confident than ever that AirAsia Japan, led by Odi (AirAsia Japan’s new CEO, Odagiri Yoshinori) with the strong partnership we have with our new investors, will continue to realise our vision to revolutionise the low-cost carrier segment of Japan.
“The AirAsia Japan team is now working hard with the relevant authorities to obtain necessary operational approvals, and we hope that all will be in place to start both domestic and international flights by the summer of 2015,” Fernandes added.
The new low-cost carrier will have an initial capital investment of approximately JPY7 billion (US$69 million) and is expected to operated using a fleet of 180-seat, all-economy Airbus A320 aircraft. These are likely to be sourced from AirAsia’s outstanding orders, following the groups’ major deals with Airbus for 300 A320s in 2011 and 2012.
AirAsia will hope that its new Japanese venture is more successful than the previous incarnation of AirAsia Japan, which launched in August 2012 but lasted just 13 months before closing. ANA later rebranded the Tokyo-based LCC as Vanilla Air, and this airline, along with Jetstar Japan, will provide direct competition for the new AirAsia Japan.
But AirAsia Japan’s new CEO, Odagiri Yoshinori said he is “ready to take on this challenge”.
“We hope to bring AirAsia’s successful low-cost business model once again to Japan. Our counterparts in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and India have seen great and encouraging responses in their markets, and we will work towards the same for Japan. We would like to thank the investors for their belief in us and we look forward to working closely with them moving forward,” said Yoshinori.
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