After pausing deliveries earlier in the pandemic, AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur International) will start accepting new A321-200NXs again from 2024. Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A (formerly AirAsia Group and owners of the AirAsia brand), confirmed the resumption while presenting the company's second quarter financial results in Kuala Lumpur this week.
Capital A posted an operating loss of MYR491.3 million ringgits (USD109.8 million) for 2Q22 but is enjoying exponential revenue increases with most travel restrictions eased in the company's core Southeast Asian markets. AirAsia operated 65 planes during the second quarter. By August, that had increased to 108 planes. By the end of the year, the Capital A anticipates having 160 aircraft flying. In addition to the Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia, there are several affiliate AirAsia airlines including Thai AirAsia, Philippines AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, and AirAsia India.
"We will also be taking delivery of the new Airbus A321neos from 2024, which will further reduce our emissions per seat by 20% while further driving our business growth," said Fernandes. However, the CEO did not specify how many new aircraft he expects in 2024 nor did he provide a year-by-year delivery breakdown across later years.
The ch-aviation PRO airlines module reveals AirAsia has 362 A321-200NX on order, with deliveries expected through to 2035. To date, the airline has received just four of the type with two in service with the Malaysian AOC and two with Thai AirAsia. AirAsia India also has eight A321neo on order. In April 2020, AirAsia halted all deliveries pending a review of its order book which subsequently lead to 13 undelivered A320-200Ns being converted into A321neo.
