AirAsia Cambodia (KT, Phnom Penh) remains on track to start flying in the fourth quarter of 2023 and is spurring majority shareholder, Capital A, to look towards other new markets in Southeast Asia "that deserve an airline," according to Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes.
Speaking in Sepang, Malaysia, on June 15, as Capital A held its annual general meeting, Fernades said, "we are expanding across ASEAN based on a wide network and a strong brand, with the launch of AirAsia Cambodia expected to start operating in 4Q, we are looking for opportunities in the remaining ASEAN countries that deserve an airline."
Capital A owns a 51% stake in AirAsia Cambodia, with hospitality group Sivilai Asia taking the remaining share. The low-cost carrier plans to launch with two A321-200Ns, later expanding to as many as 15. It plans on flying routes within a four-hour radius of the country and will focus on flying to existing AirAsia Group hubs from Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and Phnom Penh.
Meanwhile, Fernandes said his stable of airline interests, which include AirAsia, AirAsia Philippines, Indonesia AirAsia, and Thai AirAsia now have 157 aircraft in the air servicing 229 routes, with ambitions to fly 290 routes by the end of 2023. He also said he would remain at Capital A for the time being. "I remain committed to staying in the Capital A Group for the foreseeable future," Fernandes said. "I do want to emphasise that we have a robust succession plan in place that involves many of the seasoned leaders in our management team."
