Firefly (FY, Penang) has deferred deliveries of up to two ATR72-600s due this year as part of its cost-cutting and operational consolidation programme.
Airline chief executive Ignatius Ong told the Malaysian Review magazine this week that talks with ATR - Avions de Transport Régional (EVX, Toulouse Blagnac) about the deferral have already taken place with the deliveries of "one or two" aircraft, due this year, to be affected. Of its order for twenty ATR72-600s, Firefly has added just one to its fleet this year in the form of 9M-FIH (cn 1285) which arrived in April.
According to the ch-aviation fleets database, Firefly's fleet currently stands at eight ATR72-600s and twelve ATR72-500s.
“We will not be taking new aircraft this year, as we are on a consolidation mode," he said adding that the regional operator is also reviewing its route network which currently covers fifteen cities across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand.
"This is the time to readjust the frequencies and drop unsustainable routes, such as the Kota Bharu-Langkawi flight.”
Firefly has been adversely affected by a decline in local demand which, Ong said, has been brought on by a weaker Ringgit as well as the consumer's more conservative approach to spending.
