MALAYSIA AIRPORTS HOLDING BULLIES AIRLINES?

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia - Barely two weeks after moving into the brand-new KLIA2, AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes(photo) is resuming his online tirade against airport operator, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, accusing it of "bullying" airlines. 

"As I have kept saying, Malaysia Airports has to realise that airlines create its growth. It needs to work with airlines, not bully them," he tweeted yesterday. 

Fernandes said AirAsia could neither use its own check-in machines, nor put up its own branding collaterals. 

"Is this partnership to an airline that has given you all the growth?" he tweeted, in likely reference to problems faced after moving into KLIA2. 

AirAsia finally moved into KLIA2 on May 9 after being reluctant to do so earlier, citing safety and security issues.

It agreed to move after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) said the airport was in compliance with requirements and safety standards. 

In a Twitter conversation with former Umno supreme council member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Fernandes also asked who were on the board of MAHB and whether they were given the full picture. 

He also tweeted that MAHB had tremendous access to the executive leadership that only heard one side and painted the budget airline as "evil". 

Meanwhile, an anonymous source told The Star through e-mail that depressions were found at aircraft parking bays and taxiways. 

According to the e-mail, cracks and depressions were also found on the tarmac, and that pools of water were found over a vast area of the airport's apron. 

The source said surface bumps caused by the depressions forced flight crews to take extra precaution while taxiing as these could cause severe jolts to aircraft. 

In a statement, MAHB said there "is no safety risk" on the apron taxiway. 

"We have stated in the past that the settlement at localised spots comprising less than 1 per cent of the apron is anticipated due to differential settlement. 

"We are well prepared with a clear and workable solution to address this issue. 

"We also wish to reiterate that there is no impact to flight operations of any airlines as KLIA2 has ample aircraft parking bays to accommodate aircraft movement." 

MAHB added that it was disappointed that these issues were still surfacing despite "numerous clarifications", claiming that they were not raised through "proper channels".

Source: AsiaOne

PETALING JAYA - AirAsia Bhd posted a higher net profit of RM139.72mil (S$ 54 mil) in its first quarter ended March 31, up 33 per cent compared with a year ago mainly due to foreign exchange gains on borrowings.
Its quarterly revenue of RM1.3bil was unchanged from the revenue reported in the same quarter last year. The strong revenue was backed by the high number of passengers carried, which grew 4 per cent year-on-year to 5.37 million.
During the quarter under review, AirAsia recorded an 11 per cent decline in operating profit year-on-year to RM223.85mil mainly due to lower fares.
Although the company's average fare was down 9 per cent year-on-year to RM164, it increased by 4 per cent from the previous quarter's RM158 fare.
The fall in the average fare was offset by the high increase in ancillary income that was up 7 per cent compared with a year ago. AirAsia has a target to achieve an RM50 ancillary income per passenger in the short term from the current RM46.
The earnings before interest and taxes margin remained at a strong level of 17 per cent.
The airline said it was also able to maintain its cost leadership, which is crucial in a volatile environment and as the company grows bigger.
Chief executive officer (CEO) Aireen Omar highlighted that AirAsia continued to be focused on running a lean operation, adding in capacity where needed and cutting routes and frequencies where applicable to ensure better profitability.
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