Thai AirAsia

MAS should reconsider LCC strategy as losses continue while AirAsia reports more leading profits

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia has reported another highly profitable quarter, including the highest operating margin among publicly traded Asian airlines (both LCCs and full service carriers) while restructuring flag carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) remains one of Asia’s most unprofitable carriers. The outlook for AirAsia Malaysia is bright, particularly if MAS fails to adjust its strategy following the unbundling earlier this month of the equity swap with AirAsia. The MAS outlook remains bleak as the group continues to push on with its new business plan, which focuses entirely on the challenging premium market just as nearly every other major airline group in Asia is investing significantly in the budget sector.

AirAsia Malaysia is the only publicly traded LCC in Southeast Asia to record an improvement in profitability for 1Q2012. The carrier reported a pre-tax net profit of MYR212 million (USD67 million), an improvement of 5%, while its after tax net profit improved by less than 1% to MYR172 million (USD54 million). Revenues at AirAsia Malaysia increased by 11% to MYR1.17 billion (USD371 million) as passenger traffic and seat capacity both increased by 12% to 4.8 million and 6.1 million, respectively.

Myanmar set to become Asia’s next big aviation growth market

Myanmar’s aviation market is poised to enter a major period of growth as the country begins to open up following landmark elections earlier this month that were won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. The election was seen as a turning point for Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, and the start of a more favourable business environment, including for aviation. Several Asian carriers and airport operators have identified near-term opportunities in Myanmar. The opportunities for all types of carriers – local and foreign, domestic and international, low-cost and full service – face no limitations in the medium term as the Myanmar market is now the most underserved market in ASEAN and perhaps all of Asia.

Myanmar’s two existing international airports, at Rangoon and Mandalay, are to be partially privatised while a recently opened new airport at the new capital of Naypyitaw will soon start to handle international flights. There are also plans for upgrading several domestic airports, many of which lack basic infrastructure.

Thai Smile settles on unique hybrid model with premium economy and mixed network

New Thai Airways unit Thai Smile is gearing up to launch services on 07-Jul-2012 following a unique hybrid model aimed at allowing it to compete against LCCs at the back while meeting the needs of premium passengers, including those connecting from Thai-operated flights, with a light premium economy type of product at the front. Thai Smile’s initial network will feature a mix of new destinations for the Thai Airways Group and existing destinations, where the new carrier will look to supplement existing Thai Airways-operated service.

Thai Smile’s first destination, Macau, will be international but managing director Woranate Laprabang tells CAPA that about 30% of the new carrier’s capacity will be allocated to domestic routes. Mr Laprabang now expects to be managing a 20-aircraft all-narrowbody operation by the end of 2015.

Bullish AirAsia reports 2011 profit and accelerates expansion

AirAsia has posted another year of profits across all three of its short-haul operations as the group continues to outperform nearly every low-cost and full-service carrier in Southeast Asia. AirAsia Group’s outlook for 2012 is again bright despite high fuel prices and challenging economic conditions. With IPOs planned for its Indonesian and Thai affiliates plus the launch of two new affiliates in the Philippines and Japan, 2012 promises to be another big year for AirAsia. Another milestone will also be reached this year as the group’s all-Airbus A320 fleet surpasses 100 aircraft.

AirAsia Malaysia, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia all ended 2011 in the black from both an operating and net perspective. The Malaysian carrier posted “core net income” of MYR881 million (USD291 million), an increase of 18% from 2010, as revenues increased 13% to MYR4.47 billion (USD1.48 billion). Thai AirAsia turned a core net profit of THB1.909 billion (USD623 million), an increase of 14%, as revenues surged 33% to THB15.87 billion (USD520 million). Indonesia AirAsia recorded a core net profit of IDR149.654 billion (USD17 million), which represented a 53% drop compared to 2010 as revenues soared by 34% to IDR3.705 trillion (USD411 million) (see Background information).

Thai AirAsia aims to accelerate expansion following late March IPO

Thai AirAsia aims to complete an initial public offering (IPO) by the end of next month that should raise capital to help fund the next phase of its expansion programme. The Bangkok-based low-cost carrier is an affiliate of the AirAsia Group and expects to expand its fleet of Airbus A320s to 40 aircraft within five years, at which point it may look at adding widebody aircraft.

Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld told CAPA at last week’s Low Cost Airlines World Asia Pacific conference in Singapore that the company is “about to file” with the Stock Exchange of Thailand its long-planned IPO. He says the filing, which would be submitted “very soon”, will lead to a 45-day quiet period which would culminate in the sale of shares. Mr Tassapon expects the IPO will be completed by the end of 1Q2012, which would require a filing in mid-February.

Thai Tiger officially and finally dropped, pressuring Tiger to look elsewhere for growth

Thai Tiger, the proposed joint-venture between Thai Airways and the Singapore-based Tiger Airways that has been languishing for months, is finally being recognised by Tiger as over. This acknowledgement continues the pressure on Tiger Airways to find bases for aircraft it planned to deploy with Thai Tiger as well as a number of other projects that have languished as well. The impact of these non-starts is evident at Tiger Airways Singapore, which last month announced a large loss for the quarter ending 30-Sep-2011 as it failed to absorb the large capacity Tiger put in after having nowhere else to deploy it to.