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AirAsia India Plans To Go International By Mid-2018

The airline hopes to build a 20-aircraft fleet by the second half of next year.

Group NV A320 aircraft operated by AirAsia Bhd. stands on the tarmac before its unveiling at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Langkawi, Malaysia. (Charles Pertwee/Bloomberg)
Group NV A320 aircraft operated by AirAsia Bhd. stands on the tarmac before its unveiling at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Langkawi, Malaysia. (Charles Pertwee/Bloomberg)

Low-cost carrier AirAsia India plans to start international operations from the second half of 2018, by which time the airline hopes to have a fleet of 20 aircraft.

“We are currently at eight aircraft. We will get to 14 aircraft by 2017. Our intention is to get 20 aircraft as soon as possible... post which we would be able to go international,” Amar Abrol, chief executive officer of AirAsia India said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the CAPA India Aviation Summit 2017 in Mumbai.

The domestic carrier, which is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Malaysian carrier AirAsia, is looking at flying to destinations within five hours from India, which includes regions like Middle East and South East Asia, Abrol added.

The carrier, which had ticket sales of Rs 100 crore for the first time in December last year, said it did not really feel the impact of demonetisation.

Passenger yields, however, came under pressure in January this year. To counter that, the airline is looking building its network and expanding into newer markets, and will focus on the ancillary businesses in particular.