AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur International) is planning to lease an additional A330-300 as it reactivates its fleet in time for the Northern Winter high season, Chief Executive Benyamin Ismail said in the carrier's quarterly report.
"We are looking at adding one aircraft to the existing fleet of 17 aircraft, bringing the total number of aircraft in the fleet to 18. We will continue to work with our business partners to ensure that all aircraft can be returned to service timely to meet our network relaunch timeline. At this juncture, we remain on track to have at least 16 aircraft operational by the final quarter of the year and are assured that we will maximise the upside from the market once the year-end peak travel season kicks in," he said.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows the airline currently operates thirteen A330-300s and has a further four in storage. The COVID-stricken long-haul low-cost carrier downsized from a peak fleet of twenty-five A330-300s in 2021 but began growing again in December 2022, reinducting three of its previously retired A330-300s (two leased from ENT!AEGC and one from Asia Pacific Aviation Leasing Group), two ex-Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) units leased from Carlyle Aviation Partners, and two ex-Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) units leased from ECAF I (managed by BBAM).
AirAsia X has twenty A321-200NY(XLR)s and fifteen A330-900s on order from Airbus.
The carrier posted a MYR5.5 million ringgit (USD1.2 million) net profit in the April-June 2023 quarter, a stark reverse from a MYR652.5 million (USD140.5 million) net loss in the same period a year ago.
