AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur International) plans to introduce regional jets into its fleet, with an order likely to be announced at the upcoming Paris Air Show, news agencies report. The low-cost carrier is in talks with Embraer about its E2 jets and with Airbus about its A220s types, and Reuters reports Airbus may have the edge, saying discussions for a 100-aircraft order are in an advanced stage.
ch-aviation first reported on AirAsia's interest in regional jets and its talks with manufacturers in late 2024. At the time, there was no particular lean towards any specific OEM.
To date, AirAsia is an all-Airbus airline, with sixty-nine A320-200s, twenty-nine A320-200Ns, three A321-200(P2F)s, and eight A321-200NX. It also has another 331 A321-200NX and thirty-six A321-200NX(LR)s on order. Scores more Airbus narrowbodies are operated by affiliate AirAsia airlines around the Southeast Asian region.
However, regional rival Scoot (TR, Singapore Changi) is enjoying some success operating its recently arrived E190-E2 to smaller cities in the same market serviced by AirAsia. This week, Reuters noted that Embraer was keen to place a batch of its aircraft previously slated to go to now-dormant Malaysian operator SKS Airways (SJB, Johor Bahru).
AirAsia's parent entity, Capital A, remains a Practice No 17 (PN17) company, a Bursa Malaysia status conferred on listed companies that it considers financially distressed. PN17 status obliges a company to financially restructure and reorganise its affairs. As Capital A works to exit PN17 status, any aircraft order will depend on financing terms.
