AirAsia Zest: Six New Aircraft Coming in 2014

Low-cost carrier AirAsia Zest has plans to add six aircraft from its Malaysian parent over the next 12 months. The aircraft will be used to bolster international operations and overseas expansion.

Copyright Photo: Angelo Agcamaran/PPSG

According to AirAsia Zest Executive Vice President Joy Caneba, the first two Airbus A320 aircraft will be arriving this month with the remaining aircraft to follow in 2014. Caneba added that the new aircraft will be deployed on the airline's new international routes. 

"By December 19, we will be launching Cebu to Kota Kinabalu and Cebu to Incheon by end of 2013," said Caneba. She went on to say that AirAsia Zest is planning to launch flights to Haneda, Narita, and Nagoya in 2014. It is expected that the Civil Aeronautics Board will approve the application for flight entitlements to Japan in the near future. "We will market our Japan flights by early second quarter of next year," Caneba added. 

AirAsia Zest isn't just focusing on international route opportunities. The airline also has aggressive plans to expand and increase its market share on the domestic front in key tourism markets such as Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao. 

The addition of new aircraft marks a significant milestone in the history of AirAsia in the Philippines being the first time that new aircraft have been added to the fleet since the airline launched operations out of Clark International Airport in March of 2012. It is not only a vote of confidence by parent AirAsia Berhad in the prospects of the Philippine carrier but it also represents the Malaysia based airline's commitment to solidify its presence in the Philippine market. 

It is expected that two of the new aircraft scheduled for arrival will be operated by AirAsia Zest, while the remaining aircraft will be operated by AirAsia Philippines on international routes. The two airlines currently operate a combined fleet of 13 aircraft. In a statement released in Malaysia, the airline disclosed that with the net increase of two additional aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2013, AirAsia Zest would increase international frequencies from Manila and Kalibo to Kuala Lumpur, Incheon, Kota Kinabalu, Busan, and Shanghai. The aircraft will also be used on new flights that were recently launched from Manila to Macau and Miri, from Kalibo to Shangai, and from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur.