AirAsia X in Talks to Raise Funds for Aircraft Buys
AirAsia X , the budget airline backed by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group Ltd, is in talks with export credit agencies to raise funds for three Airbus SAS planes valued at US$602.4m (US$1 = RM3.61) at list prices. The carrier will take delivery of the A330-300s in the fourth quarter of this year and take another three next year, chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani said in an interview yesterday. The discount carrier is adding more routes and offering lower fares to win customers as the global recession and rising unemployment prompt travellers to seek cheaper flights. The airline, which flies to Australia and China from its base in Kuala Lumpur, has ordered 25 aircraft to expand. (BT)