AirAsia signed two major agreements with Airbus, covering the order of an additional 12 A330neo and 30 A321XLR aircraft, as well as a memorandum of agreement to support the development of the Malaysian aerospace industry.
As part of the deal, Airbus will expand its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) presence in Malaysia and establish the Airbus Malaysia Digital Initiative to enhance the competitiveness of the local aerospace sector through the application of new digital technologies, in line with the government’s vision to make Malaysia a regional aerospace hub.
Airbus will also boost its commitment to the Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre (AMIC) of which it is a founding member by appointing an Innovation Technical Director and increasing its funding for joint research programmes, including into the production of sustainable aviation bio-fuels in Malaysia.
The agreements were signed by Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Chairman of AirAsia X Berhad for the aircraft purchase and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, Executive Chairman of AirAsia Group Berhad for the industrial projects.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Also present was AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.
Commenting on AMIC, Datuk Kamarudin said: “As a company that prides itself on sustainability, AirAsia continues to lead the way in driving sustainable operations and tourism. Not only do we invest heavily in new, more fuel-efficient aircraft, we have also begun looking into alternative jet fuel solutions.”
