AirAsia X has signed a letter of intent with American International Group subsidiary International Lease Finance (ILFC) to lease six Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
Leased under a deal worth nearly $500m for ten years, the aircraft are scheduled to be delivered over the next two years.
Reconfigured to comply with the airline’s existing Airbus A330-300 configuration, the leased aircraft will be operated on Asia Pacific routes.
AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani said that these six aircraft, together with existing delivery orders from Airbus, would see AirAsia X’s growth develop with a total of seven deliveries each in 2013 and 2014.
"We intend to deploy the additional capacity with a vision to solidify our positions in our identified core markets including Australia, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan," Osman-Rani said.
Offering a range of up to 5,450nm, the A330-300’s incorporated technologies include digital fly-by-wire flight controls, a high-efficiency wing, and its airframe comprises more than 10t of lightweight composite structures.
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By GlobalDataWith the 240t increased maximum takeoff weight variant, the A330 is claimed to offer enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced noise and emissions levels.
Until now, Airbus has received 1,100 orders for A330 variants, while some 750 of the aircraft have been delivered and are operational with 90 operators in 50 countries around the world.
Image: The leased aircraft will assist AirAsia X in expanding its operations in Asia Pacific region. Photo: courtesy of Airbus.
