Malaysia’s klia2 welcomes AirAsia’s first flight to land at a week old airport

By Anthony Tan | Virgin Communications

email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk




Flight AK 539 was given the traditional water cannon
shower on arrival



Flight AK 539 from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Kuala Lumpur was the first AirAsia’s to land at a week old klia2 marking its official acceptance to move from LCCT Sepang to klia2.


Flight AK 539 arrived at 3.40pm and was received by AirAsia Berhad Executive Chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia Berhad CEO Aireen Omar, MAHB Managing Director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid and MAHB Senior General Manager Operation Services Dato’ Azmi Murad, who were at the terminal to welcomed the passengers.



From left to right: MAHB Senior General Manager Operation Services Dato’ Azmi Murad, AirAsia Berhad Executive Chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, MAHB Managing Director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid and AirAsia Berhad CEO Aireen Omar 

 

 

The first domestic AirAsia flight to touch down at klia2 was AK6311, from Langkawi, at 4.30pm.

 

With effect from 9 May 2014, 3,550 AirAsia operations staff and 70 aircraft (AirAsia Berhad with 54 Airbus A320 and AirAsia X Berhad with 16 Airbus A330) will be based in klia2.

 

A total of 27 flights are scheduled to arrive at klia2 today and another 15 flights in the early hours of 9 May, with the total of 42 flights (21 international and 21 domestic).

 

The airline's first flight to take off from klia2 was flight D70236 to Perth, Australia, after midnight.

 

AirAsia group has been operating out of the LCCT for the past eight years, since 2006. The last AirAsia flights out LCCT were Kolkata-bound AK-63 which left at 10.30pm, and AK 6446 which left for Kota Baru at 9.50pm. The last AirAsia X departure was D7 170, which left for Jeddah at 2.35am.

 

 

Australia posts strong growth of business and conference arrivals from HK, Germany and the US

By Laura Lee

Australia’s business and conference arrivals continue to show strong growth trends with 809,500 business arrivals registered for the year ended 30 September 2010, up 11% from the previous corresponding year.

Of this, 170,600 were convention or conference arrivals, which represented an 18% increase year-on-year (y-o-y). For the three months ended 30 September 2010, there were 52,600 convention or conference arrivals, up 16% y-o-y. For September alone, 17,200 convention or conference arrivals were registered, which represented an increase of 18% y-o-y.

Strong growth from its convention or conference arrivals was registered from Hong Kong, up 60% to 3,639; Germany (up 50% to 2,988); the United States (up 40% to 22,056) and the Philippines (up 33% to 3,389) although they are not in the top 10 placings.

South Korea and Singapore, which both posted 32% growth each to register 6,881 and 6,585 convention or conference arrivals, came within the top five and sixth placing respectively.

Malaysia, whose contribution in terms of convention or conference arrivals amounted to 3,260 for the year ended 30 September 2010, up 6% from a year ago. Malaysia was ranked number 14.

In terms of total business arrivals, Malaysia registered 19,723 for the first nine months of 2010, up 12% from the previous corresponding period. Here, Malaysia made it to the 10th placing.

Total arrivals to Australia from January to September rose 6% to 5.8 million. Malaysia, which contributed 228,252 arrivals during this period, was ranked 8th.

The top spot went to New Zealand (NZ) to with 1,142,748 arrivals. NZ also won the top ranking in terms of total business arrivals with 201,040 as well as convention or convention arrivals (42,436).