A330-300_Turkish_Airlines

International Lease Finance (ILFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American International, has delivered the first of six A330-343 aircraft to AirAsia X, a low-cost long-haul affiliate carrier of AirAsia.

ILFC will deliver three additional A330-343s to the carrier by the end of this year, while the remaining two airliners will be delivered in 2014.

The aeroplanes, which will be operated on the carrier’s expanding network in Asia Pacific, will fly to destinations in Australia, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and surrounding regions.

Powered by the Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines, the A330-343 has a maximum takeoff weight of 233t.

The leased aircraft are modified to meet AirAsia X’s existing Airbus A330-300 configuration, which features cabins to accommodate 12 passengers in premium flat-beds and 365 in economy seats.

AirAsia signed a letter of intent (LOI) with International Lease Finance in August 2012, for the ten-year leasing of six Airbus A330-300 jetliners.

At the time of signing the deal, ILFC chief executive officer Henri Courpron said: "This new partnership will support the long-haul business of AirAsia X and reinforce the airline’s position in low-cost segment of the market."

"The leased aircraft are modified to meet AirAsia X’s existing Airbus A330-300 configuration."

AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani then added 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, with the aim of being the market leader in the low-cost long-haul segment.

Currently, AirAsia X operates flights to 14 destinations across Jeddah, China, Australia, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Nepal; it operates a fleet of ten Airbus A330-300s.

AirAsia is a leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia and services the most extensive network with 85 destinations.

ILFC is involved in the leasing and re-marketing of commercial aircraft and has approximately 1,000 owned and managed jets with commitments to purchase 244 airliners, as well as the options for buying an additional 50 A320neo aircraft.

The company leases aircraft to approximately 200 airlines in more than 80 countries worldwide.


Image: An Airbus A330-300 passenger aircraft in Turkish Airlines livery. Photo courtesy of Airbus SAS.

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