AirAsia will disrupt global travel as the world's first low-cost narrow-body network carrier, with a groundbreaking agreement for 70 A321XLRs

Photo Caption: Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes and Christian Scherer, CEO Commercial Aircraft, Airbus, in Paris today, alongside several Malaysian Cabinet Ministers.

AirAsia Berhad, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capital A Berhad, has inked a landmark agreement with Airbus worth USD12.25 billion for 50 A321XLRs, with an option for 20 more.  With this arrangement, the airline takes a significant step toward becoming the world's first low-cost narrow-body network carrier, built on its multi-hub strategy.  The aircraft are slated for delivery from 2028 to 2032.

The agreement, witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister YAB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was signed today in Paris by Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A, and Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft.

“We pioneered low-cost travel in Asia – now, we are taking it to the next level. AirAsia is on a transformative journey to become the world’s first low-cost network carrier. This is about exponential growth, connecting geographies beyond Asean, and making flying even more democratic. We gave people in Asean the opportunity to explore Asia – now we want the world to see Asean, and Asean to see the world. The A321XLR and A321LR are the game-changers enabling this vision, and we are proud to lead the charge in making our world smaller. We can’t wait to paint the skies even wider in red.” ~Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and Advisor & Steward of AirAsia Group

The next-generation A321XLRs will join AirAsia's all-Airbus fleet of A320 Family and A330 aircraft, bolstering the airline's long-term strategy of providing unrivaled connectivity across Asia and beyond while maintaining a low-cost model through improved route economics, increased aircraft utilisation, and fleet efficiency.  AirAsia Group wants to carry 150 million passengers per year by 2030, for a total of 1.5 billion passengers since its founding.

“We are pleased to confirm this agreement, as AirAsia Group begins its next development chapter. Having resumed its growth trajectory, which we salute and support, the airline is creating solid fleet efficiencies, allowing global network expansion. The A321XLR unlocks new opportunities for AirAsia to launch non-stop flights linking primary and secondary cities all around the globe.” ~Christian Scherer, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus

This change relies heavily on the new fleet.  AirAsia's multi-aircraft approach allows the airline to match capacity with demand, cut fuel usage, and support a long-term, cost-effective growth model in a highly competitive global market.  The A321XLR also uses up to 20% less fuel per seat than the Airbus A321neo, greatly boosting emissions performance and operating efficiency.

About AirAsia Philippines

AirAsia is a leading low-cost carrier with licenses to operate in five Asean countries—Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia. Founded in 2001, AirAsia has stayed true to its purpose and tagline "Now Everyone Can Fly". The airline has made flying affordable and accessible to over 800 million guests, connecting people and communities across more than 130 destinations. Today, as one of the largest airlines in the region, AirAsia is expanding to become the world's first global low cost network carrier. It operates more than 200 aircraft and holds a significant orderbook for the next decade. AirAsia leads in sustainable aviation with green initiatives and a net zero target by 2050. In 2023, it avoided 130,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from its narrowbody regional network through 20+ efficiency measures, saving US$40 million in fuel and over US$388,000 in shadow carbon costs.