Pages - Menu

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Firefly launches Eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu

Fly Firefly Sdn Bhd, a unit of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) revised its passengers target to 3.5 million this year from an earlier target of three million passengers with the launch of its Southern hub in Senai, Johor.

FireFly Managing Director Datuk Eddy Leong said the new hub would operate in May with two fleet of Boeing 737-400 aircraft instead of its 737-800 aircraft.

“It costs us three-and-a-half time less to operate 737-400. Once the hub proves its success, then we will think of bringing in 800 aircraft,” he told reporters here yesterday.

The budget airline is confident the numerous commercial and tourism activities expected to generate in Johor Bahru via the Iskandar Malaysia development would be able to positively contribute to its economic growth.

The new plan follows the community airline’s first jet aircraft flights last month, operated with Boeing 737-800s.

Currently Firefly leases the 737-400 aircrafts from the open market on a short-term lease of less than five years, he said adding that to switch to the 737-800 aircrafts, it would likely take two to three years to do so.

“Eventually when the Iskandar region development progresses there will be increase in in-bound arrivals of business and leisure travellers.

“The economic boost will create natural traffic,” he explained.

The community airline yesterday announced the second phase of its expansion programmes with the launch of its Southern hub in Johor and Eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Continue reading at: Firefly launches Eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu
.
.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Infolinks