AirAsia to make Japan return

AirAsia to make Japan return
By admin


AirAsia has confirmed it will reenter Japan’s aviation market as it revealed  a line-up of investors that will back the venture which is expected to take to the skies in 2015.

The airline announced a shareholders agreement with Octave, Rakuten, Noevir, and Alpen to establish AirAsia Japan. 

 “I am more confident than ever that AirAsia Japan, led by Odagiri Yoshinori with the strong partnership we have with our new investors, will continue to realize our vision to revolutionise the low-cost carrier segment of Japan,” AirAsia group chief executive Tony Fernandes said.

The AirAsia Japan team is now working hard with the relevant authorities to obtain necessary operational approvals, and we hope that all will be in place to start both domestic and international flights by the summer of 2015.”

Yoshinori pointed to the success of AirAsia Japan’s counterparts in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and India which have seen “great and encouraging responses”.

“We will work towards the same for Japan,” he said. “We would like to thank the investors for their belief in us and we look forward to working closely with them moving forward.”

The group sold its 49% stake of AirAsia Japan, then a joint venture with ANA Holdings, in 2013 due to a “fundamental difference of opinion” between shareholders.

However, Fernandes said at the time that he remained optimistic about the Japanese market and had “not given up on the dream of changing air travel in Japan”.

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