Jetstar To Get 85 Aircraft In Next Five Years

[george]

Jetstar to get 85 aircraft in next five years

Jetstar Airways has placed an order for 85 aircraft as part of a five-year expansion plan, in which Thailand features as a key market to drive growth.

The airline has ordered 65 Airbus A320s, five Airbus A330s and 15 Boeing 787s. All are scheduled for delivery within five years.

Qantas Group, which owns the budget airline, expects its investment in the new fleet to exceed US$100 million (Bt3.3 billion).

The airline has already purchased 21 aircraft, which are set to be delivered over the next two fiscal years.

Simon Westaway, head of corporate relations, Jetstar Airways, said buying a huge number of aircraft would help the airline expand in the region over next five years.

"By end of this century, we will have a total of 100 aircraft," said Westaway.

He added the airline was the largest low-cost carrier in Asia in terms of revenue, and the second-biggest operator in terms of business size after AirAsia.

According to Westaway, the Thai market remains one of the keys to the firm's future growth, despite its political problems.

The airline is watching political developments here, he said, and will be paying particularly careful attention when the Supreme Court delivers its verdict in the assets-seizure case involving ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on February 26.

"We have prepared a crisis-management plan to cope with any incident. Many measures are prepared. We have learned from the airport closure [at the end of 2008]," he said.

Jetstar operates 14 flights per week between Singapore and Phuket, 21 flights a week between Singapore and Bangkok, three flights a week between Sydney and Phuket, and three flights per week between Phuket and Melbourne.

Qantas Group on Friday announced JetStar's results for the half year ending in December. Earnings before interest and tax were 121 million Australian dollars (Bt3.6 billion), a year-on-year increase of 181 per cent.

Revenue increased over the period by 18.1 per cent to A$1.1 billion.

-- The Nation 2010-02-22

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[chuang]

Will JetStar be operating chinagmai/singapore/chiangmai any soon.....

[apetley]

"By end of this century, we will have a total of 100 aircraft," said Westaway.????????????

Planning 90 years ahead!