AirAsia X ferried 3.61 million passengers in 2015
KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X Bhd (AAX) carried 3.61 million passengers in the financial year ended Dec 31, 2015 (FY15), down 15 per cent from 4.23 million passengers in FY14.
In its preliminary operating statistics released today, the lowcost airline said its capacity eased six per cent to 4.85 million versus 5.16 million previously.
The load factor fell by seven percentage points year-on-year (y-o-y) to 75 per cent.
“FY15 has been a challenging year, as the Group was set back by irrational competition from industrypeers,currencyvolatility, regulatory uncertainties for Thailand and Indonesia, as well as a series of unforeseen circumstances,” the company KUALA LUMPUR: MMC Corp Bhd’s inaugural RM1.5 billion Sukuk Murabahah (via Tawarruq arrangement) has emerged as the Best Islamic Finance Deal of the Year in South-East Asia at the Alpha South-East Asia Deal & Solutions Awards 2015.
In a statement yesterday, MMC said, the sukuk, which saw RHB Investment Bank Bhd (RHBIB) as the sole principal adviser, sole lead arranger and sole lead manager, was rated ‘AA-’ by Malaysian Rating Corp Bhd.
“It was also well-received to register a bid-to-cover ratio of 1.5 times with strong participation from funds and insurance companies,” it said.
MMC Group Managing Director, Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh, said the sukuk was the company’s third corporate exercise with RHBIB last year, following Malakoff Corp Bhd’s initial public offering in May and the acquisition of NCB Holdings Bhd in October. — Bernama said.
Nevertheless, AAX’s passenger load factor (PLF) rose two percentagepointsy-o-yto83percent in the fourth quarter of 2015 (4Q15), against the 81 per cent registered in the same period in 2014.
“This positive achievement was driven by aggressive marketing activities, enhanced Fly-Thru connectivity in FY15 and the returnedtrafficafterthechallenging market conditions in 2014 and first half 2015.
“However, further improvement was hindered by the slower-thanexpected recovery of Kathmandu’s operations after the massive Nepal earthquake,” the company said.
For Thai AirAsia X, PLF stood at 83 per cent in 4Q15 during the yearend peak, while Indonesia AirAsia X’s overall operating performance registered a consistent trend in 4Q15.
Moving forward into 2016, AAX remains vigilant and continues to explore strategic initiatives to ensure sustainable growth. — Bernama
MMC Sukuk gets ‘Best Islamic Finance Deal of the Year in Southeast Asia’ award