I think this Singapore route is a good thing. If most states can go to SG with FY means its easier for people to go for the flight. No need to have a stopover or by road to another airport.

FIREFLY has 6 ATR's already :

REGISTRATION CONSTURCTION NUMBER DELIVERY DATE

9M-FYA 812 2008-08-10
9M-FYB 814 2008-08-29
9M-FYC 821 2008-09-19
9M-FYD 830 2008-10-24
9M-FYE 840 2008-12-12
9M-FYF 860 2009-04-24
9M-FYG 868 (ON ORDER)

Only 4 more to go

all the planned new routes r serving thin market, require no more than one player to operate. expectedly, firefly got the approval to start first. capture the market, before airasia is allowed to fly in. but this provide the competitor to see the real demand from firefly routes, before the competition kicks in at where it supposely worth to be for airasia.

Well thanks for the explanation... just a very personal point of view... I still think the route doesn't make any sense... well of course I am not a businessman, I can't see the potential of the route... no wonder people make millions of dollar a month hehehe...

Well thanks for the explanation... just a very personal point of view... I still think the route doesn't make any sense... well of course I am not a businessman, I can't see the potential of the route... no wonder people make millions of dollar a month hehehe...

Well, what you have to understand that there are ALOT of people traveling between Singapore and Malaysia by coach for work purposes or visiting friends/relatives. What AirAsia and Firefly are doing is to capture these people who think that sitting on a bus for 5 to 6 hours is normal, and offer them tickets the same price as their coach tickets, but the journey will only take 40 minutes on average.

AirAsia largely serves the major cities while Firefly is able to serve all these thin routes (smaller cities/towns) because it flies smaller turboprops, ATR 72s which seat about 75 people. Assuming they breakeven if half the plane is filled, it means they only need to attract 35 passengers, a normal bus-load to make money. The rest of the 25 passengers are pure profit.

Another thing is that Singapore is a major Southeast Asian air hub. For Europeans, Australians and Americans, it's far easier to get to Singapore than KUL because of the connectivity. So picking up tourists via Singapore is easier. Perhaps one day, AirAsiaX and MH will fly to more destinations globally, but right now, flying via SIN is sometimes the only real option.

Firefly Introduces Five Routes From Singapore Into Malaysia


SINGAPORE, June 4 (Bernama) -- Firefly, the low cost carrier of Malaysia Airlines, will make its first entrance into Singapore skies come July 1, and soon after that will introduce four more new routes one after another.

On that date, Firefly will operate the Singapore-Subang flight and barely two weeks later on July 12 the carrier will introduce the Singapore-Ipoh route, followed by Singapore-Terengganu (July 14), Singapore-Kuantan (July 22) and Singapore-Melaka (Sept 1).

Firefly's Managing Director Eddy Leong who announced the commencement of the flights at a reception for the local media and travel industry here tonight said the new routes from Singapore into Malaysia would further strengthen Firefly's network focusing on commuters for business and leisure travellers.

Firefly's maiden flight will depart Skypark Subang terminal, previously known as the Sultan Abdul Aziz International Airport at 7.50 am and arrive at the Singapore Budget Terminal in Changi 9.05 am.

The Singapore-Subang route will operate four times daily, the Singapore-Ipoh and Singapore-Kuantan four times weekly, and the Singapore-Kuala Terengganu and Singapore-Melaka three times weekly.

The airline is now offering an introductory promotional all-inclusive one way fare from S$31, which is already available for booking for travel from now till October 24 this year, on its website www.fireflyz.com.my.



-- BERNAMA

Firefly to start e-ticketing in a month's time
Published: 2009/06/05





FIREFLY Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), is set to roll out electronic ticketing (e-ticketing) in a month's time.

Its managing director, Eddy Leong, said the e-ticketing would enable travel agents worldwide to issue e-tickets for Firefly.

"As an example, a Russian can fly here on Aeroflot and use ''MH'' code as we have code-sharing arrangement with MAS. It's like our telecommunications companies' roaming service," he said.

Leong said the e-ticketing, to simplify passenger travel, would enable customers to print their own tickets and make changes to their travel itinerary.





He said Firefly would join its parent airline to have inter-lining e-ticketing agreements with other carriers, including Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Cathay Pacific Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

"This will allow a passenger to check in all the way to the final destination with just one ticket even when using different airlines along the journey," he said.

Firefly now flies to seven international and nine local destinations. -- Bernama

Firefly aims to fly 1.2m passengers this year
Published: 2009/06/05





Firefly Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), expects to carry 1.2 million passengers this year with seven new Avion de Transport Regional (ATR)-72-500 aircraft to service the routes.

Firefly managing dierctor, Eddy Leong, said the community airline, which operated out of Subang and Penang, carried about 300,000 passengers from January to May this year.

"We expect that by the third, or fourth quarter, the traffic will be much higher with the flights to Singapore.

"Last year, with only three Fokker aircraft, we managed to carry 390,000 passengers," he said in a interview in Subang.

Leong said Firefly would stick to its role as a feeder airline to fly the secondary routes that were not well-served or not being served by other airlines.

Currently, Firefly flies to Penang, Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Johor Baru, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Kerteh, Langkawi, Phuket, Koh Samui (Thailand), Medan, Banda Aceh, Pekan Baru, Padang and Batam (Indonesia).

He said said Firefly also planned to add new routes to southern Thailand such as Hatyai and Krabi and the beach resort town of Hua Hin once the political situation in Thailand was stable.

From July 1, it would fly to Singapore from Subang four times daily.

On July 12, it would start the Ipoh-Singapore flight, Kuala Terengganu-Singapore (July 14), Kuantan-Singapore (July 22) and Melaka-Singapore (Sept 1).

Leong said the domestic operations were profitable.

"Basically we are okay and our sales pick up during the festive and school holidays.

"Most of our passengers are young executives, professionals and businessmen who prefer the convenience of Subang airport," he said.

On its plan for expansion, Leong said the Firefly would re-start the Penang-Kota Baru route soon following requests from the travellers and local community leaders.

Firefly suspended its flights from Penang to Kuala Terengganu, Kota Baru, Koh Samui and Kuantan in March this year.

He said the airline, however, has no plan to operate the Penang-Singapore route as it was fully-served by the other airlines.

"Instead, we are thinking about Alor Setar-Singapore and Kota Baru-Singapore.

"From Subang, we plan to fly to Palembang, Jambi, Bengkulu and Pangkal Pinang.

"The flights will start next year after we receive another three new ATR-72s. The planes were scheduled for delivery this year but were deferred to next year due to economic slowdown," he said.

He said Firefly planned to provide an hourly shuttle flight service to destinations such as Penang and Singapore from next April next year when it had 10 aircraft in operation.

"We plan to have the hourly shuttle flights from Subang to Penang, Subang-Singapore and Subang-Kota Baru during peak hours," he said, adding that the airline might have eight flights daily for each destination.

"For example, between 7am and 10am, noon and 4pm onwards, we are thinking of several flights for the destinations," he said.

Leong said Firefly planned to roll out a loyalty programme for frequent flyers based on the concept of guaranteed redemption.

"We have thought about it. We will be offering something different from Enrich (MAS's loyalty and frequent flyer programmes)" he said. -- BERNAMA

this guy is quite strategic in his actions. turbo prop operation is viable within peninsular due to slow train and bus sevices.

if fireflyz really carries 1.3 million passenger a year and 50% of those are coming from subang this could make the shuttle train from sri subang viable.
It need not be double tracked and can run with diesel trains with frequency about 20 minutes. assuming it takes 10 minutes to reach subang jaya station.

if the train fare is rm 4 to the city. I think this service is viable.

I was proposing to extend the commuter line from sri subang to damansara and perhaps finally connecting it to kepong as a circular loop by then it shd be electrified n doubled tracked.

Firefly to fly Ipoh to Singapore on July 12


IPOH: Firefly, which billed itself as “Your Community Airline”, will fly the Ipoh-Singapore route starting July 12.

The all-inclusive promotional fare is RM88 one way.

However the fare can go up to RM300 depending on the time of booking.


New routes: Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir (second from left) shaking hands with Leong at the State Secretariat in Ipoh yesterday. With them are (from left) adviser to the Mentri Besar on Chinese affairs Datuk Chang Ko Youn, state executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon and adviser of Indian affairs Datuk S. Veerasingam.

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Eddy Leong said the route would open up Ipoh to the world.

The 80-minute flight will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

It departs Ipoh 4.45pm, arriving at the Changi budget terminal at 6.05pm.

From Singapore, the new 72-seater aircraft takes off at 2.50pm and lands at the Sultan Azlan Shah airport here at 4.10pm.

“We have been in discussion with the Perak Government since 2007 to provide accessibility to exploit the untapped and hidden treasures of Perak,” Leong said after a briefing with the state officials, tour agents and hotel operators yesterday.

Leong said Firefly would provide free refreshments and snacks, assigned seats and free 20kg baggage allowance for check-in baggage.

The RM88 promotion is available for booking (www.fireflyz.com.my or call 03-7845 4543) from now until Oct 24.

Tiket FireFly Ipoh-Singapura serendah RM88




FLYFIREFLY Sdn Bhd (FireFly), anak syarikat milik penuh Malaysia Airlines (MAS) bakal merancakkan kembali industri penerbangan di Perak menerusi pengenalan laluan terus dari Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah, Ipoh ke Singapura mulai 12 Julai ini.

Sebagai permulaan, Firefly menawarkan kekerapan penerbangan sebanyak empat kali seminggu iaitu pada hari Isnin, Rabu, Jumaat dan Ahad pada harga tawaran serendah RM88 hingga RM300.

Pengarah Urusannya, Eddy Leong, berkata pengenalan laluan itu bakal memberi nafas baru kepada lapangan terbang itu selain membantu merancakkan sektor ekonomi dan pelancongan di negeri itu.

Beliau berkata, tawaran serendah RM88 itu memberi peluang kepada masyarakat untuk menggunakan perkhidmatan yang disediakan pihaknya.

“Kami menawarkan perkhidmatan yang terbaik dan penumpang tidak perlu membayar apa-apa bayaran kerana semua itu tertakluk kepada jumlah tiket termasuk RM51 bagi cukai lapangan terbang, makanan dan minuman serta elaun bagi bagasi yang mempunyai berat kurang daripada 20 kilogram (kg).


“Dengan adanya perhidmatan ini, ia sedikit sebanyak membantu menempatkan Ipoh dalam peta pelancongan dunia selain menarik pelancong dari agensi penerbangan lain ke Ipoh,” katanya selepas sesi taklimat mengenai laluan berkenaan di Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan di Ipoh, kelmarin.

Hadir sama Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

Sehingga kini, Firefly mempunyai tujuh pesawat ATR-72-500 termasuk sebuah yang akan diterima hujung bulan ini. Pesawat itu boleh membawa 72 penumpang bagi setiap penerbangan.

Sementara itu, Zambry berkata, pengenalan laluan terus itu akan memberi nafas baru kepada Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah yang selama ini suram berikutan tidak digunakan sepenuhnya

Tourism boost seen with new Firefly service
NST Online » Local News 2009/06/11
By : Ridzwan Fernandez

KUALA TERENGGANU: Tere-ngganu expects more tourists from Singapore now that budget airline Firefly had added the Kuala Terengganu-Singapore route to its network.

Terengganu's natural attractions such as Lake Kenyir and islands off the South China Sea are popular leisure destinations for Singaporeans.

Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said believes Firefly's direct service from the state capital would bring in more tourists from the republic.

"We can expect a boost in arrivals due to this service. It will attract not only Singaporeans but other international tourists who are already there as well."

Speaking at a briefing by Firefly officials on its new service route, Ahmad said an increase in arrivals would also help boost the tourism industry in the mainland and generate further spin-offs for local businessmen.

The timing of the flights was such that visitors were most likely to spend a night here before heading off to the islands or Kenyir the next day.

"This means more business for the local hotels here, besides giving tourists ample time to shop around for local products such as our famous batik and dried keropok (fish crackers)."

Firefly has scheduled July 14 for its first flight to Singapore from here and will fly the route three times a week.

The flights depart from the Sultan Mahmud International airport here at 3.30pm and arrive at the Changi budget terminal at 4.45pm.

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Eddy Leong said the new route reflected the airline's commitment to help spur Terengganu's tourism industry and attract investments.

Besides the current twice-a- day flights to Subang from here, Firefly also flies from Subang to Kerteh, mostly catering to those in the oil and gas industry.

Firefly will add four other new routes to its network soon, beginning with flights from Subang to Singapore, followed by Ipoh-Singapore, Kuantan-Singapore and Ma-lacca-Singapore.

On its suspended Kuala Terengganu-Penang service, Leong said the airline hoped to revive the route once there were positive signs of an economic turnaround and when it had added more aircraft to its fleet of six new ATR72-500 planes.

"We are hoping to revive this sector by the year-end or early next year," he said.

Firefly Expects High Load Factor For Subang-Singapore Route


KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) -- Community airline Firefly Sdn Bhd expects a high load factor of 75 to 76 percent for its Subang-Singapore route which will start early next month, managing director Eddy Leong said Thursday.

"Bookings for the route are especially from corporate travellers as most of the corporate headquarters and branches are located in Singapore," he told reporters at a cocktail event here in conjunction with the launch of its latest Subang-Singapore route.

Firefly will make its entry into Singapore skies on July 1, departing from the SkyPark Subang terminal at 7.50am and arriving at Singapore's Changi Budget Terminal at 9.05am.

"This is much anticipated moment for Firefly. Our new route from Singapore into Malaysia further strengthens Firefly's network, focusing on business and leisure travellers," Leong said.

"It also completes our promotion of 'one' destination 'four' countries, pairing countries together to co-support tourism," he said.

He also said that Firefly will start a shuttle flight service for the Subang-Singapore route next year, adding that the airline also planned to operate the Kota Baharu-Singapore and Alor Setar-Singapore routes by end of this year.

Asked about the sales target for this year, Leong said: "Firefly is 72-seater. If we have 40 person per flight, we make money already."

In addition to the Subang-Singapore route, Firefly will begin operating other routes in stages next month, such as Ipoh-Singapore, Kuala Terengganu-Singapore and Kuantan-Singapore.

According to him, the response to these routes has been encouraging, especially for the Ipoh-Singapore route which has already seen 40 percent load factor.

On the airline's plans this year, Leong said: "This year Firefly will more focus on Peninsular routes and increase frequency to Indonesia and Singapore."

Currently, the airline flies to Penang, Kota Baharu, Kuala Terengganu, Johor Baharu, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Kerteh, Langkawi, Phuket, Koh Samui, Medan, Banda Aceh, Pekan Baru, Padang and Batam.

On regional expansion, Leong said Firefly planned to fly to Palembang, Jambi, Bengkulu and Pangkal Pinang next year on expectation of the economy showing signs of recovery.

The airline also planned to operate routes in southern Thailand such as Hatyai, Krabi and Hua Hin, depending on the political situation in Thailand, he said, adding that Firefly was now monitoring the situation carefully.

Tourism in Terengganu set to soar
Saturday June 13, 2009
By SHAHRIL CHE WAN

KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu’s tourism industry will get a boost when the low-cost carrier Firefly from Changi touches down at the Sultan Mahmud Airport on July 14. The maiden Terengganu flight will be carrying Singaporean tourists.

Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said Firefly will serve directs flights from here to Changi Airport beginning July 14 with three flights a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

With direct international flights, the state government anticipates the arrival of more Singaporean tourists to make stopovers in Kuala Terengganu before going to the islands or lakes.

“This means more money will be spent and local traders and hoteliers will profit,” he said after a briefing by Firefly Sdn Bhd’s managing director Eddy Leong here on Wednesday.

Ahmad said the 20 minute flight could carry 70 passengers and costs RM88 one way.

He said the state government would waive passenger tax, landing tax and parking tax for the carrier in a move to encourage more carriers to utilise Sultan Mahmud airport as their regional hub.

“Apart from Singapore, we also have plans for Terengganu-Guangzhou and Taiwan flights,” he added.

Meanwhile, Leong said to enjoy the cheap fares, passengers have to make 30 days advance bookings.

The normal Kuala Terengganu-Singapore fare was priced between RM120 and RM130, he said. Leong said the new route was an addition to FireFly’s current direct services from Subang Jaya Airport to Kerteh and Kuala Terengganu.

In 2008, Terengganu welcomed 3.5 million tourists, most of them Singaporeans.

Firefly defers delivery of 3 new aircraft
By Marina EmmanuelPublished: 2009/06/18





FIREFLY, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS)(3786), has deferred delivery of three new planes to next year, because of the economic downturn.

The national turboprop operator was initially expected to take delivery of 10 ATR 72-500s by the end of this year, but will now receive seven.

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Eddy Leong said the move is to better pace the carrier's expansion in tandem with the economic recovery.

"The seven new ATRs will be adequate to operate all our Singapore routes for now," he told Business Times.
In 2007, Firefly and MASWings, another subsidiary of MAS, had inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Avions de Transport Regional, GIE for the purchase of 20 ATR 72-500s.

"Both Firefly and MASWings signed the aircraft purchase contract subsequent to the MoU, where Firefly signed a firm contract to buy 10 planes with an option for 10 more, and MASWings signed an order for five planes and an option for five," Leong said.

"MASWings eventually confirmed two of its options, making a total of seven firm orders with three remaining options," he said, adding that the aircraft's list price was US$18.5 million (RM65 million) based on delivery in 2008.

On the Singapore routes, Leong said the Ipoh-Singapore and the Malacca-Singapore sectors will serve as a start for Firefly.

The airline will start its flights to Singapore from Subang on July 1.

"Firefly has already obtained approval to fly into Singapore from Alor Star, Kota Baru and Kerteh," Leong said.

"We will devise more plans once we have actual experience of the potential of Ipoh and Malacca, such as Ipoh-Medan and Malacca-Pekan Baru," he added.

On whether Firefly has plans to join rivals AirAsia and Silk Air which had on June 1 introduced the Penang-Singapore route, Leong said: "Penang-Singapore is well-served and we do not have any plans for now as we prefer to focus on secondary routes."

Meanwhile, the carrier is monitoring the situation before resuming some of its flights out of Penang including Kota Baru, Terengganu, Malacca and Kuantan, which were temporarily suspended earlier this year.

"We are looking out for clearer signs of economic recovery," he added.

In looking at new routes to operate, Leong said Firefly is currently in a good position with its network footprint sprawling Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, Sumatra and Singapore.

Firefly announces two more direct flights from S’pore
Published: Wednesday June 24, 2009 MYT 8:12:00 PM

PETALING JAYA: Firefly has announced two new flights from Singapore, to Alor Setar and Kota Baru.

Angelina Fernandez, head of marketing and communications, said almost all visitors from Alor Setar and Kota Baru who travel to Singapore for business or leisure only travel via Penang or Kuala Lumpur, which is time consuming.

“These direct flights will give them the best alternative option to travel to Singapore,” she added.

She said Firefly will be working closely with the tourism boards of Malaysia and Singapore to exploit the new routes.

The maiden flights to Kota Baru and Alor Setar are scheduled for Oct 25, departing at 11am from the Singapore Budget Terminal at Changi.

The flights to Kota Baru are four times a week while Alor Setar flights are every other day.

Firefly: Singapore flights to contribute 10pc to revenue
By Marina EmmanuelPublished: 2009/06/25




FIREFLY, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, expects its Singapore flights to contribute 10 per cent of revenue this year.

The community airline is set to operate six flights daily from various Malaysian airports into Singapore by December this year.

"Our plan is to bring in more Singaporeans and transit passengers from Singapore and put smaller towns in Malaysia on the world map," FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Eddy Leong told Business Times yesterday.

Firefly will make its entry into Singapore skies on July 1, departing from the SkyPark Subang terminal at 7.50am and arriving at Singapore's Changi Budget Terminal at 9.05am.





In addition to the Subang-Singapore route, Firefly will begin operating other routes in stages next month, such as Ipoh-Singapore, Kuala Terengganu-Singapore and Kuantan-Singapore.

Yesterday, Firefly launched ticket sales for its Alor Star-Singapore and Kota Baru-Singapore flights that will begin by October.

Leong said the airline is currently working with inbound agents in Singapore to get more people to fly into Malaysia from Singapore.

"We are also working with Club Med, the YTL Group, Swiss Garden and Hyatt to globally market their properties and put smaller towns like Kuantan and Pangkor on the map," he said.

Leong said Firefly has so far received encouraging response for the Singapore routes from Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu and Subang.

Firefly to link Singapore to Alor Setar and Kota Baru


PETALING JAYA: Firefly has announced the addition of two new flights — to Alor Setar and Kota Baru — from Singapore.

Its marketing and communications head Angelina Fernandez said almost all visitors from Alor Setar and Kota Baru who travel to Singapore for business or leisure only travelled via Penang or Kuala Lumpur, which was time consuming.

“This direct flight will give them the best alternative to travel to Singapore,” she added.

Fernandez also said Thailand would stand to benefit from the new arrivals as it was easily accessible by road from both state capitals.

Expressing gratitude to the Kedah and Kelantan governments for providing access to the “untapped and hidden treasures” of the states, Fernandez said Firefly would work closely with the tourism boards of Malaysia and Singapore to exploit the new routes.

The maiden flights to the state capitals are scheduled for Oct 25 at 11am, departing from the Singapore Budget Terminal Changi.

Flights to Kota Baru will depart four times a week while Alor Setar will have flights every other day.

Firefly Begin Subang-singapore Flight Today


KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's first community airline, Firefly, Wednesday officially commenced its Singapore-Subang and return flight.

The airline in a statement said the commencement of the thrice-daily flights, signifies its commitment to providing direct access by air to other states in Malaysia.

It said the route, which had three flights daily will have an additional frequency, making it four times daily, effective July 12.

"Our new routes into Singapore further strengthens Firefly's network while focusing on travellers for business and leisure.

"It also completes our promotion of "One Destination, Four Countries"," managing director Eddie Leong said.

He said the carrier was offering an introductory promotional all-inclusive one way fare at RM88.00 nett for the Singapore-Subang flight.



-- BERNAMA

Firefly sees growth from Singapore routes
Published: 2009/07/03

Community airline Firefly, which launched its Subang-Singapore flight this week, is confident of growth from all its routes to Singapore based on a 70 to 75 per cent load factor target set for each route.

"This year we are not projecting extraordinary profit or unusually high growth. I can say it will be in line with what we plan for," said managing director Eddy Leong.

"And it's a positive number and I think the fact that we are being allowed to continue taking new aircraft next year is a strong sign of how strong our business model is," he said at a press conference in Singapore in conjunction with the launch of Firefly's flight from Subang to Singapore.

The airline, with four daily flights to Singapore, planned to increase the frequency to six by end of this year due to the encouraging response, Leong said.

"Sometimes it's good to operate routes that people don't do. We like this kind of route," he said.

Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS), will focus on expanding the frequency of existing routes rather than look for new routes, Leong said.

He said the airline will launch its Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan to Singapore routes later this month, followed by Malacca in September and Alor Setar and Kota Baru in October.

On the code-share partnership with MAS, Leong said it could help the airline to further strengthen its position in the lucrative Malaysia-Singapore route.

"International travellers, be it business or leisure from all states in Malaysia, will now have the convenience of point-to-point connection into Singapore," he said.

At the press conference, Tourism Malaysia's acting director-general Datuk Amirrudin Abu said the number of tourists coming to Malaysia is expected to grow steadily this year with the launch of Firefly's Malaysia-Singapore route.

Last year, 11 million Singaporeans came to Malaysia, with only three per cent of them using air transport, he said.

"For this year, we expect to see 20 million Singaporeans coming to our country. Firefly's efforts will help increase the number of air passengers to Malaysia," Amirrudin said.

He said for the first six months of this year, more than nine million Singaporean visited Malaysia despite the H1N1 flu outbreak and economic downturn.

Changi Airport Group's chief executive officer Lee Seow Hiang said between January and May 2009, the total passenger movement between both countries at Changi Airport stood at 1.3 million, a 20 per cent growth compared with the same period last year.

"Given the strong traffic potential on the Singapore-Malaysia routes and the extensive air network of Changi Airport, I am confident Firefly will find many new business opportunities at Changi," Lee said.

"I therefore encourage Firefly to further expand its operation at Changi Airport, and add new services from other Malaysian cities to Singapore," he said. -- BERNAMA

Firefly buzzing with new routes from Malaysia to Singapore


SINGAPORE: Firefly will begin services from Kota Baru and Alor Setar to Singapore from Oct 25 and 27 respectively.

This comes after five new routes are opened, in stages, between Malaysia and Singapore.

Managing director Eddy Leong said following the commencement of flights between Subang and Singapore on Wednesday, the airline would also start operating between Ipoh and Singapore on July 12.

The other services are Kuala Terengganu-Singapore (July 14), Kuantan-Singapore (July 22) and Malacca-Singapore (Sept 1).

Leong said: “The Subang-Singapore is very much targeted at the business community while the other destinations are mainly for leisure travellers.”

He said the routes offered were popular tourists destinations, adding that the airline would continue to concentrate on areas which were not well-served by other carriers.

“We are focused on Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and southern Thailand,” he said.

Singapore, he said, was an important hub as it received 36 million tourists a year.

Tourism Malaysia acting director-general Datuk Amirrudin Abu said the additional routes could ease land traffic congestion as they catered to different locations in the country.

Changi Airport Group chief executive officer Lee Seow Hiang said the new flights would add to the rapidly growing air travel market between the two countries.

“Between January and May, there was almost 1.3 million passenger movement between the two countries,” he said, adding that this was a 20% growth compared to the same period last year

Firefly To Add Three More Aircraft Next Year
July 08, 2009 17:07 PM

KUANTAN, July 8 (Bernama) -- FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd (Firefly), a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), will recieve three more ATR72-500 turbo-propeller aircraft next year.

Firefly's managing director, Eddie Leong said the aircraft which cost US$18 million each, will boost the company's plan for network expansion and passengers.

"Currently, Firely operates with seven ATR 72-500 planes with each flight carrying 72 passengers," he told reporters after announcing the commencement of the Kuantan-Singapore route here, Wednesday.

Firefly's maiden flight into Singapore is slated for departure from the Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport here on July 22.

Eddie said the four times weekly flights will further strenghten its network while focusing on commuters for business and leisure.

"Singapore is an important hub for Firefly to tap into.Our target market will now expand to not only include Singaporeans but also Malaysians working in the country, the expatriate community and transit passengers," he said.

He said the route also reflects Firefly's commitment to help spur tourism in Pahang.

The carrier is offering an introductory promotional all inclusive one way fare of RM88 for the Kuantan-Singapore flight.

-- BERNAMA

Firefly sasar kendali 1.3 juta penumpang
9 Julai 2009

KUANTAN 8 Julai - Syarikat penerbangan FlyFirefly Sdn. Bhd. (Firefly) yang menyasarkan untuk mengendalikan kira-kira 1.3 juta penumpang sehingga akhir tahun ini, bakal menerima tiga pesawat baru yang dibeli pada harga lebih RM190 juta.

Pengarah Urusannya, Eddy Leong berkata, pesawat tersebut yang dibeli dari Toulouse, Perancis pada harga AS$18.5 juta (RM64.75 juta) sebuah itu dijangka diterima pada tahun depan.

Beliau berkata, ketika ini Firefly mempunyai tujuh buah pesawat dengan kapasiti 72 penumpang, bagi menampung laluan domestik dan antarabangsa.

"Sasaran kita adalah untuk berkembang selari dengan perkembangan pemegang saham," katanya kepada pemberita di sini, hari ini.

Dalam pada itu, beliau berkata, laluan baru Firefly dari Kuantan ke Singapura akan mula beroperasi 22 Julai ini membabitkan empat penerbangan seminggu.

Katanya, syarikat menyasarkan laluan tersebut menarik 25,000 penumpang setahun terutama di kalangan penumpang antarabangsa khususnya dari Singapura.

Jelasnya, tiket-tiket untuk penerbangan tersebut telah pun mula dijual bulan lalu dan setakat ini sambutan yang diterima sangat menggalakkan.

"Kita menyediakan perkhidmatan udara untuk laluan yang jarang diterokai oleh syarikat penerbangan lain. Tujuan kita, selain faktor perniagaan, kita hendak memberikan khidmat sosial dengan memberi kemudahan kepada orang ramai.

"Singapura merupakan hab yang penting untuk diterokai oleh Firefly dan sasaran pasaran kita bukan sahaja di kalangan rakyat Singapura, tetapi juga rakyat Malaysia yang bekerja di sana, ekspatriat dan pelancong asing," katanya.

Menurutnya, sejak beroperasi April 2007, Firefly menunjukkan prestasi yang memberangsangkan dan menjangka keadaan semasa tidak memberi impak yang besar kepada prestasi serta operasi syarikat.

"Kita tidak melihat impak besar yang nyata ke atas ekonomi negara berikutan kes selesema babi yang melanda dunia disebabkan langkah- langkah pencegahan yang diambil kerajaan," katanya.

Sehubungan itu, beliau optimis Firefly akan terus merekodkan prestasi yang membanggakan pada tahun-tahun akan datang.

Additional aircraft to boost Firefly’s plans to grow
By SIMON KHOO


KUANTAN: FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd will take delivery of three more ATR72-500 turbo-propeller aircraft, costing over RM60mil each, next year.

The additional aircraft would boost the low-cost carrier’s plan for network expansion and growing its passenger volume, managing director Eddie Leong said at a briefing on Firefly’s operations yesterday.


Eddy Leong ... We are opening all our new routes to Singapore at a frantic pace.
The airline currently had seven of the French-made ATR72-500 aircraft which cost a total RM500mil, and had a seating capacity of 72 passengers each, he said.

“The number of aircraft is not an issue here; it’s the manner in which we are able to fully utilise them to service all the routes.

“In this aspect, we will work closely with the state governments to promote their tourism products in a win-win situation,” he said, citing examples of eco and nature getaway packages to renowned sites such as Tioman and Taman Negara in Pahang.

Firefly will commence direct flights four times a week from Kuantan to Singapore from July 22.

“Despite the grim outlook for most airlines, we are opening all our new routes to Singapore at a frantic pace. These new routes will further strengthen Firefly’s network focusing on business and leisure travellers.

“Our target market will now expand to not only Singaporeans but also Malaysians working in Singapore, the expatriate community and transit passengers,” Leong said.

Leong said for a start, Firefly was targeting 25,000 passengers annually for the Kuantan-Singapore route and was prepared to sustain some losses in the initial stages.

“Other direct flights to Singapore such as from Ipoh, Malacca, Kota Baru and Alor Setar will be opened in stages.

“Overall, we are confident of hitting the target of 1.3 million passengers this year,” he said, adding that Firefly had already achieved 600,000 passengers to date.

Firefly terima tiga lagi pesawat
9 Julai 2009

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/pix/2009/0709/Kosmo/Negara/ne_13.1.jpg

FIREFLY akan menerima tiga lagi pesawat model ATR72-500 tahun depan
sebagai usaha untuk meluaskan rangkaian syarikat dan menambah jumlah
penumpang.

KUANTAN - FlyFirefly Sdn. Bhd. (Firefly), anak syarikat Malaysia Airlines (MAS), akan menerima tiga lagi pesawat kipas turbo ATR72-500 menjelang tahun depan.

Pengarah Urusan Firefly, Eddie Leong berkata, pesawat yang berharga AS$18 juta (RM63.72 juta) setiap satu itu akan menyokong rancangan syarikat tersebut meluaskan rangkaiannya dan menambah jumlah penumpang.

"Pada masa ini, Firely beroperasi dengan tujuh pesawat ATR72-500 dan setiap penerbangan membawa 72 penumpang," katanya kepada pemberita selepas mengumumkan permulaan perkhidmatan laluan Kuantan-Singapura di sini semalam.

Penerbangan sulung Firefly ke Singapura dijadualkan berlepas dari Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ahmad Shah di sini pada 22 Julai ini.

Firefly sasar kendali 1.3 juta penumpang
KUANTAN 8 Julai - Syarikat penerbangan FlyFirefly Sdn. Bhd. (Firefly) yang menyasarkan untuk mengendalikan kira-kira 1.3 juta penumpang sehingga akhir tahun ini, bakal menerima tiga pesawat baru yang dibeli pada harga lebih RM190 juta.

Pengarah Urusannya, Eddy Leong berkata, pesawat tersebut yang dibeli dari Toulouse, Perancis pada harga AS$18.5 juta (RM64.75 juta) sebuah itu dijangka diterima pada tahun depan.

Beliau berkata, ketika ini Firefly mempunyai tujuh buah pesawat dengan kapasiti 72 penumpang, bagi menampung laluan domestik dan antarabangsa.

"Sasaran kita adalah untuk berkembang selari dengan perkembangan pemegang saham," katanya kepada pemberita di sini, hari ini.

Dalam pada itu, beliau berkata, laluan baru Firefly dari Kuantan ke Singapura akan mula beroperasi 22 Julai ini membabitkan empat penerbangan seminggu.

Katanya, syarikat menyasarkan laluan tersebut menarik 25,000 penumpang setahun terutama di kalangan penumpang antarabangsa khususnya dari Singapura.

Jelasnya, tiket-tiket untuk penerbangan tersebut telah pun mula dijual bulan lalu dan setakat ini sambutan yang diterima sangat menggalakkan.

"Kita menyediakan perkhidmatan udara untuk laluan yang jarang diterokai oleh syarikat penerbangan lain. Tujuan kita, selain faktor perniagaan, kita hendak memberikan khidmat sosial dengan memberi kemudahan kepada orang ramai.

"Singapura merupakan hab yang penting untuk diterokai oleh Firefly dan sasaran pasaran kita bukan sahaja di kalangan rakyat Singapura, tetapi juga rakyat Malaysia yang bekerja di sana, ekspatriat dan pelancong asing," katanya.

Menurutnya, sejak beroperasi April 2007, Firefly menunjukkan prestasi yang memberangsangkan dan menjangka keadaan semasa tidak memberi impak yang besar kepada prestasi serta operasi syarikat.

"Kita tidak melihat impak besar yang nyata ke atas ekonomi negara berikutan kes selesema babi yang melanda dunia disebabkan langkah- langkah pencegahan yang diambil kerajaan," katanya.

Sehubungan itu, beliau optimis Firefly akan terus merekodkan prestasi yang membanggakan pada tahun-tahun akan datang.

Firefly makes maiden Ipoh-S'pore flight

http://www.nst.com.my/articles/22AA/pix_topright
Passengers arriving from Singapore on the maiden Firefly flight at Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh yesterday.
2009/07/13


IPOH: Sultan Azlan Shah airport was a hive of activity when Firefly's ATR 72-500 flew in from Singapore yesterday.

The flight marked the airline's first flight between Ipoh and the island republic.

The flight from the republic, with 57 passengers on board, landed at the airport at 4.45pm to a welcoming ceremony which included traditional dances and a band from Sekolah Menengah Anderson Ipoh.

They were also screened for influenza A H1N1 by a medical team before they were allowed into the arrival hall.

They were received by state Industry, Investment, Entreprenuer Development, ICT, Tourism and Women Affairs committee chairman Datuk Hamidah Osman who represented Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

They were garlanded and given state tourism goodie bags.

Hamidah later launched the flight from Ipoh to Singapore with 71 passengers, including 21 Perak media representatives, which took off at 5.20pm. The delegation was led by state Health, Local Government, Consumer Affairs, Environment, Public Transport and Non-Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Mah Hang Soon.

In her speech, Hamidah said the air link was expected to "open up opportunities in the tourism and industrial sectors which would eventually contribute to the growth of the economy of the state".

Firefly operates four flights a week to Singapore.

The airport was previously used by Riau Airlines for its Medan-Ipoh service, with the last flight in March.

It is currently used by a flying academy for training purposes.

AirAsia operated the Ipoh-Senai route for nine months before it suspended the service in September 2006.

Firefly managing director Eddy Leong, who was present at the event, said the airline might increase the frequencies if there were demand for it.

The airline was also talking to travel agents to reopen the Ipoh-Medan routes.

^^ Quite good loads... It seems. Congratulations Firefly!

Well, when Firefly flies to all its intended routes to Singapore, it'd have made Singapore a virtual hub, just like AirAsia.

Fireflyz having a road show in Dataran Pahlawan Melaka this weekend.

Firefly Ipoh-Singapore Flights Can Boost Perak Tourism, Economy
July 15, 2009 21:51 PM

SINGAPORE, July 15 (Bernama) -- The Ipoh-Singapore route serviced by local community airline Firefly Sdn Bhd can help boost tourism, investment and the economy in Perak.

State Health, Local Government, Consumer Affairs and Public Transportation Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said Firefly would operate daily flights for the route soon due to overwhelming response from the public since the service began last Sunday.

"We are happy with the response to the Ipoh-Singapore route served by Firefly. We understand that 85 per cent of the tickets have been booked for flights until November," he told reporters after leading a delegation on a state government technical working visit to Singapore.

Also in the delegation were state Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology Committee chairman Mohamad Zahir Abdul Khalid and the Menteri Besar's advisor on Indian community affairs Datuk S. Veerasingam.

Dr Mah said the flight tickets for the first two months since the service began were fully booked.

He said the service would bring in more tourists to Perak from Singapore as it would take them only one hour and 20 minutes to reach Ipoh compared to more than five hours by road.

Dr Mah said with the good response, the state government hoped that more airlines would operate at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport for routes from Ipoh and also for cargo service.

"The state government is confident of drawing more tourists to the state than the three million recorded last year and more investment, especially from Singapore, with the new service by Firefly.

"The state government will also negotiate with other airlines to reintroduce flights to a number of destinations like Medan and Padang in Indonesia and Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand," he said.

During their three-day visit which ended yesterday, the delegation attended briefings and had discussions and dialogues with the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority and Land Transport Authority, and met with Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, S.Iswaran.

"This has been a meaningful and productive visit as we learned from Singapore's experience in developing the island republic, including the policies and plans," Dr Mah said.

He said in the economic sector, 18 per cent (RM540 million) of the RM3 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) last year that went to Perak came from Singapore investors.

Investors could benefit from such economic sectors as the metal and shoe industries and products for the ICT industry, he said.

Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore, Datuk Md Hussin Nayan, said the Ipoh-Singapore air route operated by Firefly should provide a good opportunity for Perak to diversify activities in the tourism and economic sectors.

"We are proud and happy that airlines like Firefly, MAS, AirAsia and Singapore Airlines are increasing flights from or to major towns in Malaysia. With this, we hope the relevant authorities would provide better facilities for tourists and investors coming to Malaysia," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Direct flights from S’pore to Kuantan
Thursday July 16, 2009

KUANTAN: Singaporeans will have direct access to Kuantan from this month via flights operated by FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, its managing director Eddy Leong said.

Leong said the first flight would depart from Sultan Ahmad Shah airport and arrive at Singapore Changi budget terminal on July 22.

“We started selling the tickets more than a month ago and the response has been quite encouraging.

“Pahang is a well-known holiday destination among Singaporeans, for its pristine beaches and a whole range of sea activities.

“This route reflects our commitment to the Pahang government to help spur the tourism sector and increase tourist arrival,” he said at a briefing of its operations attended by travel agents, hoteliers, corporations and business associations here recently.

Leong said besides the four times a week flights to Kuantan, other direct flights to Singapore from Ipoh, Malacca, Kota Baru and Alor Star will be introduced in stages this year.

He said these routes were part of their strategies to de-urbanise flying within the Klang Valley and play a role in terms of social integration.

Leong said for a start, they had set a target of 25,000 passengers annually for the Kuantan-Singapore route.

He said since the Kuantan-Singapore route was a new route, Firefly was prepared to sustain some losses in the initial stages.

“Overall, we are confident of hitting the target of 1.3 million passenger load for this year,” he said, adding that Firefly had already achieved 600,000 passenger load for the first six months of the year.

Leong said the airline would work closely with the respective state governments to promote their tourism products, such as Tioman Island and Taman Negara in Pahang.

“We will need to come up with programmes and arrangements during the monsoon season so that we can operate our flights throughout the year,” he said.

He said Firefly would also discuss with the Federal Government to find ways of making flying more affordable, including lowering airport taxes and easing the airline’s burden on parking and rental charges.

“Of course, all airlines are facing problems, namely the global economic downturn, rising fuel prices and the influenza outbreak.

“However, the trend in people choosing to fly is picking up and we are looking at reviving the Penang-Kuantan route next year,” he said, adding that the route was given up earlier due to losses.

Presently, Firefly is operating with seven ATR72-500 turbo-propeller aircraft imported from Toulouse, France with a seating capacity of 72 passengers each.

The airline has placed an order for three additional aircraft scheduled for delivery some time next year.

Direct flights from Singapore to Kuantan


KUANTAN: Singaporeans will have direct access to Kuantan from this month via flights operated by FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, its managing director Eddy Leong said.

Leong said the first flight would depart from Sultan Ahmad Shah airport and arrive at Singapore Changi budget terminal on July 22.

“We started selling the tickets more than a month ago and the response has been quite encouraging.


Leong :'Pahang is a well-known holiday destination among Singaporean.'
“Pahang is a well-known holiday destination among Singaporeans, for its pristine beaches and a whole range of sea activities.

“This route reflects our commitment to the Pahang government to help spur the tourism sector and increase tourist arrival,” he said at a briefing of its operations attended by travel agents, hoteliers, corporations and business associations here recently.

Leong said besides the four times a week flights to Kuantan, other direct flights to Singapore from Ipoh, Malacca, Kota Baru and Alor Star will be introduced in stages this year.

He said these routes were part of their strategies to de-urbanise flying within the Klang Valley and play a role in terms of social integration.

Leong said for a start, they had set a target of 25,000 passengers annually for the Kuantan-Singapore route.

He said since the Kuantan-Singapore route was a new route, Firefly was prepared to sustain some losses in the initial stages.

“Overall, we are confident of hitting the target of 1.3 million passenger load for this year,” he said, adding that Firefly had already achieved 600,000 passenger load for the first six months of the year.

Leong said the airline would work closely with the respective state governments to promote their tourism products, such as Tioman Island and Taman Negara in Pahang.

“We will need to come up with programmes and arrangements during the monsoon season so that we can operate our flights throughout the year,” he said.

He said Firefly would also discuss with the Federal Government to find ways of making flying more affordable, including lowering airport taxes and easing the airline’s burden on parking and rental charges.

“Of course, all airlines are facing problems, namely the global economic downturn, rising fuel prices and the influenza outbreak.

“However, the trend in people choosing to fly is picking up and we are looking at reviving the Penang-Kuantan route next year,” he said, adding that the route was given up earlier due to losses.

Presently, Firefly is operating with seven ATR72-500 turbo-propeller aircraft imported from Toulouse, France with a seating capacity of 72 passengers each.

The airline has placed an order for three additional aircraft scheduled for delivery some time next year.

Perak aims for a 'slice' of S'pore
2009/07/16


IPOH: Tourist attractions in Perak will be more aggressively promoted in Singapore now that travel time to the state capital has been reduced to a mere 80-minute flight.





Ipoh will be highlighted as a food haven, Pangkor as the destination for island adventure, and Royal Belum State Park as the ideal holiday venue for nature lovers.

"Singaporeans know about Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands and Johor, but Perak, states on the east coast, Sabah and Sarawak are less popular.

"Since Firefly is starting its Singapore-Ipoh flights, we will have more opportunity to promote Perak," said a top Tourism Malaysia official during a working visit by Perak executive councillors to the island republic recently.

It is understood that Singapore-Ipoh flights are fully booked for the next two months and that Firefly will increase its flights from the current four times a week.



Perak Health, Local Government, Consumer Affairs, Environment, Public Transport and Non-Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, who headed the delegation, said the state government was hopeful of attracting 20 per cent of Singaporean visitors to Malaysia.


Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Hussin Nayan praised Firefly and other carriers for increasing services to the major towns.

Airlines tighten baggage rules to help trim costs
By YEOW POOI LING

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2009/7/17/business/p5-baggagecht.JPG

IATA says every 1% improvement in fuel efficiency across industry can cut fuel costs by US$700mil annually

PETALING JAYA: Most airlines, in trying to mitigate the impact of fuel price volatility, have resorted to stringent baggage restrictions as part of measures to achieve better fuel efficiency.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), every 1% improvement in fuel efficiency across the aviation industry can lower fuel costs by US$700mil annually. This is unsurprising since fuel cost is the second-largest cost for airlines after labour.

Passengers on AirAsia flights are encouraged to travel light, like using carry-on luggage, to minimise checked-in baggage. They are allowed to have one carry-on luggage of up to 7kg, plus free 15kg allowance for checked-in baggage.


In comparison, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) allows for hand luggage to have a maximum combined weight of 5kg and free 20kg allowance for checked-in luggage for economy class (see table).

MAS general manager for corporate safety, security, health and environment, Ooi Teong Siew, said reducing weight was one of the static techniques, which include ensuring aircraft are well trimmed and engines cleaned regularly.

Dynamic techniques, meanwhile, are factors that have an impact on the flight path like direct routings, economical speeds, continuous descents and optimum altitudes.

“These efforts, without compromising on safety and quality, have reduced our fuel burnt rate and enabled us to contribute to cost reduction of RM2.3bil from 2006 to 2008,” Ooi said in an e-mail reply to StarBiz.

AirAsia Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes noted that for every flight hour, an additional 1,000kg of take-off weight would burn up 90kg fuel.

AirAsia also achieved greater fuel efficiency with its new fleet of A320 planes, as they offered higher unit fuel consumption per flight while high dispatch ability and operational efficiency contributed to lower maintenance expenses, Fernandes said.

“We adhere to a quick turnaround of 25 minutes, which leads to high aircraft utilisation, lower costs as well as greater airline and staff productivity. Fuel consumption-wise, the quick turnaround means less time spent by an aircraft idling on the ground, which reduces unnecessary fuel consumption and harmful emissions,” he said.

Such practices kept costs down and ensured minimum aircraft weight, Fernandes said, adding that savings and benefits would translate into low fares for passengers.

Ooi said MAS also minimised the use of auxiliary power unit on ground, ensured faster connection of ground power, chose the best flight profile as well as adopted a continuous descent approach at applicable airports, and regular airframe and engine maintenance.

“Other examples include replacing the heavy unit loading devices with those which are 40kg lighter and using nearer alternate airports.”

MAS is anticipated to achieve greater fuel efficiency when it takes delivery of 35 B738 late next year and the A380 in 2011.

Meanwhile, FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Eddy Leong said the airline did not practise overzealous efforts in enforcing one hand luggage and checked baggage limits.

“Firefly’s business model was designed to be light from the beginning because we chose a very fuel efficient and modern ATR72-500 aircraft,” he said.

The focus then is on eliminating hassles, enriching the travel experience and optimising costs.

“For example, our full complimentary food and beverage on board includes serving muffins on paper cups and ensuring that we cater exactly to the passenger count. Any extras would be given to passengers.

“In the end, there is no waste to offload, no wastage to worry about. Our ultimate gain is in the revenue side and loyalty from passengers,” Leong added.

Emirates Airlines, in contrast, increased the free baggage allowance across its network effective May 4, with the exception of countries that apply one-piece concept for checked-in luggage.

Economy class travellers are now given 30kg from 20kg previously.

An analyst with a local brokerage said the impact of strict baggage terms was unlikely to have a huge impact on bottomline.

Airlines also tried to carry the correct amount of jetfuel and to power planes by ground power units during waiting periods instead of jetfuel to achieve better fuel efficiency, he said.

IATA, on its website, indicated efforts being taken with air navigation service providers, air traffic controllers, airlines and other key stakeholders to save one minute per flight via better airspace design, procedures and management.

“If successful, this initiative could reduce total industry operating costs by over US$1bil a year and significantly reduce environmental emissions,” the association said, noting that on average, airlines spent US$100 per minute per flight in total operating costs.

Firefly pemangkin pelancongan
Oleh Ridzuan Yop (yang mengikuti lawatan ke Singapura)
bhnews@bharian.com.my

Penerbangan murah Ipoh-Singapura bantu tingkat ekonomi Perak

SINGAPURA: Kerajaan Perak yakin pengenalan laluan udara oleh syarikat penerbangan tambang murah Firefly Sdn Bhd (Firefly) antara Ipoh-Singapura akan mampu meningkatkan dan merancakkan lagi sektor pelancongan dan ekonomi di Perak.

Exco Kesihatan, Kerajaan Tempatan, Hal Ehwal Pengguna, Alam Sekitar, Pengangkutan Awam dan Hal Ehwal Bukan Islam negeri, Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, berkata yang pasti pengenalan laluan itu akan dapat meningkatkan kedatangan jumlah pelancongan asing ke Perak terutama dari Singapura.



Beliau berkata, jika sebelum ini, kebanyakan pelancong asing terpaksa memilih jalan darat selepas memasuki negara ini untuk ke Perak, tetapi kini mereka boleh terus mendarat di Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah di Ipoh.

"Sehubungan itu, kerajaan negeri yakin sasaran untuk meningkatkan jumlah kedatangan pelancong ke Perak melebihi jumlah pada tahun sebelumnya iaitu kira-kira tiga juta akan dapat dicapai selepas pengenalan laluan udara itu.

“Selain itu, jumlah kemasukan pelaburan asing terutama dari Singapura juga dijangka meningkat yang sudah pasti akan merancakkan lagi ekonomi negeri," katanya kepada pemberita selepas mengetuai delegasi kerajaan Perak ke Singapura di sini, kelmarin.

Turut serta dalam lawatan itu, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pelajaran, Pengajian Tinggi, Sains dan Teknologi, Mohamad Zahir Abdul Khalid dan Penasihat Menteri Besar bagi Hal Ehwal Kaum India, Datuk S Veerasingam.

Dalam lawatan tiga hari itu, delegasi kerajaan negeri turut mendengar taklimat daripada Pihak Berkuasa Pembangunan Semula Bandar Singapura (URA) dan Pihak Berkuasa Pengangkutan Singapura (LTA).

FireFly anak syarikat milik penuh Malaysia Airlines (MAS) memperkenalkan laluan terus dari Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah, Ipoh ke Singapura mulai 12 Julai lalu.

Sebagai permulaan, Firefly menawarkan kekerapan penerbangan sebanyak empat kali seminggu iaitu pada Isnin, Rabu, Jumaat dan Ahad pada harga tawaran serendah RM88 hingga RM300.

Dr Mah berkata, penerbangan Ipoh-Singapura dan Singapura-Ipoh bagi bulan ini sudah habis ditempah dan beliau yakin pengguna akan terus memilih penerbangan berkenaan pada masa depan.

Katanya, dengan sambutan yang tinggi itu, Firefly bercadang menambah kekerapan penerbangan daripada empat kali seminggu sekarang.

Beliau berkata, kerajaan negeri juga bercadang akan berunding dengan pihak berkenaan bagi memperkenalkan kembali laluan udara di beberapa destinasi lain termasuk ke Indonesia seperti Medan, Padang dan Phuket.

"Saya akan berbincang dengan syarikat penerbangan tambang murah di negara terbabit yang mungkin berminat untuk mengadakan semula penerbangan melalui Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah," katanya.

Mengulas mengenai lawatannya ke Singapura, Dr Mah berkata, beliau gembira kerana lawatan itu berjaya serta mendapat banyak manfaat dan kerajaan negeri dapat belajar daripada Singapura pengalaman mereka membangunkan negara pulau itu.

"Berdasarkan kepada lawatan itu kita akan menggunakan pendekatan yang bersesuaian yang boleh digunakan pakai bagi memajukan negeri kerana masalah yang dihadapi oleh Singapura mungkin tidak sama seperti di Perak," katanya.

callsign firefly 3547

Firefly urged to ply Melaka-Batam route
Sunday, 19 July 2009 20:44

BATAM (Indonesia): The Melaka government will ask Malaysia's community airline Firefly to operate direct flights from the Batu Berendam Airport in Melaka to the Hang Nadim Airport here.

Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the service was important to strengthen ties between Melaka and the Indonesian island and to encourage tourism in both areas.

"Many people in the Riau islands including Batam are keen to come to Melaka, especially to seek medical treatment under the health tourism programme," he said after the opening of the Gedung Asrama Quran Centre", here, today.

It is a Quran learning centre built at a cost of RM426,545, including RM100,000 from the Melaka government.

At the function, the hostel which now accommodates 400 students, was named Asrama Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam. Also present was Riau Governor Ismeth Abdullah.

Mohd Ali said the air service available now was from the Batu Berendam Airport to Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, while the journey by ferry from Batam to Stulang Laut in Johor would take two hours.

"It will take another two and a half hours to Melaka by road on the North-South Expressway, while the flight from Batam to Melaka will only take 45 minutes."

He said many people in the Riau islands would like to seek medical treatment in Melaka due to the reasonable charges while the medical expertise and modern equipment were on far with that in developed countries.

He also said that from this Sept 1, Firefly would serve the Batu Berendam-Singapore route and hoped the airline would add the Batu Berendam-Batam route.

Meanwhile, Ismeth said when direct flights from Melaka-Batam could materialise, the service would definitely foster ties between the people of Batam and Melaka.

Batam, which is 715 sq km in size, has a population of 991,400.

Mohd Ali, who is also the president of Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam (DMDI) or Malay World Muslim World, said the DMDI finance house planned to implement a number of economic projects in the Riau islands. — Bernama

Firefly's Kuantan route a hit
2009/07/24


KUANTAN: More than 60 per cent of Firefly's Kuantan-Singapore-Kuantan flights for the month have been snapped up.

Demand is also running high for next month's flights.

Eddie Leong, Firefly's managing director, said this was because the low-cost carrier had established links with hotels and tour operators here.

"We are confident that this flight route will pave the way for something bigger. This route was set up because there was demand from hoteliers, tour agencies and the state government."

He said this yesterday at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport after welcoming 37 passengers on Firefly's inaugural flight from Singapore. They included media representatives and tour agents.



State Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk Tan Mohd Aminuddin Ishak, who represented the menteri besar, and state Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Shafik Fauzan Shariff were also present.



Leong said Pahang had the potential to be a major tourist destination of Singaporeans, but there should be more promotional efforts because many people associated Genting Highlands and Bukit Tinggi with Kuala Lumpur and thought that Cameron Highlands was in Perak.

"All these spots are in Pahang, which has famous beaches also, such as Teluk Chempedak, Cherating and Pulau Tioman, a divers' haven.

"Tourists arriving at Kuala Lumpur Internatonal Airport or Subang Airport can take a flight to Kuantan."

Tan Aminuddin told the visitors that political stability had made Pahang a safe place to be and he promised them a new experience as there were many wonderful places to explore.

Firefly operates four flights weekly on the Singapore-Kuantan route.

The recent Firefly's ads in Singapore are pretty cheeky... but somehow I feel that they are quite low-taste?? they are full of sexual inuendos :nuts:

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/asian-skies/Firefly%20backyard.gif

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/3081/fireflyz.jpg

Firefly aborts Melaka-Singapore route
Published: 2009/08/07

FIREFLY, Malaysia's community airlines today aborted its plan to fly the Melaka-Singapore route from Batu Berendam Airport beginning September.

Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said Firefly had withdrawn and put the blame on the state government for failure to promote the airlines' Melaka-Singapore sector.

"Firefly also expects a RM70 incentive from the state government on seats not sold," he told reporters after officiating the Matta Fair Melaka 2009 (MFM2009) in Bandar Hilir, Melaka.

Mohd Ali said the RM70 incentive to be absorbed by the state government was unreasonable.

In April last year, Firefly had agreed to start its Melaka-Singapore route, four times a week using an ATR72 aircraft which could carry 72 passengers.

At the MFM2009 Mohd Ali said Melaka aimed to draw 7.4 million tourists this year and had received 3.24 million visitors as at May. - Bernama

Firefly puts flights from 3 states to Singapore on hold
By Marina Emmanuel Published: 2009/08/14

NATIONAL turboprop operator Firefly has put two more flights to Singapore on hold after postponing the Malacca-Singapore route due to technical issues, among others.

It is postponing Singapore flights from Kota Baru, Kelantan, and Alor Star, Kedah, due to the absence of refuelling activities at the airports.

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Eddy Leong said the Malacca flights have been postponed as it needed to re-strategise to meet the request by the Malacca state authorities for Indonesian routes, rather than into Singapore.

"Malacca Airport also currently has no ground handler and refuelling facilities, which we would need to address in order to activate the airport in a significant manner," he told Business Times.

Last week, Bernama reported that Firefly had aborted plans to fly the Malacca-Singapore route.

Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the airline had withdrawn and put the blame on the state government for failure to promote the Malacca-Singapore sector.

"Firefly also expects a RM70 incentive from the state government on seats not sold," he had said, adding that the amount to be absorbed by the state authorities was unreasonable.

Leong, however, has clarified that Firefly does not operate on a subsidised basis and said the chief minister was misinformed.

"When we operate new secondary routes where traffic is thin and a lot of developmental efforts are involved, we request that stakeholders such as the state government, hoteliers and tourism operators contribute in marketing support to drive passenger traffic," he said.

In most cases, hotels and travel agents will offer lower rates and combined with Firefly's fares, they would create attractive packages.

"On our part, we will invest significantly in advertisement, promotion and marketing activities. Where the initial cost is significant, we seek the support of state governments to ease the burden."

Firefly plans to meet the chief minister to table a new proposal where it plans to fly to many points in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, from Malacca.

Leong said Firefly's collaboration with the Perak Government on the Ipoh-Singapore flights which began last month is progressing well.

"We are now planning to increase the frequency of our four times a week to daily flights from September 1 and this is now pending approval from the relevant authorities," he said.

Firefly swings it with AGS
Published: 2009/08/18





FIREFLY today launched the brand new AGS-Firefly Golf Membership card at Green Canopy, Setia Eco-Park in collaboration with the Advantage Golfing Solution (AGS).

The AGS-Firefly Golf Card offers an array of convenient golfing avenues nationwide, with almost 50 associated golf clubs and resorts to choose from, and unlimited rounds of golf at discounted rates throughout the year, said Firefly and AGS in a statement.

Head of Marketing & Communications for Firefly, Ms Angelina Fernandez said the collaboration with AGS was proof of the company''s support for golfers.

She said Firefly's departure point at Skypark Subang Terminal was an undisputable convenience.

Additionally, the airline is also offering a discounted golf baggage handling fee; the standard international baggage allowance of 20kg; assigned seating; and complimentary beverage and snacks.

On the other hand, Shima Taha, Director of Sales for AGS, said with more than 6,000 active cardholders today, AGS was a choice card for golfers.

Boutique golf courses and resorts that AGS offer to its members are located in exotic destinations like Batam, Pekanbaru, Medan and Koh Samui, which are destinations that Firefly flies to. - Bernama

Firefly flies daily to Ipoh
Saturday August 22, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Firefly will increase flights on its Ipoh-Singapore route from Sept 1 because of strong demand.

Firefly marketing and communications head Angelina Fernandez said in a statement that the carrier would be increasing its

flight frequency from four times a week to daily.

The carrier was confident that the additional flights would stimulate more travel and growth prospects between Ipoh and Singapore, she added.

She said prices for a one-way ticket start at RM88 and the travel time was about one hour and 20 minutes.

Firefly tambah penerbangan sempena Aidilfitri
Jumaat, 28 Ogos 2009

KUALA LUMPUR - Bersempena dengan ketibaan Hari Raya Aidilfitri tidak lama lagi, FireFly Sdn. Bhd. (FireFly) akan menyediakan penerbangan tambahan ke beberapa destinasi terpilih.

Ketua Pemasaran dan Komunikasi FireFly, Angelina Fernandez berkata, penerbangan tambahan itu meliputi perjalanan Subang-Kota Bharu, Subang-Alor Setar, Subang-Medan dan Subang-Pekanbaru.

Menurutnya, bagi penerbangan tambahan Subang-Kota Bharu, ia bermula pada 17 hingga 19 September dan juga dari 26 hingga 27 September manakala penerbangan Subang-Alor Setar pula diadakan pada 18 dan 19 September ini.

"Penerbangan tambahan Subang-Medan pula melibatkan tarikh antara 18 hingga 20 September serta 27 September manakala tambahan perjalanan Subang-Pekanbaru pula hanya diadakan pada 18 September,''katanya dalam kenyataan di sini semalam.

From flickr

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Firefly moots idea of states buying planes
By Marina Emmanuel Published: 2009/09/17

Malaysia Airlines subsidiary Firefly has proposed that Malacca and Perak buy their own propeller-driven turboprop planes and lease them back to the carrier, a move that will result in lower air fares.

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd has submitted the proposal to the Malacca state government and plans to do the same for Perak, its managing director Eddy Leong said.

The idea, although unorthodox, may help boost tourism and Firefly is keen to add Perak and Malacca as its hubs.

Currently, the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor, and the Penang International Airport serve as Firefly's hubs.

"Even after 10 years of owning the aircraft, they will still be able to get half of its purchase value if they choose to dispose of it," Leong told Business Times in an interview.

"Malacca and Perak are not usually on the radar of commercial airlines. And the authorities will not have to worry about fuel costs, maintenance and repairs once they have leased their planes to us," he said.

Malacca wants to extend the runway at the Batu Berendam Airport to attract more airlines and, presumably, bigger jet-engine planes.

"We believe this is the best method to immediately yield results rather than spend a few hundred million on runway extension, which does not guarantee operations by any airline," Leong said.

He added that with a plane at Batu Berendam, Firefly can offer direct flights between Malacca and Indonesian destinations like Batam, Pekan Baru, Jambi and Palembang, which have been requested by the Malacca state government.

"We are ready to serve both the Perak and Malacca state governments and any other authorities keen on this win-win arrangement."

Leong also said that the Ipoh-Singapore daily flights, introduced on September 1, had been well received and Firefly was looking at doubling the frequency next year.

Firefly currently has seven ATR 72-500s. It was to have taken delivery of another three planes this year, but has deferred this on the grounds of caution.

Firefly proves sceptics wrong
By Marina EmmanuelPublished: 2009/09/23

http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/fly2/pix_topright

WHEN Malaysia Airlines (MAS) (3786) announced in 2007 that it was setting up a community airline which would use the Penang International Airport as its primary hub and operate using two 50-seater Fokker F50 planes, there were many sceptics.

Many wondered if the new airline would survive in the face of other competitors in the country and region, and if the new venture would place the national carrier in financial trouble.

Former MAS managing director Datuk Seri Idris Jala, when speaking at the launch of the new airline's logo in March 2007, had said Firefly would work with its parent company to break new ground in realising a core network over five years.

He had cited markets such as North America, South America and South Africa at the time as part of this network.
Idris had also made it clear that although Firefly is 100 per cent owned by MAS, it would operate separately in terms of management, via FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd.

The focus of Firefly, he said, was to serve the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle.

MAS has so far proved sceptics wrong and Firefly today has carved out a niche and branded itself among players like AirAsia, Silk Air, Jet Airways and Dragon Air.

In further developing its sister airline, MAS invested in a fleet of fuel-efficient turbo-propeller planes to service its routes, and added the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang as its hub.

Its choice of planes was the ATR 72-500s, whose design is touted as a high-wing, twin turboprop aircraft by its French-Italian makers for efficiency, operating flexibility and passenger comfort.

Firefly currently flies from Penang to Kuala Lumpur via Subang, Langkawi, Phuket, Banda Aceh and Medan.

The airline also flies from Subang to Penang, Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Kerteh, Langkawi, Johor Baru, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Koh Samui, Phuket, Pekan Baru, Medan, Batam and Singapore.

And since September 1 this year, Firefly has been operating the Singapore-Ipoh route.

Firefly must re-look expansion strategies
2009/09/24

WILLIAM DENNIS, Subang Jaya

I REFER to your report "Firefly moots idea of states buying planes" (NST, Sept 17).

Firefly managing director Eddie Leong's proposal to the Malacca government to buy its own turboprop aircraft and lease it back to the carrier as a way to reduce airfares may save the airline investment outlay, but what guarantee is there that customers will benefit from lower fares?

Firefly plans to make a similar proposal to the Perak government and is keen to set up hubs in Perak and Malacca as this will help boost tourism.

If the airline has plans to expand, it should look at the open market to lease aircraft if it does not want to invest in new aircraft.


It does not mean that Firefly should help boost tourism only if the two state governments have their own aircraft to lease to the airline.

As a commercial airline, Firefly should promote tourist destinations across the country.

Malacca and Perak are not attractive to commercial airlines because the carriers find it not viable to start flights due to the small market in the two states.

Leong said with a plane at Batu Berendam Airport, Firefly could offer flights between Malacca and Indonesia covering Batam, Pekan Baru, Jambi and Palembang.

With only one aircraft, how many flights can the airline operate in a day and to how many destinations in Indonesia?

What happens if there are technical problems and there is no engineer on hand to rectify it? Requiring spares would be another issue.

Is the airline ready to station an engineer here and keep an inventory of spares? If it does, it would only raise the airline's operating costs. So, would it be able to reduce airfares?

Refuelling facilities will also have to be set up in Malacca. The infrastructure should be in place first before the airline moves into expansion mode.

It looks like the airline has abandoned plans to operate the Malacca-Singapore route. It should have known that there was no refuelling facility in Malacca before applying to the Singapore and Malaysian governments to operate the flights.

Pesawat: Operasi Firefly tidak terjejas

KUALA LUMPUR 4 Okt. - Tidak seperti mana yang diharapkan. Syarikat penerbangan komuniti, Flyfirefly Sdn. Bhd. (Firefly) hanya menerima tujuh daripada 10 buah pesawat enjin turboprop (kipas) ATR72-500 yang ditempahnya pada tahun lalu.

Pengarah Urusannya, Eddy Leong berkata, meskipun menerima tujuh buah pesawat, operasi keseluruhan syarikat itu tidak terjejas.

Beliau berkata, pihaknya tidak berhasrat mengambil tindakan undang-undang ke atas syarikat pengeluar kapal terbang dari Perancis, ATR kerana pihaknya bertindak menggunakan budi bicaranya sendiri.

"Urusan dan operasi syarikat tetap berjalan seperti biasa dan ia tidak mengganggu aktiviti dan jadual yang diatur selama ini,'' katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini baru-baru ini.

Pesawat ATR72-500 itu adalah sebagai menggantikan Fokker 50 (F-50) dan berharga RM50 juta sebuah.

Firefly mula beroperasi pada 2 April 2007 dengan menjadikan Wilayah Pembangunan Segi Tiga Indonesia, Malaysia dan Thailand sebagai kawasan operasinya.

Mengulas mengenai operasi syarikat pada musim perayaan, beliau berkata, pada musim perayaan Hari Raya Aidilfitri baru-baru ini, pihaknya mencatatkan faktor muatan 100 peratus yang menyaksikan syarikat penerbangan itu mengadakan penerbangan tambahan.

"Kami turut mencatatkan tempahan tempat duduk yang penuh sempena sambutan Tahun Baru Cina tahun depan untuk beberapa destinasi termasuk dari Singapura.

"Tempahan dari Singapura ke Subang sudah penuh buat masa ini untuk sambutan Tahun Baru Cina, sekali gus menunjukkan ramai orang ingin pulang ke Malaysia pada waktu perayaan itu,'' ujarnya.

Sebanyak 60 peratus penumpang Firefly merupakan pelanggan tetap iaitu di kalangan ahli perniagaan manakala 20 peratus lagi adalah mereka yang ingin balik kampung manakala 20 peratus lagi adalah pelancong.

@ Singapore Budget terminal
From flickr

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From flickr

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Firefly 1 Million Target
Airline hopes to achieve passenger objective by the end of this year
Reena Raj Friday, November 27th, 2009 13:44:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Firefly Sdn Bhd is targeting to achieve one million passengers by the end of this year. As of Sept 2009, the carrier has managed to achieve 670,192 passengers.

Firefly's head of marketing and communications, Angelina C. Fernandez, in an exclusive interview with Mail Money said that for this year, they saw a 170 per cent increase in terms of passengers compared to last year.

Angelina also pointed out that the increase in passengers may also be due to its increased number of flights to Singapore.

The airline, which is also known as the "community airline", had in July launched its first flight to Singapore from the Skypark Subang terminal and now is servicing the route four times daily.

In September, Firefly took a step further when it decided to extend their connectivity to Singapore via Ipoh, Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu.

"Changi Airport is the target market as it is a major transit point for various airlines, and our target is not only the locals but also tourists who use the airport to fly to other destinations," she said.

She added that apart from Subang, the three other States have good tourist attraction spots and Firefly has made travelling easier to these places.

Firefly provides routes to various points within Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Sumatra in Indonesia, aligning itself with the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMTGT) agenda.
Angelina said currently 50 per cent of Firefly passengers are business and corporate travellers who travel on a shuttle basis. However, of late there has been a rise in passengers travelling on leisure.

"Ever since the increase in the leisure market, besides booking online using credit cards, we are also looking
at alternatives and varieties in mode of payment and booking via mobile, banking-in and also postal to make things easier for those who live in rural areas," she said.

For such added mode of payments, Angelina said that Firefly is in talks with various telecommunication
companies and banks to start the system next year.

When asked on plans for the airlines next year, Angelina said Firefly has expansion plans which will be carried out in stages.

She said the Phase One plan commenced in August this year and is expected to be completed next month.

She added that the fleet expansion to Singapore was under the Phase One plan.

Phase Two will commence in January next year and will end in the second quarter.The airline is operating with seven aircrafts and will be adding three more by next year which is part of the Phase Two plan.

Next year Angelina said the company is planning to strengthen their value-added services for customer satisfaction.

"We have launched new routes this year and next year we are aiming to improve services. We want to strengthen and try to cover all loopholes," she said.

When asked about the criteria to expand their flights, Angelina said they were looking at demand and also places which are a bit different from the normal routes other airlines are concentrating on.

She added that Firefly has the advantage as its 72-seater airplanes can land in airports with shorter runways.

The carrier operates under the two-year old FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysian Airline System Berhad.

Firefly may take delivery of 3 new planes this year
By Marina Emmanuel Published: 2010/01/06




COMMUNITY airline Firefly may take delivery of three new planes this year as demand for travel could recover.

The three planes were supposed to arrive last year but were deferred as a recession took its toll on business.

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the airline will make a decision by the end of February.

"Subject to the delivery of the three additional aircraft, we will review the reinstatement of some suspended flights such as Kota Baru-Penang," he told Business Times yesterday.

Last year, Firefly announced the suspension of several flights operating out of the Penang International Airport.

They included flights from Penang to Kuala Terengganu, Kota Baru, Koh Samui and Kuantan. Firefly had also suspended its Subang-Phuket flight.

Firefly now has seven ATR 72-500s.

"We are also looking at introducing the Subang-Hatyai route," he said, adding that Firefly has not initiated any traffic right applications to fly the proposed route and is currently at market research stage.

On plans for more flights into Singapore this year, Leong said: "We continue to work with the Kedah and Kelantan state governments to commence direct flights to Singapore, and much of which depends on refuelling facilities at the Alor Setar and Kota Baru airports".

Firefly also plans to start a second daily flight from Ipoh to Singapore.

When asked on the outlook of the aviation industry this year and how Firefly is expected to fare, Leong said: "Most industry players and observers expect 2010 to be more stable than 2009, although we may not necessarily see a drastic upswing.

"This is due to fuel cost which has been steadily rising since the last vertical dip to record lows, and we are viewing this with caution".

Firefly will continue to strengthen its position as a community airline, focusing on commuter traffic and connecting secondary cities and towns.

"Our inbound marketing efforts via code-share with MAS are beginning to show very positive results and we will push our yield and seat factor higher this year."

Firefly Adds Fifth Daily Flight To Singapore
January 15, 2010 11:59 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama)--Firefly, which touts itself as a community airline, is increasing the frequency of its daily flights from Subang to Singapore, to cater to the current high demand.

A fifth flight is now open for sale and the service will commence from March 28, Firefly said in a statement today.

"High loads and strong demand for this route have encouraged us to add the fifth frequency flight," said Firefly's head of Marketing and Communications, Angelina Fernandez.

To celebrate the added frequency, firefly is offering a promotional fare from as low as RM100.

The current promotion also covers flights to all destinations from as low as RM50 and RM100 for domestic and international travel respectively.

The special fare offer runs from now until Jan 21 for the travel period from Jan 21 to Oct 30 this year.

Promotional seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, and bookings made exclusively online via www.fireflyz.com.

Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, expects to carry 1.3 million passengers by the end of this year.

-- BERNAMA

Firefly to announce phase 2 route expansion
Published: 2010/01/21

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Malaysian Airlines System Bhd, is set to announce its second phase of route network expansion by end of the first quarter this year.

FlyFirefly, operator of Firefly, the community airline, completed its first phase of route expansion last year.

It currently serves 16 cities in four countries, said Firefly Head of Marketing and Communications Angelina Fernandez.

Details of the second phase expansion and delivery of three ATR72-500 aircraft would be announced by Managing Director Datuk Eddy Leong, she told reporters after launching Firefly's new booking channel, Firefly Mobile Application.

Firefly planned to have 10 ATR72-500 aircraft and had already received seven such planes. However, the airline has delayed the delivery of three aircraft to this year due to the global economic crisis.

The Firefly Mobile Application is a convenient option for air travellers to book flights via mobile phone. It is an additional channel besides the website, call centre, ticketing offices and travel agents.

Angelina said Firefly expects a five per cent sales growth via website from 70 per cent currently by the first quarter of this year driven by increased website usage.

She said the Firefly Mobile was just the beginning and more features would be introduced this year like flight change details, flight check-in and expanding the services to travel agents.

Firefly Mobile Application is a free application that will work with most of the mobile phone supporting Java application and Blackberry and with WAP, GPRS, EDGE or 3G data connections.

Angelina said iPhone and Windows Mobile versions would be available soon. This system is jointly developed by Firefly and Second Wind Sdn Bhd.

To register and download the application, customers can visit http://www.fireflyz.com.my/mobile.

In conjunction with the launch, Firefly is offering RM1 fare for all flight bookings through mobile phone from today till Jan 28.- Bernama

Fly for RM1 — and book tickets on your handphone
By YUEN MEIKENG and CARMEN TEOH


newsdesk@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Travellers can now fly for as low as RM1 – and they can even book flights using their handphones.

Low-cost carrier Firefly is offering a promotion of RM1 for all flight bookings made over the handphones, using its new mobile application, until next Thursday.

The customer, who spends the most on mobile booking during this period, also stands a chance to win two tickets to Koh Samui in Thai*land.

Firefly marketing and communications head Angelina Fernandez said the service provided customers with an easy option to book flights via a simplified payment process by clicking a button.

“We have experienced exponential growth in mobile lifestyle over the last few years and mobile devices are a vital part of a traveller’s life,” she said during the launch of the application at the airline’s office in Subang here yesterday.

Fernandez said a latest survey by the airline also revealed that 70% of its sales were currently conducted through the Firefly website.

Firefly distribution head Lawrence Chai said the application had been downloaded close to 1,000 times since it was made available on Jan 1.

“The booking process can take as fast as under a minute. Any mobile phone can run the application as long as it has a GPRS connection and supports Java applications,” he said, adding that the application was free.

Customers must first register their handphones online and download the application from www.fireflyz.com.my/mobile. They may start booking after launching the application in their mobile phone.

Payment is made via credit card.

The system will then display the booking confirmation code, which is to be presented upon check-in.

For more information, log on to www.fireflyz.com.my.

Firefly terima anugerah Syarikat Penerbangan Nilai Terbaik

SYARIKAT penerbangan komuniti, Firefly meraih pengiktirafan dengan menggondol anugerah Syarikat Penerbangan Nilai Terbaik dalam kategori Pengangkutan Udara Komersial pada majlis berprestij Anugerah Aeroangkasa dan Pertahanan Forst & Sullivan Asia Pasifik 2010 di Singapura, semalam.

Anugerah tahunan itu memberi pengiktirafan kepada syarikat dan individu dalam industri pengangkutan udara yang mencatat prestasi cemerlang dalam operasi di seluruh Asia Pasifik.

Pengarah Urusan Firefly, Datuk Eddy Leong, berkata syarikat itu akan menyambut ulang tahun ketiga April ini berbangga mendapat pengiktirafan untuk pertumbuhan pesat dicatat pada peringkat awal operasinya.

"Kami percaya pencapaian ini disebabkan syarikat membawakan keseronokan dalam industri penerbangan," katanya.

From flickr
by calflier

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Firefly Expects Revenue Increase With Launch Of Online Travel Portal

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- Community airline Firefly expects to grow its auxiliary income contribution to revenue by 15 to 20 per cent with the launch of its wholly-owned Firefly Holidays, the country's first online travel portal.

Currently, the portal's auxiliary income accounted for five to eight per cent of the parent company's revenue, Firefly Holidays' head Lau Yin May told reporters after the portal's official launch here on Thursday.

Lau said the portal, which previously offered packages only to Firefly destinations, had now been extended its coverage to include more than 100 Malaysia Airlines worldwide destinations.

"When we first started with Firefly destinations, we got an average of 300 bookings a day. With the expansion of offerings, we hope we can grow four to five times in terms of volume as well as our auxiliary income," she said.

Malaysia Airlines' senior general manager of sales and marketing, Datuk Bernard Francis, said the airline as a group, together with Firefly and MasWings, have synergised their marketing strategies through the portal to promote their products.

Through the portal, customers are given flexibility to customise and select their preferred flight timings, hotels and complement their holidays with optional transfers and tours.

-- BERNAMA

http://www.fireflyholiday.com/

Firefly offers flights from RM1


PETALING JAYA: Flight tickets from as low as RM1 to all Firefly destinations are up for grabs during the upcoming Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) fair.

Firefly distribution head Lawrence Chai said travellers who booked their flight tickets via its recently launched Firefly Mobile application will be able to enjoy the special deals.

“We encourage travellers to sign up for the application which gives customers the special rates and provides them the convenience to book flights anytime, anywhere via mobile phone,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Firefly Holiday head Lau Yin May said customers could also choose from a large selection of travel packages, which included all domestic, Asean and international Malaysia Airlines destinations at the Firefly Holiday booth at the Matta Fair.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/3/5/nation/n_27firefly.jpg
Great deal: Firefly girls showing the holiday package promotion after the press conference yesterday. — Bernama

“Customers who spend more than RM6,000 will stand to win a Maxis-Blackberry mobile phone or a MAS ticket or a Firefly ticket.

“Any purchase worth more than RM2,000 will get an opportunity to win prizes,” she said.

International packages available at the fair include the London and Paris Tour with Eurostar (5D/4N) from RM4,699 and Tokyo Tour with Disneyland (6D/4N) from RM4,339.

Firefly marketing and communications head Angelina Fernandez said the airlines targeted to boost sales to RM1.5mil, a three-fold increase compared to last year.

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Firefly menang Penerbangan Nilai Terbaik 2010


FLYFIREFLY Sdn Bhd (Firefly) memenangi Penerbangan Nilai Terbaik 2010 apabila berjaya mencatatkan jumlah jualan terbesar bagi pakej percutian ditawarkan sempena pembukaan pameran Matta yang berlangsung selama tiga hari berakhir semalam.

Ketua Pemasaran dan Komunikasinya, Angelina C Fernandez, berkata pihaknya berjaya merekodkan peningkatan jualan sebanyak 400 peratus yang turut disumbang oleh Firefly Holiday iaitu portal percutian dalam talian pertama negara.

Beliau berkata, sambutan orang ramai pada pameran tahun ini begitu menggalakkan dan ia antara yang terbaik pernah dicatatkan Firefly sejak menyertai Matta termasuk menawarkan pakej Penerbangan Malaysia (MAS).

Firefly wants 2 Ipoh-Singapore daily flights
Published: 2010/03/24

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd (Firefly) is proposing to increase its flight frequency to twice daily for the Ipoh-Singapore from one daily flight currently.

Managing Director of Firefly, Datuk Eddie Leong said the proposal was based on the high demand for the route which records a 90 per cent take-up each flight.

"Prior to this, Firefly had followed the World Travel Mart in London and had been at the ITB in Berlin recently and we saw a lot of interest for the Ipoh-Singapore route and now they are aware of this direct link between Singapore and Ipoh. Many European companies offer flights to Singapore such as KLM, Air France and British Airways," he told reporters here today.

He said Firefly was also scheduled to receive three more ATR72-500 aircraft costing US$18 million each at the end of this year and this will further support the company's plan to expand its network and increase passenger number.

Earlier, Leong represented Firefly in signing a strategic partnership agreement with the state government of Perak. The state was represented by State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir witnessed the signing held at the Menteri Besar office here today.

The partnership is aimed at giving focus to enabling international flights between the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS) in Ipoh with Singapore's Changi International Airport.

It is also aimed at promoting Perak as a major tourist destination and encouraging new investments and business expansion to drive Perak's economic growth.

The state government will allocate RM2.4 million for the partnership with Firefly to market and promote the state's tourism sector in the first year and another RM1.8 million in the second year. Among others, the allocation will cover advertising and promotional campaigns. -- Bernama

Firefly is in a better position to market Perak to the rest of the world than Silverfly. Tapping passengers directly from Changi Airport is really a good strategy (Since Changi airport is in a better position than KLIA in terms of global linkages).

Perak flying with Firefly


THE Perak state government has signed a five-year contract with budget airline Firefly to promote tourism and foreign investment in the state.

Under the agreement, the state will spend RM2.4mil for the airline to jointly market and promote tourism in the state.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the contract was in line with the state’s plan to develop the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport into a feeder airport.

“Since the airline started nine months ago, it had received encouraging response,” he said yesterday after witnessing the signing ceremony at the State Secretariat building here on Wednesday.

Perak was represented by State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim while Firefly was represented by its managing director Datuk Eddy Leong.

Leong said the airline would operate 10 weekly flights from Ipoh to Singapore from October.

“We will even increase it to 14 times a week if we can get additional aircrafts,” he said.

He noted that during the international trade fare at ITB Berlin, Firefly received many sales inquiries regarding the Singapore-Ipoh route.

On a separate matter, Dr Zambry said for the first time, the national-level celebration of Vasakhi Day would be held in Ipoh on April 23.

“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will officiate the event at 8.30am,” he said.

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the event.

wow, 2.4mil of perakian tax payers money to subsidies firefly to bring in the singaporean

hope it a money well spend...

is this new 2.4mil, or the same 2mil that nizar offered earlier?

Firefly may take MAS jets to expand (from NST)

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) (3786) is evaluating the potential of allowing wholly-owned FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd to operate its B737-400 planes when it replaces its fleet gradually from the end of this year.

The national carrier will receive three of its B737-800 this year and the next. It will also receive five A330-300 and another five A380 next year.

Sources said that Firefly would either lease or buy up to 35 of the used MAS jets, and would use the aircraft for short-range domestic and regional routes.

The plan is expected to take off from December this year until the end of 2013 when MAS stops using the B737-400.
Business Times has learnt that Firefly may either operate the Boeings from the KL International Airport (KLIA) or the new Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

The airline is believed to have already contacted Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) about reserving slots for the additional planes at the new LCCT.

"It is likely that Firefly will opt for KLIA, which is currently under-utilised, as this will enable the airline's passengers to connect seamlessly on their onward journeys," a source said.

Firefly, which was set up by MAS three years ago, currently operates ATR 72-500 turboprops from its hubs in Subang and Penang.

Besides using the jets to add capacity and frequencies to the domestic routes it serves (and also those of MAS), Firefly is also likely to add new destinations like Macau, Jogjakarta, Haadyai, Bandung and Chiangmai, which are not served by MAS at present.

In addition, Firefly may ply routes where MAS is facing intense competition from low-cost carriers.

These include routes like Kuala Lumpur-Medan, Penang-Medan, Kuala Lumpur-Singapore and Penang-Singapore.

"As a new airline operating out of KLIA, Firefly will be entitled to many incentives from MAHB and this could result in lower operating costs which could then be transferred to even lower fares," the source said.

Firefly currently has a staff headcount of 350. If the plan to use the jets in addition to the turbo-props materialises, the airline is set to boast a headcount of 1,500 in four years.

Thats a big no no!For what firefly is at the moment is perfect!

In fact Firefly and AirAsia should share the same terminal of KLIA under one roof,scrap the LCCT and Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport as their hubs or premier landing spot.Then KLIA will be alive. :)

Goodies for Firefly Facebook fans


SUBANG: Firefly is back with attractive fares and flexible travel dates between July and August.

The special domestic and regional promotion from April 26 to May 8, offers a 30% discount on all seats (except flights to Thailand) for Firefly Facebook fans only, it said in a statement here.

It will only cost RM60 to Terengganu, RM75 to Langkawi, RM110 to Singapore and Medan. For flights to Penang and Alor Setar, the fares are only RM55 and RM66 respectively.

The special promotional fares are now available at www.facebook.com/firefly until May 8.

Firefly’s Head of Marketing and Communications Angelina Fernandez said the demand for air travel was still buoyant despite the aviation industry’s losses of up to US$17bil (RM54bil) as estimated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) following the ash cloud episode after a volcano erupted in Iceland.

“As an appreciation to our 24,000 Firefly Facebook fans for their unrelenting support, we are providing them with a special discount of 30% in this Faceoff promotion.

“This promotion is Firefly’s way of providing our Facebook fans with more convenience and travel options,” said Fernandez.

She said purchases of Firefly tickets by Firefly Facebook fans to all destinations had picked up significantly.

More Firefly Facebook fans are choosing to travel with Firefly as the airline regularly offers its fans competitive promotional fares with value- added services.

The special Faceoff promotional fares are only available for Firefly Facebook fans online on a first-come-first serve basis, and seats must be purchased at least 30 days before departure. — Bernama

In fact Firefly and AirAsia should share the same terminal of KLIA under one roof,scrap the LCCT and Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport as their hubs or premier landing spot.Then KLIA will be alive. :)

Victor they would have love to do it from day 1 but the problem i see has got something to do with a international aviaton body that regulates all the charges for the use of terminal etc etc.They not happy is all these budget airlines get special discountslah:)

^^ Hmmm pretty true,that explains it well though,thanks anyway :)

Firefly Holiday
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/6/nation/6200473&sec=nation

Firefly offers travel bargains at tourism fair


PETALING JAYA: Firefly will be highlighting packages for group travels during the Malaysia Domestic Tourism Fair from today until Sunday at the Putra World Trade Centre.

Its marketing and communications head Angelina Fernandez said Firefly encouraged families and groups to explore and enjoy the variety of domestic holiday spots through its Family Holiday packages.

“In short, the more people travel together, the cheaper it will be for all. There will be a holiday package for everyone both in terms of budget and also activities,” she said in a statement.

The promotion, which starts today until Sunday, is valid for the travel period between June 14 and March 26, 2011.

Packages start as low as RM369 to Penang both ways or RM239 for a drive-your-own package to Cameron Highlands.

Another exciting bargain on offer are Firefly tickets for RM1, which are only available at the fair and can only be purchased on Firefly's new mobile phone application, Firefly Mobile.

Customers must register with Firefly Mobile at www.fireflyz.com.my/mobile and download the application to start booking, and the highest spender of the day will also be rewarded with gifts.

Travellers and holiday-makers will get more than just special packages and cheap fares from Firefly when they visit its booth.

The first 100 customers who purchase Firefly Holiday Packages will be rewarded with a gift voucher worth RM50.

Free 10-minute massages will also be provided for those who purchase holiday packages.

Customers of all ages will also get to experience flying a plane on the Wing Commanderz flight simulator and stand to win free tickets to selected destinations if they win the challenge.

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/8119/50931053.jpg

Firefly targets flights to Sabah by year-end
By Marina Emmanuel Published: 2010/08/21
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/fliez-2/Article/

MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) (3786) is set to allow wholly-owned FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd to begin operating its B737-400 aircraft to Sabah.

Firefly is said to have been in talks with Sabah tourism authorities this week, and is likely to proceed with the move by the year-end.

MAS has been reported to have 36 B737-400 aircraft, which are due to exit from service by 2014.

Firefly currently operates the ATR 72-500 turbopropeller servicing routes in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia from its two hubs at the Penang and Subang airports.

Sources said that both Firefly and MAS will operate the Sabah routes, with Firefly flying out of the KL International Airport in Sepang.

On August 9, MAS said Kota Kinabalu would be its eastern hub and gateway to promote travels to and from China, Taiwan, North Asia, Indonesia and Australia.

The hub will be developed over three stages from November 15 this year to June 3 next year.

MAS said it was targeting 150 flights and a cabin crew of 250 for the Kota Kinabalu hub by next June. Six aircraft, two of which would be the B737-800 and four B737-400, would be based in Kota Kinabalu.

An aviation expert, when contacted, said that Firefly would first need to obtain approval from the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to fly the new local routes.

"The DCA air worthiness division will need to audit the transfer first. This will then be followed by a flight destination approval from the authority's air transport division," the source said.

Looks like MAS current Boeing 737-400s will not be immediately put into retirement afterall...

Firefly embarks on 5-year expansion drive
By Marina Emmanuel Published: 2010/08/24
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/flies/Article/

FIREFLY, the low-cost carrier owned by Malaysia Airlines, appears to have revealed its ambition to fly as far as China, India and Taiwan.

On Saturday, it put out a full-page advertisement in an English daily to fill positions for pilots with ATR and Boeing 737 experience to be based at Subang Airport and KLIA.

It was also looking for flight and ground operations staff as well as those in engineering, commercial and support services.

"Having been in operation for several years, we are now embarking on a very aggressive expansion plan over the next five years," the advertisement read.

"We provide exclusive routes to various points within Peninsula Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

"Our future destinations include Sabah and Sarawak, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, China, India, Taiwan and many more."

Although Firefly did not identify itself in the ad, the advertiser described itself as a leading regional airline wholly-owned by a public-listed company with a majority shareholding by the government.

Meanwhile, Firefly yesterday said it has submitted its application to relevant authorities for the expansion of its operations.

"We will furnish more information once the approvals are obtained," FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Eddy Leong told Business Times.

He was responding to questions following a Business Times report that parent company MAS is set to allow Firefly to operate its B737-400 aircraft to Sabah by the end of this year.

Firefly is also in talks with Sabah tourism authorities.

MAS has 36 B737-400 aircraft, which are due to exit from service by 2014.

Firefly now operates the ATR 72-500 turbopropeller servicing routes in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia from its two hubs at the Penang and Subang airports.

Sources said that both Firefly and MAS will operate the Sabah routes, with Firefly flying out of the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang.

It is now learnt that Sarawak is also likely to be on Firefly's radar as talks have started this week in Kuching between Firefly staff and the local tourism officials.

Firefly flights from Subang airport is such a breeze.
Yes the planes are turboprops but very comfortable and Subang airport is transformed!
The convenience of going to Subang from my home compared to KLIA is obvious. Have only flown with them to Penang though.

What I like- check in - no need to come in hours before the flight, Getting on the plane is easy just walk to plane and everyone is in by 10 mins and the pilot starts up and we are off. On arriving very quick disembarkation from the plane and walk to terminal and out to carpark and I'm off.

And I want to say again, Subang airport terminal is a very pleasant surprise.

Firefly Purchases Three ATR72-500s
August 24, 2010 16:51 PM
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=523573

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- Firefly will increase its present turboprop fleet with the purchase of three additional ATR72-500s, two of which will be delivered in December 2010 and the third in January 2011.

In a statement here Tuesday, Firefly said this will bring its turboprop fleet size to 10.

It said the new aircraft will be used to strengthen Firefly's current network footprint through increased frequency for the high demand sectors.

Moreover, it will reinstate some Penang based routes that were previously suspended due to the prevailing unfavourable economic condition last year.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd said 11,200 packs of dates and biscuits will be distributed to all Firefly passengers for breaking fast starting today until end of Ramadan.

Since the beginning of Ramadan, the bank has been distributing 1,000 packs of dates and biscuits everyday at different locations in and around Kuala Lumpur.

"This is our second corporate social responsibility (programme) with Firefly as the first initiative was to help victims of the Padang earthquake in October 2009," said Nik Ahmad Fauzan Nik Mohamed, Acting Head of Corporate Communications for Bank Muamalat.

-- BERNAMA

The news is misleading. The 3 aircrafts that were the subject of interest is not newly purchased. Firefly bought 10 ATRs, they have received 7, so basically these 3 aircrafts are the remaining from their previous order made in 2007.

The news article should be retitled 'Firefly will receive delivery of 3 aircrafts'.

no wonder it could be delivered in less than 4 months :o

Firefly to double Singapore-Ipoh frequency
Published: 2010/10/01
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20101001170945/Article/index_html

Firefly will double its Singapore-Ipoh services to 14 times weekly by January next year from seven times weekly now, a company official said today.

She also told Bernama here today that the community airline would be adding three ATR 72-500 aircraft by February next year to 10 from seven currently.

Meanwhile in a statement, Firefly Managing Director Datuk Eddy Leong said the airline would reinstate its Penang-Kuantan, Penang-Kuala Terengganu and Penang-Kota Bharu services in line with its expansion programme. All-in-fares from RM45 are being offered to celebrate the reinstatement.

"We envisage increased accessibility and convenient connectivity between the east and west coasts of Peninsula Malaysia and we are confident this will contribute positively towards boosting the local economy," Eddy said.

Firefly is also offering an all-in fare for the Subang-Langkawi, Subang-Kota Bharu, Subang-Kuala Terengganu routes from as low as RM45 one way and also Ipoh-Singapore and Subang-Singapore from RM75 one way.

The deals, in conjunction with the expansion programme, are now open for sale with a booking period from 20 Sept to Oct 17 this year for travel between Oct 31, 2010 and March 26, 2011.
-- Bernama

Domestic Firefly flights from KLIA by early 2011
By B.K. SIDHU
bksidhu@thestar.com.my


PETALING JAYA: Firefly, which now operates turboprops from Subang, will begin flying jets on several domestic routes from the KL International Airport (KLIA) as early as January or February.

The idea is to beat competition with a low-cost model rather than a full service one and Firefly will take over some of the B737-400 aircraft from parent Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to ply the domestic routes.

“It will have four to six B737-400 aircraft to begin with and more will be added to the system over time. Firefly is likely to do more of the cross-over flights to Sabah and Sarawak,’’ said a source.

Firefly is slated to make an announcement on its expansion plans on Monday.

It could not be confirmed if the jets will take off from KLIA or the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang but, given the need to connect passengers from domestic to international routes, it would it easier to fly out of KLIA.

Certainly the jets would not fly from Subang, a source said.

He added that Firefly was also to fly to Asean destinations using the jets but the airline had to first get the necessary approvals from the authorities.

Firefly’s operations in Subang would continue as usual. The airline currently operates seven ATR 75-200s for domestic routes, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. It will take delivery of two ATRs by the year-end and a third by January.

Firefly is able to take over some of the B737-400 aircraft from MAS as the latter has ordered 55 new B737-800. On Monday, MAS took delivery of the first such aircraft,which came with a roomier interior, higher ceiling and mood lighting.

Even the economy class is fitted with personal screens for in-flight entertainment and the aircraft can fly 5½ hours non-stop. The new interior done by Boeing is part of a package of improvements to the 737 family, which include a 2% fuel burn improvement and the updated CFM56-7BE engine, thus bringing down maintenance cost for the airline.

Meanwhile, MAS is to take delivery of two B737-400 before the year is out. The national carrier will use the first aircraft, which is a 160-seater, for the KL-Kota Kinabalu-Haneda route to be launched on Nov 15.

The aircraft is powered by engines from Pratt & Whitney. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton witnessed the signing of a sale and purchase agreement for the purchase of 50 engines by MAS from Pratt & Whitney.

Yesterday, at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, where MAS showcased its new B737-800, Clinton said the “partnership between MAS and Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric is a win-win relationship which would create high paying skill jobs in both countries.’’

Also present at the event was Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha and MAS senior team. Besides the 737-800, the airline has ordered 25 A330-300 and six A380.

[QUOTE=rizalhakim;66478595][FONT="Arial Black"][SIZE="5"][U]Domestic as January or February.

Meanwhile, MAS is to take delivery of two B737-400 before the year is out. The national carrier will use the first aircraft, which is a 160-seater, for the KL-Kota Kinabalu-Haneda route to be launched on Nov 15.

Typo i suspect its the 800 series:nuts:

B738 does look good in FY Livery

http://www.fireflyz.com.my/images/shiny3/jet/01-intro.jpg

seems like MAS wants to develop Firefly to fight with AirAsia...

is there any thread for firefly in world forum?:)

Firefly to add more domestic destinations
By JEEVA ARULAMPALAM Monday November 8, 2010
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/8/business/7381778&sec=business

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has finally turned to wholly-owned unit Firefly to compete head-on with low-cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia as Firefly looks to add more domestic destinations now and Asean routes eventually.

As the global airline industry recovers, full-service carriers (FSC) in Asia are swiftly looking at ways to enter the low-fare segment and regain lost market share as more travellers opt to fly with LCCs.

While MAS plans to expand aggressively into Asia with its new fleet, it will not want to lose out on the short-haul market given that 78% of the 24 million tourist arrivals in Malaysia last year came from this market (more so neighbouring markets), 15% from medium-haul markets and 7% from long-haul markets. Firefly’s expansion can help address this concern.

StarBiz reported last week that Firefly, which operates turboprop aircraft from Subang, will start flying jets as early as the first quarter next year from KL International Airport.

Citing sources, the report said that Firefly will initially use four to six B737-400s to provide cross-over flights to Sabah and Sarawak and add Asean destinations once it receives the relevant approvals.

To facilitate the expansion plan, MAS may continue to lease the B737 aircraft and charge Firefly a fee for the utilisation of these planes.

Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong will reveal Firefly’s expansion plan today to the media.

HwangDBS Vickers Research viewed the expansion as positive for MAS, given Firefly’s profitable operations and ability now to help partly subsidise the loss-making routes.

“The expansion will also help MAS compete with AirAsia, which is estimated to have a bigger market share in Malaysia compared to MAS,” said the research house in a report last Thursday.

AirAsia Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes remains unfazed by the expansion plans.

“We are beyond worrying about what legacy airlines do. AirAsia has grown and will continue to grow positively due to a disciplined focus on cost and the short haul single class model,” he told StarBiz.

It can be an uphill task for a FSC to operate its own LCC, considering that many LCCs have gone bust or were bought over by LCC rivals. For instance, Easyjet bought over British Airways’ LCC Go for £374mil in 2002 while Europe’s Ryanair purchased KLM Royal Dutch Airline’s loss-making LCC Buzz at £15mil in 2003.

Closer to home, Garuda Indonesia is now focused on fixing itself before it looks to mend its LCC Citilink Airlines.

There have been exceptions such as Qantas Airways’ successful LCC Jetstar Airways. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines’ associate Tiger Airways has also done well in the regional LCC space.

HwangDBS said its main concern with Firefly’s expansion plan was the higher operating costs of the old B737s, which could affect its bottom line despite Firefly’s low-cost business model.

A local aviation analyst said the fuel consumption for the older Boeing aircraft was higher, at an average of 10% to 15% more per seat basis than the newer models.

Many of the LCCs like Jetstar, Tiger Airways and AirAsia operate relatively newer A320 planes.

Fernandes added that MAS’ decision to move into the LCC space would remove the last hurdle for AirAsia X.

“This removes the last blockage for AirAsia X and allows us to build a world class hub. Now MAS has entered our space, the long-haul market should be fully liberalised for AirAsia X,” he said.

Fernandes may not be too far off the mark, as the Government has stated its intention under the Economic Transformation Programme to enhance connectivity to priority medium-haul markets.

The plan is to increase frequencies to 10 priority cities, which include Beijing, Delhi, Melbourne, Mumbai, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo. Malaysia is said to have a double-digit flight frequency gap to most of these cities compared with Singapore and Thailand.

The local transport ministry will be working on increasing air rights to the countries that have restricted air rights, primarily Australia, Japan and India. The distribution of subsequent air rights will also be done in a more transparent and liberalised manner, as the transport ministry develops an air rights allocation framework.

Firefly’s new fleet to start operating in Jan
Published: 2010/11/08
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20101108135520/Article/index_html

Firefly Sdn Bhd, the budget arm of Malaysian Airline System Bhd, will begin introducing its new fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft from January, the Southeast Asian airline said in an exchange filing today.

Firefly, which operates under the Firefly brand, will have six aircraft in service by the end of 2011, it said. - Bloomberg

Firefly launch Boeing 737-800 service and new Kuala Lumpur – Kota Kinabalu/Kuching service from Jan 11
20101108 by jimyvr

Malaysia Airlines’ subsidiary Firefly announced starting 15JAN11 it will be launching service from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, offering Domestic service to Kota Kinabalu (3 Daily) and Kuching (4 Daily).

New service coincides with the arrival of new 189-seater monoclass Boeing 737-800, which according to report that it’ll be taking 30 frames by 2015. In 2011, it’ll receive 6, and 7 each in 2012 and 2013, 5 each in 2014 and 2015. The report does not specify whether these 30 737-800 is part of parent Malaysia Airlines’ order for 35 737-800.

Schedule below:

Kuala Lumpur – Kota Kinabalu
FY502 KUL0655 – 0930BKI 738 D
FY514 KUL1305 – 1540BKI 738 D
FY528 KUL1915 – 2150BKI 738 D

FY501 BKI1000 – 1225KUL 738 D
FY513 BKI1610 – 1835KUL 738 D
FY527 BKI2220 – 0045+1KUL 738 D

FY514/513 effective 24JAN11

Kuala Lumpur – Kuching
FY602 KUL0720 – 0905KCH 738 D
FY608 KUL1145 – 1330KCH 738 D
FY622 KUL1620 – 1805KCH 738 D
FY630 KUL2045 – 2230KCH 738 D

FY601 KCH0935 – 1115KUL 738 D
FY607 KCH1400 – 1540KUL 738 D
FY621 KCH1835 – 2015KUL 738 D
FY629 KCH2300 – 0040+1KUL 738 D

FY608/607, FY622/621 effective 24JAN11

there will be 23 daily flights servg kch-kl daily after tis...wow!!lots of choice..can fly anytime..

Firefly to spread wings to Kuching and KK
By VANES DEVINDRAN Tuesday November 9, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/11/9/sarawak/7387089&sec=sarawak

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/11/9/sarawak/sw_02firefly.jpg

Soaring high: Firefly will operate a new fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft to
Sarawak and Sabah from Jan 15 next year.

FIREFLY, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), will fly to Sarawak and Sabah from Jan 15 next year to facilitate MAS in terms of flight connectivity, particularly for the European market.

Flyfirefly Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the airline would begin operating on the East Malaysian route from Kuala Lumpur International Airport with a new fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

“We believe the code-sharing with MAS will give us a competitive edge over other low-cost carriers,” he said when revealing Firefly’s expansion plan to the media in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, yesterday.

He said that Sarawak and Sabah provided good revenue in terms of cargo as well.

From Jan 15, Firefly will fly twice daily from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching and Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu. From Jan 24, it will fly four times daily from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching and thrice daily from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu.

It plans to increase the frequency from time to time while it adds more aircraft to its fleet.

Leong revealed that Firefly intended to purchase 30 Boeing 737-800 from 2011 and 2015 in a five-year expansion drive and aimed to fly to all major Asean countries.

The destinations, he said, would be made known once the traffic routes and slots were sorted out.

Firefly hoped to add six aircraft next year, seven in 2012, seven in 2013, five in 2014 and five in 2015 under phase one of its expansion plan, he added.

It had secured four aircraft on lease, said Leong, adding that the airline would offer tickets at a competitive price, a bit of frills and award-winning service.

With the launch of the new routes, Firefly is offering 50,000 seats at RM9 one way. Bookings can be made online at fireflyz.com.my and through mobile booking at m.fireflyz.com.my.

The booking period will last until Nov 14 for travel from Jan 15 to May 31 next year.

Source:http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/bflyfly-2/Article/

Firefly scales new heights
By Kamarul Yunus

FLYFIREFLY Sdn Bhd (Firefly), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, plans to add 30 new and bigger Boeing 737-800s to its fleet over the next five years to serve domestic and regional routes.

Its managing director Datuk Eddy Leong, said the airline's first 737-800 will arrive next month, in time for its inaugural twice-daily services from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching scheduled for launch on January 15 next year.

"Firefly will receive the initial six 737-800s next year, including the first expected to arrive in December, followed by seven more jets in 2012, another seven in 2013, five in 2014 and the last five in 2015.

"The new fleet of 737-800s will operate from the main building of KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang)," he said in a media briefing to announce Firefly's fleet and route expansion in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

Firefly plans to fly in and out of major cities in Asean.

"In fact, the aircraft can even go to India and China but as of now, our focus will be more on capitalising the prospects in Asean countries," he said.

Firefly will maintain its existing turboprop fleet of seven ATR 72-500s, which currently operates out of Skypark Subang Airport.

For a start, the airline had secured a lease for four 737-800s and is expected to receive the first aircraft of firm orders by 2013.

"We expect to start placing orders for the aircraft by the third or fourth quarter of next year and probably receive them from 2013 or 2014," he said.

Firefly will use internal funds for pre-delivery payments.

Leong dismissed suggestions that Firefly will buy the 30 737-800s from MAS' firmed order of 35 and option of 20 for the similar aircraft.

"Those aircraft are (solely) for them. As for our plan, all will be leased in the first year. Later, we go and order separately."

He also ruled out the possibility of Firefly buying currently used 737-400s from MAS following the national carrier's purchase of the next generation 737-800s.

"No. In fact we have not been asked," he said.

Firefly is picking the 737-800 because it is more cost-efficient and has nine seats more compared with similar aircraft, namely the A320.

The airline is studying the possibility of relocating its jet operations from the KLIA main terminal to the new and permanent low-cost carrier terminal.

But it will not move from Subang as its turboprop business is profitable.

Firefly operating from SZB and KUL is so troublesome! and there's no link between the two airports except taxi

AirAsia shrugs off Firefly expansion plan
By Kamarul Yunus Published: 2010/11/10
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/aafly-2/Article/index_html

AirAsia is beyond worrying about what legacy airlines do, says chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes

AirAsia Bhd (5099), Malaysia's leading budget carrier, has shrugged off concerns over Firefly's expansion plans and stressed that it is the world leader when it comes to low cost.

On Monday, Firefly said it would launch its maiden Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur-Kuching flights from January 15 next year, using a bigger 737-800 aircraft.

The budget carrier will operate from the KL International Airport and add 30 B737-800s to its fleet over five years.

"We are beyond worrying about what legacy airlines do. AirAsia has grown and will continue to grow positively due to a disciplined focus on cost and short haul single class model.

"We are the lowest-cost airline operator in the world, which translates into the best low fares for our guests," AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said in a statement.

Analysts have mixed views about Firefly's ambitions.

OSK Investment Bank worries that it could cannibalise parent Malaysia Airlines' domestic and international routes.

"This is in view of Firefly's cheaper airfare and newer fleet. With MAS not cutting capacity on the same routes served by Firefly and the fierce competition with other low-cost carriers (LCCs), we see a cap on yield upside," it said.

For now, OSK is not changing its earnings forecast for MAS and continues to value it at 18 times its 2011 earnings with a target price of RM2.10.

AmResearch Sdn Bhd agrees that Firefly's plans could hurt yields for MAS but said it would help address income lost to rivals, particularly AirAsia.

Firefly would also face initial losses from the new jet aircraft routes, which typically take one or two years to break even.

But AmResearch said investors are better off with AirAsia given its far superior route network and fleet size. This enables it to better tap the growing regional demand and provides it the critical mass, in terms of passenger base and website traffic, to enable it to capitalise on ancillary initiatives.

"AirAsia trades at par to MAS in terms of forward PE, but at a 30 per cent to 40 per cent discount to LCC peers.

"We are longer term positive on MAS' LCC strategy as it enables the group to claw back some market share that was lost to AirAsia but value enhancement is not likely to materialise within the next 12 months due to initial losses expected to be incurred," it said.

Nonetheless, AmResearch said it has a "buy" call on MAS with an unchanged fair value of RM3.50 per share.

Firefly’s lowest unit cost achievable
By JEEVA ARULAMPALAM Wednesday November 10, 2010
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/10/business/7393964&sec=business

New jet fleet makes this possible

PETALING JAYA: Firefly’s plan to have the lowest unit cost in the country with its new jet aircraft is possible given Firefly’s existing infrastructure and the higher number of seats in the new aircraft, according to analysts.

The wholly-owned airline by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) said on Monday that it was taking delivery of 30 B737-800 aircraft over the next five years to expand further domestically and upon receiving the relevant approvals, into more Asean markets.

The B737-800 aircraft would have 189 seats per aircraft, which is 9 more seats than a typical Airbus 320 aircraft used by low-cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia. AirAsia reported a unit cost (cost per available seat kilometre) of 11.74sen for its second quarter ended June 30.

“Our back of the envelope calculation suggests that Firefly’s unit cost will likely be 5% lower than that of AirAsia’s at 11.2 sen, This is purely coming from a higher seat count per aircraft, all else being equal,” AmResearch Sdn Bhd said in a report yesterday.

It added that the lower than peer unit cost should allow Firefly flexibility in managing pricing. Aside from this, Firefly could ride on MAS’ existing infrastructure and resources such as ground handling, aircraft maintenance and existing staff, said HwangDBS Vickers Research and ECM Libra Investment Research in separate reports.

“It is important for Firefly to push its costs down in order to compete with other LCCs, especially AirAsia,” ECM Libra said. HwangDBS added that the B737s are said to be more fuel efficient compared to A320s due to its blended winglets, which help reduce fuel burn.

“Firefly could also determine its own fuel hedging policy which may be different from MAS’. This could be positive for Firefly as MAS had locked in at higher than spot prices, which is one of the main drags to its bottom line,” it said.

HwangDBS said that Firefly’s fare structure, which includes a base fare with a separate fare for bundled services, was similar to AirAsia’s.

“Hence, the airline could potentially garner ancillary income, apart from the normal fares,” it said.

It added that Firefly was expected to venture into the low-cost segment in a big way. It would focus on domestic trunk routes where Firefly had the luxury to choose profitable, high load potential routes to operate.

AmResearch anticipated more higher yielding routes involving East Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur and potentially from Singapore to other parts in Malaysia, given strong traffic flows on these routes. It added that Firefly’s route network, as an independent LCC, will be far smaller than AirAsia but could tap on MAS’ existing robust international traffic.

“MAS’ feeder traffic that flows to Firefly is relatively small but as an indication, 20% of AirAsia X’s traffic feed into AirAsia’s regional flights. MAS’ international traffic is six times the size of AirAsia X’s and MAS entails much better long-haul connectivity than AirAsia X,” it added.

While positive on Firefly’s expansion, OSK Research Sdn Bhd said a concern was the potential cannibalisation of MAS’ domestic routes and progressive encroachment into MAS’ international routes as Firefly grows.

“This is in view of Firefly’s cheaper air fare and newer fleet. With MAS not cutting capacity on the same routes served by Firefly and the fierce competition with other LCCs, we see a cap on yield upside,” it said in a report.

AmResearch said that Firefly’s new jet aircraft routes would take 1-2 years to break even but its foray into the LCC market would help plug existing revenue leakage for MAS to competitors such as AirAsia.

“Investors are better off with AirAsia for exposure to LCC play given its far superior route network and fleet size, which enables it to better tap the growing regional demand and provides it the critical mass to enable it to capitalise on ancillary initiatives,” it added.

Meanwhile, AirAsia Bhd’s share price was down yesterday after RHB Research Institute downgraded its financial year 2010-2012 net profit forecasts to reflect lower yields on a full-scale price war.

You mean, having the lowest unit cost in the country or in the world ? :cheers:

Air Asia has the lowest in the world

Which means, Malaysians enjoy the lowest airfare in the world ?? :cheers:

that means if they beat AK, they beat the world :cheers:

Firefly urged to make Sibu its hub for East Malaysia
Posted on November 12, 2010, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=74698

SIBU: Firefly — a low cost carrier has been urged to consider making Sibu the hub for East Malaysia, following its expansion plans into Sarawak market.

This was because the central region was a rapidly growing market for domestic travel, reasoned the managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd, Robert Tan.

While he hailed the airline’s expansion to Sarawak as timely, he opined that Kuching market had become congested with five airlines fighting for the market share and lately, Jetstar had decided to pull out.

“On the contrary, there are more than 10,000 locals working in Singapore and Johor Baharu. And moreover, there are many students studying in public and private institutions of higher learning in the Peninsular,” Tan told The Borneo Post yesterday when asked on the impact of Firefly’s entry to Sarawak on the airlines industry.

He thus argued that this would provide the necessary load to ensure that the airlines remain profitable, reiterating that Sibu was a mouth-watering market.

Backing his claim to urge the low fare airline to give Sibu the priority, he said both the current premium and low cost airlines still serviced the Sibu-Kuala Lumpur route and “hence, this goes without reasonable doubt that Sibu or the central region has the passenger load.”

The nation capital was the gateway to domestic and international destinations and it was imperative that, more airlines serviced this route.

As such, Firefly, he said, should take up the initiative since this would greatly benefit the people in the central region.

He reckoned that unlike in the Peninsular with better road connectivity, people in Sarawak depended heavily on air travel between towns as it was more convenient and time saving.

Citing an example, he said it took about six hours to reach Kuching from Sibu despite a distance of about 300km.

As such, people here still opt to travel by air rather than by roads to save time.

Tan figured that with Firefly spreading its wings to Sibu, it would give other airlines a run for their money.

“Passengers would stand to benefit from more competitive airfares and better flights options.”

He reasoned that since Sibu did not have a direct flight to Singapore and missing out on the Kuching-Seoul and Kuching-Tokyo routes, it was timely for the bustling town to enjoy better air connectivity.

He also suggested perhaps Firefly could consider flying Sibu-Johore route to put pressure on the existing low cost carrier.

Still on the same subject, he described Firefly’s spreading its wings to Sarawak as a strategic move since the state formed the bulk of the domestic travel market.

“Here, we can only travel by air to the Peninsular and again, this speaks volume about the passenger load,” he noted.

You mean, having the lowest unit cost in the country or in the world ? :cheers:

Air Asia has the lowest in the world

Which means, Malaysians enjoy the lowest airfare in the world ?? :cheers:

I dun thinks so..to the mat sallehs yes.air travel is still beyond the reach of many Malaysians but I must say that Air Asia should be commmended for providing competition that lowers air far to acceptable level.

When I was studying in Australian air fares are incredibly cheap, considering that the Australian earn high wages..but thanks to competition....the consumer benefits..for example flights to NZ are incredibly cheap after Emirates, Virgin Blue and Jetstar join the foray..I went to NZ for just AUS$300 two ways in 2009..now Jetsar offers as low as AUS$199 two ways!!!. When I first arrived down under, my ticket to KL from Adelaide was AUS$1500 in 2006 with MAS..before Jetstar,AirAsia X and Virgin Blue barely made any presence!! In 2007,2008 and 2009, I took AIr Asia and Jetstar with fares as low as AUS$250 one way to KL..I think cumulatively..my air fares in 2007-2008 never reached AUS$1500 in total..I I arrived in 2007 I could have saved AUS$1000:nuts:!!!! You can now even get Adelaide-KL as low as AUS$400 one way now.this won't happen if MAS still monopolize the airways of Malaysia.

Many Singaporeans actually can't afford SIA!! But thanks to Changi as a hub, they have many choices.It's amazing that Air Asia, a single player could bring down affordability of air travel in the region to amazing levels.

premium airlines are always…'premium' ;)

and i don't understand how this low cost firefly that do 'code sharing' with premium airline. i don't understand.

4 hubs for Fireflyz.. really looking forward towards further transformation at Senai. not to outdo the neighbouring country's airport down there but simply to recapture the 'lost opportunity.' way to go FF MD..

Source:http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/1/5/business/7734925&sec=business

Firefly eyes one million passengers at KLIA
By EDY SARIF
edy@thestar.com.my

Target is achievable due to stronger economy, says MD

SEPANG: Fly Firefly Sdn Bhd, a unit of Malaysia Airlines, which will begin its operations at KL International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 15, aims to fly one million passengers in and out of the airport this year.

Managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the target was achievable as this year would be an interesting year for the company; there was a clear sign of economic recovery, compared to last year when things were a bit dicey.

“Apart from that, our newly launched airport ticketing counter at the main terminal building of KLIA will help to reach the growth target and, at the same time, to better serve and offer greater convenience to passengers,” he said yesterday after the opening of the counter.

Leong said opening a ticket counter was in line with its decision to base its new Boeing 737-800 operations at KLIA and would focus on offering unbeatable value at the lowest fares.

“This is made possible with our decision to use the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a capacity of 189 seats, which has allowed us to achieve among the lowest costs of available seat per kilometre among our competitors,” he said.

He also said passenger growth at the Skypark Terminal in Subang was expected to surpass two million this year after growing to 1.5 million last year.

He said the group planned to expand its services around this region in the third quarter of next year.

“Obviously, Asean will be the main focus for us and we are looking at it very carefully as we are now going through slot approvals,” he said, but did not disclose the specific cities Firefly planned to fly to.

Firefly would begin its operations in KLIA on Jan 15 to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu twice daily and, from Jan 24, four times daily and three times daily respectively.

Firefly's new airport ticketing counter opens from 8.30am to 5.30pm and sells tickets for all Firefly routes, add-on products such as in-flight meals, check-in baggage allowances and standard and premium sets of services. Come Jan 15, the counter's operating hours would be from 5.30am to 10pm.

To date, Firefly has 21 airport ticketing offices and it plans to open six more airport ticketing offices this year.

Firefly at Changi International Airport:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs404.ash2/68284_484783733597_113770598597_6034577_2604164_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs404.ash2/68284_484783733597_113770598597_6034577_2604164_n.jpg

737-800!
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5314174069_128d2bd312_z.jpg

Source:http://mmail.com.my/content/60320-jet-boost-firefly

Jet boost for Firefly
Airline guarantees lowest airfare with new aircraft
Ee Ann Nee
Monday, January 10th, 2011 12:41:00


http://mmail.com.my/sites/default/files/imagecache/large/firefly.JPG

SUBANG: Community airline FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd (Firefly) has guaranteed to offer the lowest airfare in Malaysia with the operations of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft from the KL International Airport (KLIA).

Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the plan was achievable as the airline's cost was lower due to its choice of aircraft, the Boeing 737-800, which was superior in terms of economical operating costs and its advanced technical features.

Leong said Firefly was also riding on Malaysia Airlines' existing infrastructure and incurs only marginal costs from operating jet aircraft.

"I am confident of the savings (in terms of operating costs) that we will achieve from these operations, which we will in turn give back to our customers by offering the lowest fares.

"Passengers can save at least 10 per cent of their airfares compared with what is available in the market.

They will also enjoy the aerobridge, hotel and express rail link services available at KLIA."

He said this year and next year would see Firefly setting up secondary hubs in Sabah and Sarawak for its jet aircraft operations.

"Due to geographical configuration, we need to have secondary aircraft bases in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, as it addresses the need for better aircraft rotation and schedule.

"We can also do Kota Kinabalu-Kuching and Kota Kinabalu-Miri flights when the base is established.

Having a good spread of main and secondary bases will bring down costs."

Leong said Firefly's growth was in line with Malaysia Airlines' growth in which the combined network footprint of MAS and Firefly offers better connectivity, access and capacity.

"We will be supplementing Malaysia Airlines' existing frequencies as well as taking up new routes, especially leisure-focus destinations where we'll use our value-for-money offerings to tackle the market," he said at the arrival of Firefly's Boeing 737-800 aircraft at Skypark Terminal, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport recently.

The Firefly Boeing 737-800 aircraft was unveiled for the first time since the announcement of the airline's jet operations from KLIA last November.

According to Leong, Firefly will be bringing in seven Boeing 737- 800 aircraft this year, followed by six next year, seven in 2013, five in 2014 and 2015 respectively, totalling 30 by 2015.

Firefly's Boeing 737-800 will begin its operations to its new routes, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, this Saturday from the main terminal of KLIA.

Govt sees continued growth in air travel

MALAYSIA will see continued growth in air travel where passenger numbers are projected to increase conservatively at seven per cent this year, says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.

He said last year saw a 15 per cent passenger growth in Malaysia airports from 2009.

"This year will see growth in terms of passenger arrival in airports.

Several airports are in the midst of upgrading — we're completing upgrading works in Kuching and Labuan while works are still in progress in Penang and KLIA2.

The infrastructure will be aimed at increasing the number of passengers in the country," Kong said.

737-800 at KLIA. Good start for Firefly. They using aerobridge. :)


http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/Haniez/P3064182.jpg

^^ Firefly's livery is accually quite nice.

please fly to more Indonesian cities, please…i really want to go Java again and again…!!

Source:http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/FireflymakesinauguralflighttoEastMalaysia/Article/

Firefly makes inaugural flight to East Malaysia
2011/01/24
By Julia Chan

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia Airlines subsidiary airlines Firefly's new routes here will be able to enhance tourism efforts by providing more options between Kuala Lumpur and East Malaysia.


Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said that the growth of air links to this part of the country will contribute to its tourism industry which was previously limited to the the lack of flights between Kuala Lumpur and here.

He said this during the inaugural flight welcoming ceremony at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport today.

He also said that he looked forward to more routes from the airlines which will be flying into the east coast towns of Sandakan and Tawau soon.


Musa's speech was read by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

Firefly is expected to announce its new routes into the towns in about three weeks and its managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said they will try to offer the lowest fares.

Last year, Sabah saw 2.5 million tourist arrivals consisting of mostly Bruneians, Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese and Europeans. They brought in an estimated RM3.7 billion.

Read more: Firefly makes inaugural flight to East Malaysia http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/FireflymakesinauguralflighttoEastMalaysia/Article/#ixzz1C3OQ7bFe

737-800 at KLIA. Good start for Firefly. They using aerobridge. :)
at past i read a news that firefly soon, i'm not sure when will start flying from klia to kb and penang

New Firefly Boeing 737-800

http://images3.jetphotos.net/img/1/5/7/5/62863_1294896575_tb.jpg http://images3.jetphotos.net/img/1/7/2/1/84769_1296808127_tb.jpg http://images3.jetphotos.net/img/1/1/5/6/89921_1294896651_tb.jpg http://images3.jetphotos.net/img/1/0/6/9/36496_1296808960_tb.jpg

http://jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?regsearch=9M-FFB
http://jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?regsearch=9M-FFA

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/5519520741_a8cf587a50_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39005971@N07/5519520741/in/photostream/

Senai International Airport, JOHOR - MALAYSIA
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5441217201_75971ae7f1_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_beil/5441217201/

Airlines and destinations
Passengers Terminal
Local Flights | International Flights
Airlines Destinations
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Flag_of_Malaysia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Malaysia.svg.png Malaysia
Malaysia Airlines Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur,
Kuching, Bandung(begin March 2011)

AirAsia Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur,
Kuching, Miri, Penang, Sibu

Firefly Subang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching

Berjaya Air Ipoh (Charter)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Flag_of_South_Korea.svg/22px-Flag_of_South_Korea.svg.png South Korea
Asiana Airlines Seoul-Incheon ( Charter )

Cargo Terminal
Freight AIRLINES

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Flag_of_Malaysia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Malaysia.svg.png MASkargo Tokyo-Narita
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Flag_of_Qatar.svg/22px-Flag_of_Qatar.svg.png Qatar Airways Cargo Doha


http://www.hintan.com/images/project/pro_inter/inter_senai_departure/inter_senai_depart02.jpg
Additional Firefly flights
Monday March 21, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/3/21/southneast/8294039&sec=southneast

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2011/3/21/southneast/se_3firefly.jpg

Additional flights: Firefly announced additional flights from Senai International
Airport in Johor to Langkawi and Penang in conjunction with the next school holidays.

FIREFLY announced its additional flights from Senai International Airport in Johor to Langkawi and Penang, effective May 27 to 12 June, in conjunction with the school holidays.

The company’s head of marketing and communications Angelina Fernandez said with Senai as the up-coming Southern hub Firefly is mounting flights from Johor to offer convenience of travelling to Langkawi and Penang during the school holidays.

The additional services, she said, will give passengers in Johor a better choice in spending valuable time with their kids and at the same time –take a break and head North to the local islands for a family holiday.

To promote the additional flights during the period, Firefly will be offering special promotional fares from as low as RM 39 all-in, one way until March 23.

Effective from May 27 - 12 June, at least one daily flight will take off from Johor Bahru – Langkawi – Johor Bahru, Johor Bahru – Penang – Johor Bahru.

Flights to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu will commence operations from Johor Baru on May 19 and June 16 respectively.

Both sectors will have a frequency of 14 flights weekly.

For more details on the promotions, log into www.fireflyz.com.my.

as at 15 may 2011, 6x daily flghts to KK

as at 1st June 2011, 7x daily flghts to kuching

seems that more people frequent between this two destination..kch alone from 1st of june 2011 due to firelfy latest frequency, serve almost 30 daily flght between kch & Kl..amazing..

that's a lot but in south africa between cape town and j'burg it's more than 50 so i'm not surprise kl and kuching 30

yea..but with kuching population less than a million as compare with south africa, i guess it was amazing..

is all firefly 738 is brand new? coz i took the flights to kuching n back. the interior seems old and the chairs all =.= ...

Firefly identifies new hub users
By ZAZALI MUSA Monday March 28, 2011
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/28/business/8360478&sec=business#13012686967851&if_height=607

MD sees need for better air linkages between Senai Airport and the region

SENAI: Firefly is targeting air travellers from the southern region, Singapore, Batam and transit passengers in Sabah and Sarawak as the main users for its southern hub here.

Managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said with Iskandar Malaysia progressing well, the airline expected air travel to pick up in the long run.

“We foresee great potential for growth in the leisure and tourism sectors in Iskandar which, in turn, will require better air linkages between Senai Airport and the region,'' he said on Saturday.

Leong was speaking to local and foreign media at the launch of Firefly's southern hub at Senai Airport by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairman Tan Sri Dr Munir Abdul Majid.

The airline is placing two 162-seat B737-400 aircraft at the airport, with two daily flights from Johor Baru to Kuching beginning May 19, and to Kota Kinabalu from June 16.

He said Kota Kinabalu could also serve as a gateway to Johor Baru for passengers from Australia, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Manila and Tokyo by leveraging on MAS' flights between Kota Kinabalu and these cities.

Leong said the Johor Premium Outlet in Kulaijaya near Senai Airport and the upcoming Legoland Theme Park would enhance tourist arrivals to Johor Baru.

“We are starting services from Johor Baru to Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung in the third quarter, and to Bangkok in the fourth quarter of the year,'' said Leong.

He said the places were popular among holiday makers from Johor and Singapore and the airline also wanted to capture tourists from Indonesia seeking treatment at specialist hospitals in Johor Baru.

is all firefly 738 is brand new? coz i took the flights to kuching n back. the interior seems old and the chairs all =.= ...

judging from yr experience and the visual that was shown over TV2 English News last night, i reckoned that you did not board a 737-800, instead it was a 737-400. it was previously used by MAS. i came to this conclusion due to the interior design similarity.

I wish they stay with the props.Moving to turbines especially ex mas 400series is not a smart move!

Firefly guna pesawat lebih besar di Johor
29 Mac 2011 / 24 Rabiul Akhir 1432
http://utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=0329&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Korporat&pg=ko_02.htm

http://utusan.com.my/pix/2011/0329/Utusan_Malaysia/Korporat/ko_02.1.jpg

DARI kiri: Ismail Ibrahim, Munir Abdul Majid, Eddy Leong dan Shahrull Allam
semasa majlis menerima pesawat baharu Firefly Boeing 737-400 di Senai,
Johor, Sabtu lalu.

KUALA LUMPUR 28 Mac – FlyFirefly Sdn. Bhd. (Firefly) melancarkan pesawat Boeing 737-400 di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Sultan Ismail, Senai, Johor, baru-baru ini.

Pengarah Urusannya, Datuk Eddy Leong berkata, Johor adalah hab selatan bagi operasi pesawat B737-400 untuk memenuhi permintaan pelanggan dari negeri itu, Singapura dan Batam selain menjadi transit untuk penumpang di Sabah dan Sarawak.

“Dengan adanya pesawat ini, operasi Firefly di Sabah dan Sarawak akan terus diperluaskan selain pertambahan laluan serantau.

“Laluan hab selatan ini akan meningkatkan kehadiran pelancong dan pengembara perniagaan ke Iskandar Malaysia, satu projek pembangunan komersial di negeri itu,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Leong bersama Pengerusi Malaysian Airline System Bhd. (MAS), Tan Sri Munir Abdul Majid, Timbalan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Senai Airports Sdn. Bhd., Shahrull Allam dan Ketua Eksekutif Lembaga Pembangunan Wilayah Iskandar (IRDA), Ismail Ibrahim hadir di majlis penerimaan pesawat Boeing 737-400 di Senai, Johor.

Bermula 19 Mei depan, terdapat dua penerbangan sehari dari Johor Bahru ke Kuching, manakala bermula 16 Jun, syarikat penerbangan itu menyediakan dua penerbangan sehari dari Johor Bahru ke Kota Kinabalu.

Selain itu, Firefly akan meningkatkan kekerapan penerbangan tambahan antara Johor Bahru, Langkawi dan Pulau Pinang sempena cuti sekolah pada suku kedua tahun ini.

Firefly turbo prop ops dari Subang nampak macam dah tak berkembang walaupun untung tapi rasanya perlu diperkenalkan lagi beberapa destinasi. Places like Palembang, Sihanoukville (hope I got the name correct), and Krabi for instance.

Satu soalan, kenapa FFly tak terbang ke pulau pulau such as Pangkor (you can see a lot of cars from WP/Selangor esp pada waktu hujung minggu di Lumut parking semata mata nak ke Pangkor) dan Redang/Tioman? The two airports kat Redang and Tioman, are those solely used by Berjaya that no other airlines can use?

anyway, as FFly is making Senai one of their hubs, I really hope that they will fly to HKG as well. MAS used to ply that route but I heard it faced strong opposition.

Firefly flies into Sandakan
Published: Wednesday March 30, 2011 MYT 3:25:00 PM
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/30/business/20110330153527&sec=business

SUBANG: Firefly announced its services into Sandakan, marking its continuous network expansion with the Boeing 737-800 jet operation from the Main Terminal Building of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

In line with strengthening its network in East Malaysia, Firefly is also increasing its frequency on the recently announced Sibu sector.

In a statement, Firefly marketing and communications head Angelina Fernandez said: “Firefly indicates a significant growth and concurrently offers wider travelling options for business and leisure in the East Malaysia region with entrance into services to these sectors.”

Satu soalan, kenapa FFly tak terbang ke pulau pulau such as Pangkor (you can see a lot of cars from WP/Selangor esp pada waktu hujung minggu di Lumut parking semata mata nak ke Pangkor) dan Redang/Tioman? The two airports kat Redang and Tioman, are those solely used by Berjaya that no other airlines can use?
.

btol gak tu ..... terutama Tioman... payah naik bas 7 jam ke mersing pastu naik bot mahal ( 35 RM ) ke pulau.

The pie is just getting smaller everytime they fly to somewhere MAS or AA is already flying so finding new routes and keeping the fares may be 20 to 30% cheaper is the way to go. Island hopping is a good idea .With Redang ,Tioman,Pangkor Langkawi,Batam,Phuket and Samui in mind

btol gak tu ..... terutama Tioman... payah naik bas 7 jam ke mersing pastu naik bot mahal ( 35 RM ) ke pulau.

Tioman's airport dah expand x? last i remember still its still a STOL (short take off landing)..

wats up? lama x nmpk!

^ Tioman island aerodrome was never really expanded utk menampung 737 or 320. heard the plan was 'tergendala' sebab EIA assessment tak lepas. and on top of that some NGOngs from tanah besar was opposing to the idea. stg like it will cause massive destruction to the corals there.

Tioman tak perlu belon besar untuk mendarat, aku rasa lebih elok kalau pepatung jenis ATR saja terbang ke sana, baru nampak romantik skit ha haa.. anyway Berjaya (what a name..) terbang guna ATR dari Changi kan ke Tioman.

how i wish someday ATR FFly will terbang ke Pangkor..

Fly from Sibu to KL for RM9
Posted on April 13, 2011, Wednesday
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=119262

SIBU: How about flying from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur for just slightly more than three plates of kampua?

Firefly announced this attractive promotional rate yesterday during a meeting together with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and the Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The meeting was to discuss better air connectivity, particularly once the Sibu Airport extension project is completed.

Firefly sales executive Mary Lee said the promotional Sibu-Kuala Lumpur fare is just 9 sen and including fees is RM9 per trip.

She said they had originally intended to run the low-fare trip from August, but decided to introduce it in July due to the overwhelming response.

There will be two trips from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur per day at 9.45am and 8.10pm.

The announcement was well received, with local travel agents and tour operators comparing the fare to ordering three plates of kampua.

Among those present during the discussion were Temenggong Vincent Lau, MAS Sarawak manager Mohamad Asif Abd Talib, Sarawak sales manager Moh Ung Chuang, head of state sales Aziz Ali and Sibu sales Effendy Abd Aziz, as well as Firefly Sarawak sales manager Harris Salleh, sales executive Hafiz Musammil and Mary Lee.

In a statement provided for discussion yesterday, travel agents and operators expressed concern over the number of flights between Sibu and Kota Kinabalu, which had been slashed from four daily to two.

“We have received lots of complaints from the students of Sabah University and businessmen travelling to Kota Kinabalu and to Tawau, Sandakan and Lahad Datu through connecting flights,” said the statement.

Agents and operators also requested MAS and MASwings to reinstate the cancelled flights at least during peak periods or change the flight schedule.

The agents and operators also expressed concern over the inconvenience of flying between Sibu and Johor Bahru.

Prior to the discussion, Lau stressed that air connectivity for Sibu is important as locals relied greatly on roads and flights for travel.

He hoped better air connectivity could be worked out through the discussion, adding that views from locals would help airlines chart outbetter timing and schedules for flights.

FireFly negotiates for more ATR 72-500s
Published: 2011/04/15
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110415170124/Article/index_html

FireFly is negotiating for additional ATR 72-500s to be delivered gradually till 2015 to fuel its expansion into more secondary routes to continuously strengthen its network, Managing Director, Datuk Eddy Leong said.

The community airline has now a total of 12 ATR 72-500 aircraft, after taking delivery of two recently, he said in a statement, today. - Bernama

Firefly takes delivery of 3rd 737-800 plane
Published: 2011/05/14
http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110514183834/Article/

Firefly, a community airline subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (Mas), took delivery of a third Boeing 737-800 aircraft to be stationed in Kota Kinabalu, officially marking the start of Kota Kinabalu as its eastern hub.

Firefly currently flies daily between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu with its two 737-800s, but with the arrival of the latest aircraft, there will be three aircraft flying six times daily to service the route.

Managing Director Datuk Eddy Leong, in welcoming the new aircraft at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, said the launch of Kota Kinabalu as its eastern hub was part of the company's plan to strengthen its domestic network.

It also plans to soon launch Senai in Johor as its southern hub.

"For the eastern hub, our ultimate aim is to have one flight departing every hour from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur.

"Eventually, we will have three hubs; Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang (KLIA), Senai International Aiport in Johor and the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

"By next week we will take delivery of our second Boeing 737-400, which will be based in Senai, and begin our Johor Bahru-Kuching route by May 19. By June 16, we will start the JB-Kota Kinabalu routes," he told reporters when met at the airport today.

Launched on April 3, 2007, Firefly initially started operating out of the Penang and Subang hubs before shifting its main operations to KLIA.

It connects various points within Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, aligning itself with the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) agenda.

Todate, its fleet comprises 10 ATR 720-500, one B737-400 and three B737-800.

In line with the company's long term-plan to have a minimum of 30 B737-800s in five years, Leong said they would focus on increasing and developing the network of domestic destinations.

"We want to cover all major cities in Sabah and Sarawak, then move to Johor, Langkawi, Penang and Kota Bharu, before venturing international in the second-half of 2012," he added.

In terms of investment, Leong said there was not much capital expenditure involved for the airline used leased aircraft and tapped on engineering and ground handling facilities of MAS.

"Whatever money we save from all this is translated into lower fares, that's why we guarantee that we will be cheaper than any other competitor in Malaysia," he added. -- Bernama

Firefly opens new ticketing office in Johor
Sunday June 12, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/12/nation/8887847&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: Firefly has launched its fourth ticketing office in the country, located at Persada Johor Inter*national Convention Centre in Johor Baru.

It offers travellers the convenience of making and amending flight bookings on Firefly and purchasing Firefly Holiday products.

Firefly marketing and communications head Angelina Corrina Fernandez said the new office would help the airline service travel agencies, companies and government agencies better.

“Besides offering our passengers guaranteed lowest fares and aerobridge facilities at all the airports we fly to, we also give them the option of making further savings through our standard and premium sets of services,’’ she said.

“They can choose to add on to the cost of the ticket, the price of in-flight meals, seat selection, checked-baggage fees and more.

“We thus empower them to determine how much they should pay,” she said.

Firefly’s city ticketing office on the mezzanine floor of the convention centre is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm from Mondays to Fridays and from 8.30am to 1.30pm on Saturdays.

Firefly to receive 2 aircraft earlier
Published: 2011/06/14
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110614185528/Article/index_html

Community airline Firefly will take delivery of two aircraft ahead of schedule this year, allowing it to further improve connectivity and flight timings domestically and regionally.

In a statement today, managing director, Datuk Eddy Leong, said initially, the delivery was targeted at year-end.

"However, we will take delivery of our sixth Boeing 737-800 and our second Boeing 737-400 this month. This would bring our fleet size to eight.

"Now that two aircraft have been confirmed delivery ahead of time, we will focus on improving flight timings and connectivity on existing routes and look at developing new ones," he said.

The Boeing 737-800 would be stationed at Firefly's central hub in Kuala Lumpur and the Boeing 737-400 in Johor Bahru, he said.

He said the new routes that were already open for sale using jet aircraft included twice daily flights from Johor Bahru to Kota Kinabalu, commencing June 16 and twice daily flights between KL and Sibu from July 1.

It also included twice daily flights from KL and Sandakan from Aug 1, four weekly flights to Surabaya commencing Aug 14 and three weekly flights to Bandung from Aug 16.

Leong said these flights were in addition to existing routes which included six daily flights between KL to Kota Kinabalu, seven daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kuching and twice daily flights between Johor Bahru and Kuching. -- Bernama

Ministry waiting for Firefly’s application
Tuesday June 28, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/28/nation/8981899&sec=nation#13092433130261&if_height=607

SITIAWAN: The Transport Ministry is still waiting for Firefly’s application to fly direct from Ipoh to Kota Baru, Phuket and Medan, Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said.

He said he had encouraged the low-cost carrier to expand its routes to these destinations several months ago to complement the state’s development.

“Connectivity is definitely good for the economy, bringing in more investment, tourists and a host of downstream activities.

“I have also discussed the matter with Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir,” Kong said here yesterday.

A report in The Star last Friday quoted Perak state executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon as saying that flights to these destinations could start by this year if the proposal received the green light.

“Firefly has to first submit its application to fly these routes,” he said, adding that the ministry and state government were receptive to ideas for the state’s development.

Can try IPH-SZB ?

Firefly mulls north, south Asia routes
Published: 2011/07/01
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110701160556/Article/index_html

Community airline, Firefly, plans to add new destinations in Northern and Southern Asia within the next five years to offer potential customers more destinations, said managing director Datuk Eddy Leong.

He said the company would explore new routes in North Asia, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea and the Indian sub-continent in South Asia.

"We will fly beyond Asean as part of our long term plan by offering passenger flights to popular destinations," he told reporters at the launch of Firefly''s inaugural flight to Sibu, Sarawak, here today.

Under a code share partnership with its parent company, Malaysia Airlines, Firefly will operate the Kuala Lumpur-Sibu route, utilising its B737-800 aircraft and the Kuala Lumpur-Sandakan sector from August 1.

Leong said Firefly would also look at other new domestic destinations such as Kuala Lumpur to Kuching, Miri and Bintulu and at the same time, turn the Johor airport into its hub to connect flights to Kuching, Sibu and Surabaya, Indonesia.

"All this is still in the early stages of planning because we must discuss with our parent company, the best way to grow the load factor of existing routes," he added.

He said the commencement of the twice-daily flights between Kuala Lumpur to Sibu, signified Firefly's commitment to provide a direct access from the nation''s capital to the central region of Sarawak.

He said the service offered travel convenience between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia while also providing an easy domestic connectivity for foreigners visiting the country.

Sibu is Firefly's second destination in Sarawak after Kuching. Flights depart the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 7.20am and 6.40pm respectively and from Sibu at 9.45am and 9.05pm.

"We are upgrading our system to enable us to offer interlining facilities with Malaysia Airlines for passenger and baggage checks through to the final destination of customers," he said, adding, this would commence by September 1. - Bernama

the "Flydubai" of Malaysia :cheers:

Amazing .

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/55254200.jpg

:cheers:

Kelihatan seperti firefly mengambil route yg price sensitive from Mas n Mas itself maintain routes yg penumpang tak kesah bayor premium..

Firefly offers seats from as low as RM9 on July 11 and 12
Posted on July 8, 2011, Friday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/08/firefly-offers-seats-from-as-low-as-rm9-on-july-11-and-12/

KUCHING: Firefly is offering one million seats at fares from as low as RM9 for travels from Aug 6 this year up to Oct 27 next year during its Mega Sales Campaign with booking period from July 11 to 12.

This is the first time Firefly is offering so many seats at one go with such low fares, all in.

It should be good news for those planning their holidays on small budget.

These low fares are only available online and applicable to Firefly’s entire network and would soon commence new routes.

In a press statement, Firefly’s head of marketing and communications Angelina C Fernandez said this is the first time they are offering a Mega Sale of this nature and for such a long travel period.

She revealed that jet operations which began early this year have increased Firefly’s seat capacity by almost 50 per cent. As a result of this, she pointed out Firefly are now able to offer 1 million seats.

“At Firefly, we make dreams come true. We may be low in fares but high in service. We offer aerobridge facilities for our jet customers’ safety and convenience and our highly fuel efficient ATR 72-500 aircraft fly from city airports.

“Our message to the public is to plan your holiday early, even a year in advance, and you get to save ‘Big’, the Firefly way,” she enthused.

The statement also disclosed that two new routes would commence soon, which include two flights daily Kuala Lumpur – Sandakan from Aug 1 and three flights daily Kuala Lumpur – Langkawi from Dec 1.

It said the Mega Sale promotional fares are also applicable for two new international routes.

They are Johor Bahru – Surabaya which flies four times per week from Aug 14, and Johor Bahru – Bandung, three flights per week from Aug 16.

Firefly, which began its operations in 2007, currently operates a fleet of 10 ATR 72-500 turboprop, six B737-800s and one B737-400.

The ATR 72-500s operate out of Penang and Subang.

The B737-800s operate out of Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu while the B737-400s operate out of Johor Bahru.

Firefly is also the first company in Malaysia and the second airline in the world to have a page on Foursquare, the location-based social network that enables travellers to discover useful travel tips near their airports or destinations.

For more interesting facts and tips, visit http://foursquare.com/flyfirefly to meet up with friends, discover new places and unlock rewards.

Firefly also connects with the world through Facebook and Twitter.

Firefly may make Sibu its hub to capture East M’sian market
Posted on July 2, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/02/firefly-may-make-sibu-its-hub-to-capture-east-m’sian-market/

SIBU: Firefly, which is aiming for a bigger share of the East Malaysian market, has plans to make Sibu its hub for the central region.

“Never say never. It is a question of time. If you look at hubs in Malaysia, it is the result of everybody working together. For example, in Penang, KL, KK and Subang, all industry players come together and not just the airline.

“Even businesses and those related to tourism industry, education and hospitality sectors come together. Only then, it can happen,” Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong told The Borneo Post in an exclusive interview after the ‘Firefly celebrates its B737-800 inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu’ function here yesterday.

Leong said while they recognised such a need, more work had to be done for the plan to materialise.

“Infrastructure and products wise need to be considered. We have to take one step at time. Hence, for stage one, we will connect Sibu to the main hub/transit point.”

He explained that Firefly connects from KL while Maswings connect from Kuching and KK.

From there, he said they would slowly proceed to the second stage when Sibu matured into a destination for tourism and business.

Earlier, Leong described Sibu as a growth market.

Hence, for the start, they would roll out two flights daily to serve the local populace. He is optimistic that Firefly could help excite the local market given its low fare.

“We are using a new generation of aircrafts which are more fuel efficient. The savings are then passed on to passengers,” he enthused, adding that they have the lowest fare in Malaysia.

He also assured that Sibu would continue to remain an important destination for them. For that, they would work closely with Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) to help develop the tourism industry here.

Meanwhile, Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Hu Yu Siong expressed confidence that Firefly would provide a good service to local travellers.

“Sibu will stand to benefit from the influx of visitors to the town. This in turn will provide more business opportunities for local travel industry players,” Hu reckoned.

A Johor Bahru-Sibu route may materialise soon
Posted on July 2, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/02/a-johor-bahru-sibu-route-may-materialise-soon/

SIBU: Firefly is toying with the idea of serving the Johor Bahru (JB)-Sibu route to excite the market here after making its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu yesterday.

“Yes, we are definitely thinking about this … the JB-Sibu route may materialise quite soon. The fact that we already have an aircraft based in JB certainly makes the task easier.

“The thing is you just need to fly to Sibu and back again. And you can get very good timing,” its managing director Datuk Eddy Leong told The Borneo Post in an exclusive interview after the ‘Firefly celebrates its B737-800 inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu’ function here yesterday.

He, however, was quick to point out that they had not made any decision yet as they needed more aircrafts to better service this sector.

Leong said this when asked if Firefly would serve the Sibu-JB sector following requests from local travel agents for more of such flights.

He also did not discount the possibility of the airline serving the much-awaited Sibu-Singapore route in the near future.

Meanwhile, according to a long time travel agent, managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd Robert Tan, currently the Sibu-JB route is served by another low-cost carrier.

“But the time is rather inconvenient since it is an evening flight and it is rather late when passengers land in JB. Besides, the single flight is only available on alternate days.

“Perhaps, Firefly can fly Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays using the noon flight so as to enable travellers to cross over to Singapore,” Tan said, singing praises of Firefly’s initiative to fly the KL-Sibu route, saying it brought convenience and better connectivity for Sibu folk.

The agent said if the Sibu-JB route materialise, this would make it economically viable for travellers heading to JB and Singapore.

Leong said it would not be beneficial to fly Sibu-JB at midnight, adding “flights have to be either in the midmorning or midday.”

On the possible Sibu-Singapore sector, he disclosed that they had such plans in the pipeline but such a move required thorough planning.

“We definitely have such plans but the issue is when do we do it? Right now, we do not have any aircraft based in either Sibu or Singapore.”

Leong explained that it was imperative for an aircraft to be based in either Singapore or Sibu if they wanted to service the route.

Explaining, he said an aircraft needed to fly from somewhere.

Citing an example, he said: “Flying KL-Sibu and later Sibu-Singapore … the journey is very long. If there is a slight delay, all the flights will be affected.”

For it to be economically viable, he said the aircraft should fly Sibu-Singapore and back or Singapore-Sibu and back.

He reiterated that they had yet to come to such a stage where they had an aircraft based in Singapore or Sibu.

Asked if the route would be able to generate the required passenger load, he said optimistically: “It has the potential and that is why MAS has asked us to take the lead in Sibu due to our lower cost structure and low fare.”

He learned that there was a lot of Sarawakians working either in Singapore or JB.

He went on to say that they would focus getting their footprints in place over the next two years.

“The next thing is that we are thinking about Miri and furthermore, we have not been to places such as Bintulu and Tawau. We will need to establish that first before looking at it (Sibu-Singapore).”

Am i the only one who think that firefly fare is a bit expensive for a LCC?? anyone have the same thought??

Firefly may make Sibu its hub to capture East M’sian market
Posted on July 2, 2011, Saturday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/02/firefly-may-make-sibu-its-hub-to-capture-east-m’sian-market/

SIBU: Firefly, which is aiming for a bigger share of the East Malaysian market, has plans to make Sibu its hub for the central region.

“Never say never. It is a question of time. If you look at hubs in Malaysia, it is the result of everybody working together. For example, in Penang, KL, KK and Subang, all industry players come together and not just the airline.

“Even businesses and those related to tourism industry, education and hospitality sectors come together. Only then, it can happen,” Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong told The Borneo Post in an exclusive interview after the ‘Firefly celebrates its B737-800 inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sibu’ function here yesterday.

Leong said while they recognised such a need, more work had to be done for the plan to materialise.

“Infrastructure and products wise need to be considered. We have to take one step at time. Hence, for stage one, we will connect Sibu to the main hub/transit point.”

He explained that Firefly connects from KL while Maswings connect from Kuching and KK.

From there, he said they would slowly proceed to the second stage when Sibu matured into a destination for tourism and business.

Earlier, Leong described Sibu as a growth market.

Hence, for the start, they would roll out two flights daily to serve the local populace. He is optimistic that Firefly could help excite the local market given its low fare.

“We are using a new generation of aircrafts which are more fuel efficient. The savings are then passed on to passengers,” he enthused, adding that they have the lowest fare in Malaysia.

He also assured that Sibu would continue to remain an important destination for them. For that, they would work closely with Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) to help develop the tourism industry here.

Meanwhile, Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Hu Yu Siong expressed confidence that Firefly would provide a good service to local travellers.

“Sibu will stand to benefit from the influx of visitors to the town. This in turn will provide more business opportunities for local travel industry players,” Hu reckoned.

:lol: funny..they have 7daily flights kch-kl but didnt make kuching their hub..wat a waste

Leong explained that it was imperative for an aircraft to be based in either Singapore or Sibu if they wanted to service the route.

Explaining, he said an aircraft needed to fly from somewhere.

Citing an example, he said: “Flying KL-Sibu and later Sibu-Singapore … the journey is very long. If there is a slight delay, all the flights will be affected.”


Datuk's explanation sounds more like some diplomatically correct waffle ! :lol:
Of course any delay will inevitably lead to subsequent flights in the day to be delayed too, irrespective where you base that aircraft
Unless you dedicate one aircraft to service one particular flight a day - which would be extremely unproductive for the short SIN-SBW sector :)

Am i the only one who think that firefly fare is a bit expensive for a LCC?? anyone have the same thought??

agree...even its ticket is 1 ringgit..u still need to pay 53 ringgit for service, tax n bla bla...

Firefly announces new flights to Langkawi from KLIA
Posted on July 14, 2011, Thursday
http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/07/14/firefly-announces-new-flights-to-langkawi-from-klia/

KUALA LUMPUR: Firefly will commence three daily flights between the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Langkawi from December 1, 2011.

“Market research has shown there is good demand for this sector. Thus, we are utilising our biggest aircraft, the B737-800, which has a seating capacity of 189,” said Firefly’s Managing Director, Datuk Eddy Leong.

He said in a statement that the flights would depart from the KLIA’s main terminal.

“This is advantageous, especially for those passengers arriving at KLIA’s main terminal on Malaysia Airlines (MAS), and taking their own onward flights to Langkawi on Firefly,” he added. — Bernama

:lol: funny..they have 7daily flights kch-kl but didnt make kuching their hub..wat a waste

firefly also fly 7x daily to kb..does it mean kb should be one of hub for firefly??

wondering when firefly will fly from kb to sabah sarawak singapore n the other places

firefly also fly 7x daily to kb..does it mean kb should be one of hub for firefly??

im comparing of making sibu as a hub compare to KCH..btw, firefly using the B737-800 for 7x daily KCH sector while i believe KB 7x daily r using the ATR..corrct me if im wrong..:)

Firefly MD Eddy Leong answers your 10 questions
Saturday July 16, 2011
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/7/16/business/9102417&sec=business

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2011/7/16/business/b_04Eddy%20Leong.jpg

Firefly is competing with AirAsia in many areas, including Johor. Soon Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch its long-haul low-cost carrier. What will be the impact on the airline and its southern hub? Yusoff Hakimi, KL

Firefly's primary objective is to be the growth vehicle of the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) group, especially for the “value” market segment, which is experiencing a very high growth rate in this part of the world.

We believe the MAS-Firefly dual-brand strategy presents the best opportunity to position MAS as “Asia's Number One Airline” targeting the premium market segment and Firefly as “Your Community Airline” targeting the value market segment.

READ MORE

:lol: funny..they have 7daily flights kch-kl but didnt make kuching their hub..wat a waste

not 7x la but 4x daily..i checked firefly website

not 7x la but 4x daily..i checked firefly website

u better chck again..early it was 4x, 3mths later beginning may, 7x daily..maafcakap :)

Firefly eyes 100,000 passengers annually for KL-Sandakan route
Published: 2011/08/02
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/bnama/Article/

SANDAKAN: FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, a unit of Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS), is targetting to fly 100,000 passengers annually, on its new Kuala Lumpur-Sandakan route.

"We are operating this new route with our latest Boeing 737-800, which has a seating capacity of 189," said managing director Datuk Eddy Leong yesterday.

The community airline, which flies twice daily non-stop services between Kuala Lumpur and Sandakan, however, does not provide business-class travel for its passengers.

"We like to focus on less developed routes to make it more popular," he told reporters after the inaugural flight here yesterday.


Under Firefly's code-share agreement, passengers would be able to purchase tickets from MAS' distribution network worldwide.

He added that Firely was targeting tourists, both domestic and international.

"There's lot of European traffic to Sandakan and passengers originally booked on Malaysia Airlines' direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Sandakan from today (Monday) would be transferred to Firefly's flights or re-routed on Malaysia Airlines' flights via Kota Kinabalu at no additional cost.

Together, MAS and Firefly will offer a maximum capacity of 3,654 seats weekly for KL-Sandakan route and 4,662 seats for Sandakan-KL.

MAS executive vice-president for commercial strategy Datuk Dr Amin Khan said: "Both airlines have teamed up to improve connectivity and capacity between the two cities as there is potential for increased leisure and holiday travel on this route, especially the proximity of Sandakan to several internationally-acknowledged eco-tourism attractions like the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary and the Sipadan islands."

"Sandakan is popular among Europeans because it has a unique wildlife and attractive flora and fauna," Leong added.

He said travellers on Kuala Lumpur-Sandakan route would continue to enjoy the same benefits they were used to on Malaysia Airline like aerobridges for their comfort and safety.

"It also offers them a chance to experience the renowned award-winning Kuala Lumpur International Airport from where we operate," he added.

On budget fares, Leong said Firefly would focus on offering people low fares, but with world-class quality.

Sandakan was the fourth airport that Firefly operates in Sabah/Sarawak, after Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Sibu.

The community airline plans to open three new routes, namely to Tawau, Bintulu and Miri next year. - Bernama

Well, too bad. With the share swap Firefly is supposed to concentrate on turboprop operations now.

Well, too bad. With the share swap Firefly is supposed to concentrate on turboprop operations now.

not at all..beside become fsc, firefly also feeder airlines to mas..it's mean that mas will stop flight to route served by firefly..for example..some routes served by firefly at borneo, mas stop from flight to these routes...at future..mas maybe focus more on international routes while let its sister..i mean firefly serve domestic routes

^ either that or a proposed unit aptly named as Sapphire. if that materialise, FF will focus its turbo ops in Subang (and any other airports if so required).

Malaysia’s Firefly adds 11 new routes in 2011, mostly with 737s; may soon revert back to pure turboprop airline
Earlier this month, Firefly launched a new route between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Sandakan on the island of Borneo with 737 aircraft, but the airline will soon be reorganised to operate regional aircraft with full service.

The recently announced decision that Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia will collaborate more fully in the future has raised questions about the future of rapidly expanding Firefly, the low-cost ‘community airline’ that is 100% owned by MAS and operates a mixed fleet of 10 ATR 72-500 turboprops and eight 737s, mostly from the -800 series. Firefly currently operates 28 routes of which 12 are international (to Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand) and the most recent, between Johor Bahru and Bandung (in Indonesia), of which launched last week with three weekly flights using one of the airline’s 737-400s.

It seems that Firefly’s future will be as a pure turboprop operator, but with increased service quality, while the 737s will be spun-off into a separate airline called Sapphire, which has been described as Malaysia Airlines’ equivalent of Cathay Pacific’s Dragonair, or Singapore Airlines’ Silk Air. Of Firefly’s current network of 28 routes, 20 are operated by the ATRs.


All of the airline’s routes that operate with at least three daily flights involve one of the two airports serving Kuala Lumpur. Subang Airport used to be the main airport until the new airport at Sepang (next to the F1 Grand Prix track) opened in 1998. Airlines were basically forced to move to the new airport, although the government currently allows turboprop operations from Subang, where Firefly is the leading airline. Firefly’s 737 routes (shown in light green in graph above) are all from Kuala Lumpur’s main airport at Sepang (where it competes with AirAsia) and from Johor Bahru, located on the border to Singapore.

11 new routes already in 2011, three more planned

Since the beginning of the year, Firefly has launched a significant number of new routes that are summarised in the following table.


In addition, the airline has announced that it will launch two new routes from Malacca (to Penang and Kota Bahru) from 19 November, both operated with the ATRs. Back in mid-July, Firefly announced plans to start three daily flights between Kuala Lumpur Sepang and Langkawi from the beginning of December using 737-800s. In light of recent developments, it will be interesting to see if the route is launched and whether Firefly or Sapphire will be the operating airline.

source:http://www.anna.aero/2011/08/25/malaysias-firefly-has-launched-11-new-routes-already-in-2011-mostly-with-737s/#

^^it seems like our aviation industry players are so indecisive and no proper planning in many decision made.... they can change so so quickly!!

source:http://www.anna.aero/2011/08/25/malaysias-firefly-has-launched-11-new-routes-already-in-2011-mostly-with-737s/#

^^it seems like our aviation industry players are so indecisive and no proper planning in many decision made.... they can change so so quickly!!

We customers are at a losing end. A colleague of mine already booked a FY flight for February next year from KK to KL for a maternity leave.

source:

^^it seems like our aviation industry players are so indecisive and no proper planning in many decision made.... they can change so so quickly!!


same with our education system, flip flop :ohno:

FY to have biz n econ class on its turbo prop ATR. heard also that they had rcvd approval to start turbo prop ops out of Seletar to few destinations on the peninsular. Malacca is one of them.

Changes to Firefly operations yet to be known
By JEEVA ARULAMPALAM Wednesday September 21, 2011
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/21/business/9528513&sec=business
Scant details on MAS-Firefly deal

PETALING JAYA: There seems to be very little known about Malaysia Airlines' plan for existing budget carrier Firefly Sdn Bhd and its new proposed airline Sapphire.

A spokesman for the national carrier told StarBiz that following the initial announcement on Aug 9, it was too premature to provide further information and that more information would be available once details of the plan have been finalised.

When MAS and AirAsia Bhd entered into a collaboration agreement on Aug 9 after major shareholders of both airlines executed a share swap deal, it was announced that MAS would review Firefly's operations and that the national carrier's shorthaul full-service carrier business may be undertaken by itself and/or through a new MAS subsidiary known as Sapphire. MAS was also said to have the flexibility to re-designate capacity, assets and resources from Firefly to form Sapphire.

However, since the initial announcement, details have been scant on what will happen to Firefly's existing operations. There have been concerns that Firefly flights will be cancelled with some routes axed and air fares increased as a result of the collaboration agreement.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2011/9/21/business/newfireflyp4.JPG

Overlapping services: There have been concerns that Firefly flights will be
cancelled with some routes axed and air fares increased as a result of the
collaboration agreement signed in August.

A week after the August announcement, Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong is reported to have said that Firefly would be upgraded to a full-service turboprop operator while Sapphire would take over its Boeing jets.

Leong added that Firefly's turboprop operations would be expanded in terms of fleet size and routes, and would continue as an independent brand under MAS ownership.

Meanwhile, CIMB Research expects Sapphire to start operations in November and the airline will be positioned as a full-service carrier serving regional routes (Asean, South China and south/east coast of India), in the same way SilkAir is positioned within the Singapore Airlines group.

“We believe that Sapphire will adopt the same seat configuration as the refreshed MAS B737-800 product, which is a significant improvement from the existing aged B737-400 fleet.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2011/9/21/business/p4-fireflyqtcht.JPG

“Aside from this, all of Firefly's leased B737-800s could be re-configured from low-cost carrier planes into full-service carrier aircraft and then transferred to Sapphire,” the research report said.

It added that from a tax perspective, it would seem logical to keep all operations under mainline MAS because of its tax-exempt status until 2015 as well as its huge unutilised capital allowances and tax losses carried forward. But there are other considerations such as the need to clearly separate Sapphire from MAS as Qantas Airways did with Jetstar.

“Sapphire is likely to sign contracts of service with pilots and crew on different terms than that of MAS. Also, Sapphire staff are not likely to be unionised. This will give Sapphire a lower unit-cost base and help it achieve greater profits. Second, we suspect that a stake in Sapphire could eventually be sold to Qantas,” CIMB Research said.

Despite the fact that Qantas has said that its Asia-based super premium full-service carrier will be based in either Singapore or Malaysia (with a higher leaning towards Singapore), CIMB Research believes that Qantas will want to have a presence in Kuala Lumpur and may do so through an investment in Sapphire.

“As such, Sapphire needs to be separated from mainline MAS to facilitate an investment by Qantas, which would not be interested to invest in other parts of MAS's business, including its domestic and international aviation businesses, even if the Malaysian Government permitted this.

“An investment in Sapphire would fit Qantas very well because the KL aviation market is unlikely to be able to accommodate a super-premium offering by Qantas' new airline,” it added.

Changes to Firefly operations yet to be known
By JEEVA ARULAMPALAM Wednesday September 21, 2011
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/21/business/9528513&sec=business
Scant details on MAS-Firefly deal

PETALING JAYA: There seems to be very little known about Malaysia Airlines' plan for existing budget carrier Firefly Sdn Bhd and its new proposed airline Sapphire.

A spokesman for the national carrier told StarBiz that following the initial announcement on Aug 9, it was too premature to provide further information and that more information would be available once details of the plan have been finalised.

When MAS and AirAsia Bhd entered into a collaboration agreement on Aug 9 after major shareholders of both airlines executed a share swap deal, it was announced that MAS would review Firefly's operations and that the national carrier's shorthaul full-service carrier business may be undertaken by itself and/or through a new MAS subsidiary known as Sapphire. MAS was also said to have the flexibility to re-designate capacity, assets and resources from Firefly to form Sapphire.

However, since the initial announcement, details have been scant on what will happen to Firefly's existing operations. There have been concerns that Firefly flights will be cancelled with some routes axed and air fares increased as a result of the collaboration agreement.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2011/9/21/business/newfireflyp4.JPG

Overlapping services: There have been concerns that Firefly flights will be
cancelled with some routes axed and air fares increased as a result of the
collaboration agreement signed in August.

A week after the August announcement, Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong is reported to have said that Firefly would be upgraded to a full-service turboprop operator while Sapphire would take over its Boeing jets.

Leong added that Firefly's turboprop operations would be expanded in terms of fleet size and routes, and would continue as an independent brand under MAS ownership.

Meanwhile, CIMB Research expects Sapphire to start operations in November and the airline will be positioned as a full-service carrier serving regional routes (Asean, South China and south/east coast of India), in the same way SilkAir is positioned within the Singapore Airlines group.

“We believe that Sapphire will adopt the same seat configuration as the refreshed MAS B737-800 product, which is a significant improvement from the existing aged B737-400 fleet.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2011/9/21/business/p4-fireflyqtcht.JPG

“Aside from this, all of Firefly's leased B737-800s could be re-configured from low-cost carrier planes into full-service carrier aircraft and then transferred to Sapphire,” the research report said.

It added that from a tax perspective, it would seem logical to keep all operations under mainline MAS because of its tax-exempt status until 2015 as well as its huge unutilised capital allowances and tax losses carried forward. But there are other considerations such as the need to clearly separate Sapphire from MAS as Qantas Airways did with Jetstar.

“Sapphire is likely to sign contracts of service with pilots and crew on different terms than that of MAS. Also, Sapphire staff are not likely to be unionised. This will give Sapphire a lower unit-cost base and help it achieve greater profits. Second, we suspect that a stake in Sapphire could eventually be sold to Qantas,” CIMB Research said.

Despite the fact that Qantas has said that its Asia-based super premium full-service carrier will be based in either Singapore or Malaysia (with a higher leaning towards Singapore), CIMB Research believes that Qantas will want to have a presence in Kuala Lumpur and may do so through an investment in Sapphire.

“As such, Sapphire needs to be separated from mainline MAS to facilitate an investment by Qantas, which would not be interested to invest in other parts of MAS's business, including its domestic and international aviation businesses, even if the Malaysian Government permitted this.

“An investment in Sapphire would fit Qantas very well because the KL aviation market is unlikely to be able to accommodate a super-premium offering by Qantas' new airline,” it added.

MAS new short-haul premium carrier will take off by January
By B.K. SIDHU Wednesday September 28, 2011
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/28/business/9588251&sec=business#13172309727161&if_height=635

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) new short-haul premium carrier will take off by January. However, it is not likely to be named Sapphire, as indicated earlier. Instead, said a source, the Firefly brand might be retained or there would be a new brand incorporating the MAS name.

The short-haul premium airline would also compete with AirAsia because there will be route overlaps in the market segment.

It is learnt that there would be no duplication of routes between MAS' long-haul premium operations and those of the short-haul premium airline. “Sapphire is definitely out, but it's not certain if the Firefly name would be used. The entire product offering has to be changed because it would be a full-service airline that offers business class seating. It would also be a feeder service for MAS' long-haul operations. It has to have the right branding and product offering to attract both the business and leisure travellers,” said the source.

“Eventually, we are talking about a product that offers value for money. Naturally, the business model has to change,” he added.

It is learnt that the MAS board approved both the long-haul premium and short-haul premium structures yesterday, paving the way for planning and implementation.

Firefly is a community airline that operates from Subang, using turboprops. It also flies jets from the KL International Airport (KLIA) but this will cease by end-October.

MAS' transformation stems from the share swap between MAS and AirAsia's founding members, who now own 20% of MAS. As part of the change, the interior of the aircraft for the short-haul services will be changed to include business-class seats for both the turboprop and jet operations.

The turboprops will continue to fly from Subang, while the jet operations from KLIA will serve short-haul routes within a three to four-hour flying radius. Since the new airline would be premium short-haul carrier, the Firefly operating model will change and so will the service quality and branding. The cost of the change, according to the source, would be minimal because the “structure is already there”.

Still, there be may room for airfares to go up because the new short-haul airline will be a premium product. Another source said “we would like to think it is value for money”.

It is also learnt that the MAS board had approved a new organisational structure, which was proposed by new managing director Ahmad Jauhari Yahya. The source said the number of heads now reporting to Ahmad Jauhari would be reduced from 14 to eight, and with that, “we are seeing a leaner structure for better coordination”.

The board is also said to have reaffirmed MAS' entry into the oneworld alliance as it saw “more upside” to such a move than otherwise.

md firefly now mas chief operating officer..so what happen to firefly ?? jauhari for long haul while rashdan or danny will handle short haul operation..

Radical MAS organisational revamp
By B.K. SIDHU
bksidhu@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has radically revamped the line of reporting and divisions, where managing director/group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya will focus on long-haul while deputy CEO Mohammed Rashdan Yusof will look after the airline’s short-haul operations.

While Jauhari will oversee the entire operations at MAS, Rashdan will also assume the role of head of commercial, pending the appointment of a new commercial director. The commercial director’s job is basically to drive sales, oversee its network and revenue management.

Datuk Eddy Leong, the managing director of community airline Firefly, has been appointed chief operating officer for the short-haul operations. There is, however, no indication whether the Firefly brand name will be retained or be renamed.

A share-swap deal in August saw the entry of AirAsia founders Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun as MAS shareholders with a 20% equity stake. They are now directors of the national carrier.

Following the shake-up, MAS will realign itself to be a preferred premium carrier, focusing on long and short-haul operations, while AirAsia will continue to focus on the low-cost sector, covering both long and short-haul routes.

The shake-up also involved a revamp of the MAS board with Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof becoming its chairman. Rashdan, who in August was appointed executive director, has been designated as deputy CEO. Jauhari came on board MAS as its MD/group CEO on Sept 19.

After nearly two weeks on the job, Jauhari has come up with a new organisational structure that has distinct operating responsibilities, since the key focus is to rev up revenues.

The new structure had five main pillars, sources said.

The first four pillars are wide-body operations to oversee operations and customer experience; narrow-body operations, comprising short-haul and turboprops operations; finance and commercial (finance, corporate finance and strategic procurement, and commercial); human capital and support functions (HR, internal audit, communication, strategy, legal/risks, safety and company secretary).

And the last pillar covers key operating subsidiaries, MASKargo, MAS engineering and maintenance (MAE) and MAS Wings.

Besides being fully in-charge of the entire MAS group and long-haul operations, Jauhari will also oversee customer experience, operations, human capital, strategy/communications/legal/risk and three key operating subsidiaries.

Rashan will look after the short-haul operations, commercial, finance, corporate finance and strategic procurement units.

The head of units have been retained. They include operations under Capt Mohd Azharuddin Osman, Datuk Mohd Salleh Ahmad Tabrani is tasked with customer experience, Mohd Azha Abdul Jalil, finance, Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar, corporate finance/procurement, and Raja Azura Raja Mahayuddin, human capital.

The heads of the key operating subsidiaries remain Shahari Sulaiman (cargo), Mohd Roslan Ismail (MAE) and Datuk Capt Mohd Nawawi Awang (MASWings).

Sources said the seven regional heads would now report to Rashdan.

Sources said MAS’ new customer experience unit showed its seriousness in building customer relationship which is crucial in the premium business. The long- and short-haul operations would use widebody and narrowbody aircraft, respectively. MAS is expected to take delivery of the A380 aircraft next year.

Sources said a management committee chaired by Jauhari would be set up and it was expected to meet every Monday. With the setting up of the management committee, the exco formed earlier would be disbanded, they said.

Firefly jets to be absorbed into MAS fleet?
By Presenna Nambiar

Firefly will cease all jet operations by year-end, according to sources.


It is understood its turboprop operations, which is what the airline started with, out of Subang, will continue until further notice.

Firefly has a fleet of eight jet aircraft, six Boeing 737-800s and two Boeing 737-400s.

The B737-800s were based in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu while the B737-400s were in Johor Baru.

It is understood that the jets will then be absorbed into Malaysia Airlines' fleet.

Malaysia Airlines and Firefly have been conspicuously silent since the announcement of its plans to re-brand Firefly into a regional premium full-service carrier.

This has not stopped the low-cost carrier, however, from winding down its jet operations, in some cases axing routes without prior notice.

According to postings on Firefly's Facebook page, the airline has stopped flights from Johor Baru to Bandung and Johor Baru to Surabaya.

"Dear (passenger), we would like to advise you that we have not stopped operations for all our East Malaysian routes out of Kuala Lumpur at present. Due to the recent business realignment exercise by our parent company, Malaysia Airlines, we have stopped sales for certain routes only. Flights from KL to Kuching are operating as usual at present," Firefly's social media team said in response to a query by a passenger yesterday.

The budget carrier used to fly seven times a day from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching. Checks showed that flights are down to four now.

Calls to Firefly's corporate communication team went unanswered.

Disgruntled passengers have taken to Firefly's Facebook page to vent their frustrations, asking for refunds for cancelled flights and more information on future flight schedules.

Source: Firefly jets to be absorbed into MAS fleet? http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/paj3/Article/index_html#ixzz1aA9eTppe

yess...firefly fly daily from kb to penang

Kesian JHB and MKZ. Seems every plan fail to materialize. And dont blame Lim Guan Eng.

Kesian JHB and MKZ. Seems every plan fail to materialize. And dont blame Lim Guan Eng.

LGE menteri transport kah?

Bukan menteri dalam negeri seberang!:lol:

Firefly jets to be absorbed into MAS fleet?
By Presenna Nambiar

Firefly will cease all jet operations by year-end, according to sources.


It is understood its turboprop operations, which is what the airline started with, out of Subang, will continue until further notice.

Firefly has a fleet of eight jet aircraft, six Boeing 737-800s and two Boeing 737-400s.

The B737-800s were based in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu while the B737-400s were in Johor Baru.

It is understood that the jets will then be absorbed into Malaysia Airlines' fleet.

Malaysia Airlines and Firefly have been conspicuously silent since the announcement of its plans to re-brand Firefly into a regional premium full-service carrier.

This has not stopped the low-cost carrier, however, from winding down its jet operations, in some cases axing routes without prior notice.

According to postings on Firefly's Facebook page, the airline has stopped flights from Johor Baru to Bandung and Johor Baru to Surabaya.

"Dear (passenger), we would like to advise you that we have not stopped operations for all our East Malaysian routes out of Kuala Lumpur at present. Due to the recent business realignment exercise by our parent company, Malaysia Airlines, we have stopped sales for certain routes only. Flights from KL to Kuching are operating as usual at present," Firefly's social media team said in response to a query by a passenger yesterday.

The budget carrier used to fly seven times a day from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching. Checks showed that flights are down to four now.

Calls to Firefly's corporate communication team went unanswered.

Disgruntled passengers have taken to Firefly's Facebook page to vent their frustrations, asking for refunds for cancelled flights and more information on future flight schedules.

Source: Firefly jets to be absorbed into MAS fleet? http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/paj3/Article/index_html#ixzz1aA9eTppe

firefly should not close shop...i dont understand why mas wants to shut down its own lcc while Sia is set up a lcc, they advertised in local newspaper looking for pilot, people n etc to run lcc...

so sayanglah..only airasia will benefit bcause no need to compete..aduhai sedihnya bcause the loser one is us:ohno::ohno:

Sebab LGE cakap datang Johor kena culik, potong tangan, berhabuk, maybe sebab tu firefly xmau datang JHB lagi...

firefly should not close shop...i dont understand why mas wants to shut down its own lcc while Sia is set up a lcc, they advertised in local newspaper looking for pilot, people n etc to run lcc...

so sayanglah..only airasia will benefit bcause no need to compete..aduhai sedihnya bcause the loser one is us:ohno::ohno:

MAS should not be a LCC trying to compete with AirAsia.

Because by nature, it can never match AirAsia's cost per unit of operations.


Not many people understand the rationale of the share swap with AirAsia and MAS' plans to reposition in the aviation industry.

Singapore is now doing it. Australia has done it too.

At the end of the day, MAS will re-focus and strengthen at the same time it will be supported by a new feeder airline and not affecting its peers - the AirAsia Group.

So end up Malaysia as a nation will benefit due to increased in collective turnover, besides the cost-savings synergy, if all things work well, ceteris paribus.

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/aviation.png

MAS should not be a LCC trying to compete with AirAsia.

Because by nature, it can never match AirAsia's cost per unit of operations.

i dont ask mas to compete with airasia, what i mean is Mas already has lcc unit which is firefly..n it is profitable..why they want to shut down firefly while other airlines like sia in progress to setup lcc on their own..

MAS problem was not about its failure to complement AirAsia, but rather, structural. It needs lean management and motivated staffs. Just take a look at the staff number, some positions are redundant, the offices sprawl across the two airports and they just CAN'T get rid of lopsided contract and useless but powerful unions. This union is a good thing for staff to protect their rights but at the same time the protection given to lazy staff does not make things right. Just compare productivity per staff between Air Asia and MAS. MAS' staff believe it's government's responsibility to keep the company afloat even if it's not making money (heavy losses too). For them MAS is too big and too important to fail.

This is cancer. It spreads. The only way to get rid of it is to put MAS to sleep and restart anew. This will jolt them and wake them up from their communism sleep.

But if this were to be done it will be political suicide.

MAS can compete alone on premium sector without having TF and KM on board. Provided that they can get rid of GLC stigma and few old useless staff.

Sebab LGE cakap datang Johor kena culik, potong tangan, berhabuk, maybe sebab tu firefly xmau datang JHB lagi...

Wow, LGE so powerful.:nuts:

What about last time Mahathir said Penang is a Darul Sampah (BN as government)?

Wow, LGE so powerful.:nuts:

What about last time Mahathir said Penang is a Darul Sampah (BN as government)?

He never apologised to the governor and Kedah Sultan (penang was under kedah once) and now he's a living political legend :lol:

Must appologice to mlk governor also as png n kedah was onces under melaka.. n also to majapahit srivijaya n atantuya also:lol:

[QUOTE=daeng_jal; n also to majapahit srivijaya n atantuya also:lol:[/QUOTE]

:lol:Apo kono jang?

^^ please stick to topic, no politic talk:ohno:

i dont ask mas to compete with airasia, what i mean is Mas already has lcc unit which is firefly..n it is profitable..why they want to shut down firefly while other airlines like sia in progress to setup lcc on their own..


I know your concern, but foremost, ppl need to understand a few things. Aviation people might not even know the whole story as it involves Accounting instead.


1. As a premium airline, for sure, MAS has much higher operating costs.

2. AirAsia has much lower cost-per-passenger and thus they can maintain their profit margin when the oil is at a level of not more than US$180 per barrel.

3. However, for MAS, any price above US$120 per barrel will ultimately result in loss if they cannot sell their tickets at a certain price, which is already deemed expensive to ppl.

4. What MAS did was to raise revenue by selling domectic-flight tickets at prices similar to AirAsia. The focus was to bring in much more revenue to offset the increasing costs.

5. However, it was quite short sighted because MAS did not achieve over-fantastic growth in revenue but the COSTS kept on increasing like mad. (FYI during Idris Jala's time, alot of reported profits came from cutting cost and selling assets. Frankly, every accountant knows how to unlock assets into cash but it does not solve the fundamental deficiencies in MAS)

6. Then, the next strategy of MAS was to try using Firefly to mimic AirAsia. Bring in the revenue and cut AirAsia's market share in the hope that ppl will change their preference for Firefly instead - with offerings like flying out from Subang which MAS has fought for.

7. Again, it backfired. Firefly was nowhere compared to AirAsia in terms of operations and revenue. It did not have the economies of scale like AirAsia did and its turboprop and jet fleets were not fully utilised and expensive to maintain.

8. Somehow it lost focus, as to whether they should feed MAS some traffic or go entirely its own. But was it actually a LCC at all? MAS parent was telling Firefly to fly out from KLIA in the hope to feed them some traffic.

9. Today, Mr Tony comes into MAS. The whole system on how things works will have to change, thus giving rise to a repositioning focus where a premium short-haul airline will feed MAS' premium long-haul.

The question is where would Firefly stand?


(can you guys see this image?)
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/aviation.png

Errm..take all firefly jet into mas be a premium airline offering short haul n long haul flight..

Firefly can stay..with turboprop to get to dont know pangkor or something similar perhaps

Jual la firefly ke berjaya air..we need competition. TF will likely to cull firefly so he has no competition in the segment.

I thought uncle vince going into a JV with a indonesian airline?

uncle Tony just only want to use MAS MRO and Cargo..

And whatever else he can get his hands on!

I thought uncle vince going into a JV with a indonesian airline?

Lion Air. They said they gonna have operation within 6 months time. Provided the plan being approved by DCA, but seeing how big TF now, i would say, good luck to Vincent Tan.

Thats what i thought too!I think najib should appoint him the new transport ministerlah!With a direct line to the cabinet(red phone with blinking lights):lol:

Sorry I am repeating this post as a special obituary to Firefly :ohno:

Sad. We now have Tony Airline to fly only, domestically unless u want pay super premium.



I already told you Firefly never made money, so why want it....


End of the road for Firefly’s jet service
By Lee Wei Lian
October 18, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 – Firefly’s jet service became a casualty of the strategic collaboration between Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia today and the fledging budget carrier will now focus on its turbo-prop fleet.

Malaysia Airlines announced today that all of its subsidiary’s jet aircraft will be redeployed into the parent company’s operations by December 4, 2011 saying that the move addresses the continuing heavy losses being incurred by Firefly jet operations.

Little was known about Firefly’s financials previously as profit and loss statements were never disclosed by MAS.

The national carrier said that it deeply regreted any inconvenience caused to passengers of Firefly Jet services and gave its fullest assurance to passengers that it will honour all jet flight seats sold on Firefly.

The MAS-AirAsia strategic collaboration was inked on August 9 as a deal between the government’s investment holding company Khazanah which controls MAS and unlisted Tune Air which controls AirAsia.

The move renders AirAsia as Malaysia’s only major airline operating in the budget or value segment prompting fears that the collaboration would give rise to an airline industry cartel.

MAS had since last year used Firefly to compete against AirAsia, launching competitively priced flights from KL to East Malaysia and adopting the same low cost model such as charging for meals on board.

A fare war had erupted late last year with Firefly offering 50,000 seats as low as RM9 and AirAsia responding with a million free seats.

It was also seen by some as a threat to the booming low cost carrier despite AirAsia group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes dismissing any such notions.

Under the collaboration however, MAS will now focus on being a premium full service carrier while AirAsia will focus on the budget segment which appears to remove the element of competition between the two airlines.

Fernandes however said that AirAsia will not increase fares following the strategic collaboration.

“The takeover of jet services is an important part of Malaysia Airlines Group’s business realignment exercise and is prompted by the need to address network and fleet restructuring plans for short-haul jet services. With the consolidation of Firefly’s jet operations under the Group, Malaysia Airlines will focus on the business of growing our premium full-service segment,” said MAS Group CEO, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya in a media statement on the takeover of Firefly jets.

Firefly was to take delivery of its seventh Boeing B737-800s in November.

Lion Air. They said they gonna have operation within 6 months time. Provided the plan being approved by DCA, but seeing how big TF now, i would say, good luck to Vincent Tan.

The name uncle vince does not invoke a confidence in me that it will BERJAYA..

Does firefly turboprop can land on those WW2 airfields?..then can always fly out of szb to batu pahat n all n compete with transnational

FireFly urged to continue flights to Sabah, Sarawak
2011/10/17
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/3firef/Article/

http://www.nst.com.my/articles/3firef/single

Hoo Seong Chang says the number of tourist arrivals in the state is expected to double next year.

THE Johor government has requested community airline FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd to re-consider its decision to stop flights to Sabah and Sarawak from the Sultan Ismail Airport in Senai.

State Tourism and Domestic Trade Committee chairman Hoo Seong Chang said a letter for the request was sent to the airline last week.

"We are also hoping that Firefly will let the state government know of its new business plan for the airport as we hope they could help with our plan to make the Sultan Ismail Airport a southern transport hub as we are introducing new tourism products next year," Hoo said.

He said this after attending a briefing on a 10-day Chinese Book Expo at the KSL City Mall which will start on Nov 4.

He said the number of tourist arrivals in Johor was projected to double next year with the opening of the Legoland theme park, which is the first of its kind in Asia.

It was reported that the park was expected to draw between one and two million visitors a year.

The opening of the Johor Premium Outlet in Kulai next month is also expected to boost the number of tourist arrivals.

Firefly had launched its inaugural flight from the airport to the Kuching airport on May 19.

Daily flights were scheduled from Johor Baru to Kuching at 7.30am and 6.35pm while flights from Kuching to Johor Baru was at 9.55am and 8.30pm.


However, Firefly began cancelling some of its flights to and from Sarawak since September, ahead of its expected pullout from the airport at end of this month.

Lion Air. They said they gonna have operation within 6 months time. Provided the plan being approved by DCA, but seeing how big TF now, i would say, good luck to Vincent Tan.

Sadly, the deal (Berjaya Air & Lion Air) is OFF. What a total letdown!:bash:

Berjaya Air & Lion Air Terminate JV Agreement

Wednesday, 12 October 2011 19:06 Written by Hans GN

Theindonesiatoday.com - Berjaya Land Berhad (B-Land) announces today that the joint venture (JV) agreement with PT Lion Mentari has been terminated as both parties could not finalized the terms of the shareholders’ agreement and other related arrangements.

The termination will not have any effect on the consolidated earnings and net assets of B-Land for the current financial year ending 30 April 2012.

B-Land has on June 6 entered into joint venture agreement with Lion Mentari to jointly operate, manage, and develop the business operations of Berjaya Air Sdn Bhd, a charter and schedule flight operator company on a 51:49 equity basis.

B-Air was incorporated in Malaysia. B-Air has an issued and paid up share capital of RM100 million and is principally involved in the provision of aviation services.

Lion Mentari, meanwhile, is the largest airline in Indonesia with 78 aircrafts and has another 134 units of Boeing 737-900ER in firm orders. (Theindonesiatoday.com)

Actually what is really happen? they still sell tickets to certain destinations like Medan, Singapore, Ipoh, Pekanbaru etc at cheap price until next year...

Itu uncle ali or uncle ghani punyer airport banyak kosong..buat jv sama lion air lah

Itu uncle ali or uncle ghani punyer airport banyak kosong..buat jv sama lion air lah

:lol:I love them both just as much. Both very pandai to build airports but tarak airline mau pigi oh:banana:

:lol:I love them both just as much. Both very pandai to build airports but tarak airline mau pigi oh:banana:

It's just a pure show off airport mahh...only flying schools use and utilise the airport freely. Har har har. JHB is only good for my touch n go's :lol:

Touch and go free ahh?

have to pay maa..but no passenger traffic. Moreover big aircraft has priority over the small ones.

Some of the old B737 400 are sitting idle at KLIA!Also i noticed they breaking apart a B747 not far from the cargo complex!Thats not a very reassuring sight for pax arriving at KLIA:lol:

have to pay maa..but no passenger traffic. Moreover big aircraft has priority over the small ones.

:lol:In a straight line from changi to senai under five minutes?

b5EHg4Eo2cM

Firefly made its maiden flight to Sandakan on August 1, 2011 with a big bang. The brand new Boeing 737-800 was greeted with the traditional aviation industry welcome – a water spraying guard-of-honor - upon arrival.
Firefly, the low cost subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines had just taken over the route formerly operated by its parent airline providing a twice daily all economy service and a better alternative in that it utilized the aerobridge for passengers embarkation and disembarkation.
Today’s flight marked the end of Firefly into Sandakan. Unlike Tawau, another East Malaysian town that had an instant re-instatement of direct jet services to Kuala Lumpur left vacant by Firefly; there is no news that Malaysia Airline will return to operate this route. This thus left Sandakanites with no other choice in selecting their flights.
Though operated for just four months, Firefly was quick to attract a huge following of customers with cheaper fare and comfortable seats. It also provided easy connection for passengers holding onward journey to international destinations at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Gloomy faces of Firefly staff were seen. They were engaged just a few months and are now faced with the misfortune of joblessness.
Regular travelers and the large number of Sabahan working communities in West Malaysia now find that they have no other choice in selecting their flights. Added to all these, Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing flights between Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu are withdrawn altogether leaving only the smaller Turbo-prop ATR operated by Maswing.
From now on, passengers with ailments and those seeking medical treatment in West Malaysia will have to face the reality that their wheelchairs or stretchers are to be wheeled down the ramp and across the tarmac to be carried up the passenger steps, a situation prior to 2002 when the airport was without an aerobridge.
Surprisingly, the last flight FY540/541 arrived and departed with a full load of passengers.

:cry::cry::cry:

thanks to AK,tony and those idiot MH decision makers. :(

who said FY made big loss from their jet service anyway hmmm?? Havent heard it from Eddy Leong himself. All i know from my friends who flew with them, it's always 80% load factor. They wont add frequency if its not.

who said FY made big loss from their jet service anyway hmmm?? Havent heard it from Eddy Leong himself. All i know from my friends who flew with them, it's always 80% load factor. They wont add frequency if its not.

yup....me too wonder how it made big loss.AFAIK ever since the presence of FY in jet service,it made good competition between airlines especially in low cost sector.or is it AK strategy to make MH axe FY jet service bcoz they afraid of competition.

Am not sure if too much competition is good. Why did Air Asia withdraw from many Indonesian domestic lines ( Jakarta-Batam etc ) isn't it due to too much competition ? Its hard for airlines to make money because too many competition means many tickets have to be sold at very low price , and in the end cannot cover the cost.

Indonesia and India have many airlines operating for their domestic lines. Almost all airlines in India didn't make profit at all so far, this year . So am not sure if 3 airlines operating same route in Malaysia with 28 million populace is good for airlines int he long term..

FireFly in bid to tap Saudi market
Published: 2011/12/15
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20111215192836/Article/index_html

Firefly is reaching out to travel consultants from Saudi Arabia in a bid to tap this high-yield market.

The airline will host an entourage of 14 Saudi Arabian travel consultants on a familiarisation trip from Subang to Kuantan from today until Dec 17.

"We will be treating our guests to our well-known in-flight services and hospitality while sharing with them all our product and destination updates," said its head of Marketing & Communications, Angelina C Fernandez, in a statement today.

"This is part of our targeted efforts to tap the Saudi Arabian market which is high-yield and volume-based.

"We are seeing an increasing trend in year-round arrivals of Saudi Arabian travellers, though the peak travel season continues to be during their summer months," she said.

As a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), she said Firefly can leverage on its code-share agreement with MAS which allows travel consultants to purchase Firefly seats through the Global Distribution System, MAS reservation system and all MAS international sales channels.

She said that among repeat visitors from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations, Firefly is experiencing an increase in demand for bookings to new destinations beyond the traditionally popular destinations such as Penang, Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur.

"To address this demand, we will be highlighting to the travel consultants our other destinations such as Kuantan, Johor Baharu, Koh Samui and Singapore,” she said.

Firefly had jointly collaborated with its parent company MAS to host the flights for the travel consultants, who will be returning to Jeddah on Dec 19. -- Bernama

Am not sure if too much competition is good. Why did Air Asia withdraw from many Indonesian domestic lines ( Jakarta-Batam etc ) isn't it due to too much competition ? Its hard for airlines to make money because too many competition means many tickets have to be sold at very low price , and in the end cannot cover the cost.

Indonesia and India have many airlines operating for their domestic lines. Almost all airlines in India didn't make profit at all so far, this year . So am not sure if 3 airlines operating same route in Malaysia with 28 million populace is good for airlines int he long term..

So you kill your younger child because you want your first child to have uninterrupted supply of foods and TLC. what kind of parent are you, instead of killing the second child, you should work harder to provide for both.

This too much competition argument is invalid. This is konon free economy. The rakyat is in the losing end and TF got fatter with his low cost monopoly. The subtle way to kill FY makes me angry.

So you kill your younger child because you want your first child to have uninterrupted supply of foods and TLC. what kind of parent are you, instead of killing the second child, you should work harder to provide for both.

This too much competition argument is invalid. This is konon free economy. The rakyat is in the losing end and TF got fatter with his low cost monopoly. The subtle way to kill FY makes me angry.


I hope to believe that, but then look at this article on struggling airlines in India .


Indian Airlines Struggles With Deep Troubles


Although spiraling jet fuel costs, plummeting profits and high debt levels are threatening the survival of its domestic carriers, India’s burgeoning demand is expected to pull the beleaguered aviation sector through the current turbulence.

Among the country’s six major airlines—Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, SpiceJet, Indigo Airlines, GoAir and national carrier Air India—only discount carrier Indigo is making a profit. Kingfisher Airlines, which calls itself “King of Good Times,” lost its scepter and throne to high fuel costs and the price war among airlines. Its shortage of cash hinders its ability to buy fuel and pay salaries, airport charges and interest to its lenders.

The rest of article, very interesting read:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/awst/2011/12/05/AW_12_05_2011_p46-397865.xml&headline=Indian%20Airlines%20Struggles%20With%20Deep%20Troubles

Firefly gets 'superbrand' status
Published: 2011/11/17
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20111117174022/Article/index_html

MAS subsidiary Firefly has been voted as a 'Superbrand' after being selected by consumers surveyed across 100 categories.

Winners of the award are bestowed the recognition of being the most valued local and international brands, as voted by the organisers Superbrands, after being qualified by a consumer survey conducted by Nielsen, the market research company.

Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the honour would spur the company to be one of the best customer-oriented airlines in the industry.

The company would also enhance its services to facilitate both business and leisure travellers, he said in a statement.

Leong added the introduction of two new additional aircraft last month would lead to increased frequencies on existing routes and enable new routes in the future.

Based on popular demand and as part of the its turboprob operations growth plan, Firefly recently reinstated its Subang-Kuantan route, he said, adding that further expansion plans would be announced in due course.

The certificate of recognition was presented to Leong by Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at a ceremony on Nov 15 at a leading hotel here.

This was the sixth edition of Superbrands, the world's leading independent arbiter of branding, established in 87 countries around the globe. -- Bernama

Firefly gets 'superbrand' status
Published: 2011/11/17
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20111117174022/Article/index_html

MAS subsidiary Firefly has been voted as a 'Superbrand' after being selected by consumers surveyed across 100 categories.

Winners of the award are bestowed the recognition of being the most valued local and international brands, as voted by the organisers Superbrands, after being qualified by a consumer survey conducted by Nielsen, the market research company.

Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said the honour would spur the company to be one of the best customer-oriented airlines in the industry.

The company would also enhance its services to facilitate both business and leisure travellers, he said in a statement.

Leong added the introduction of two new additional aircraft last month would lead to increased frequencies on existing routes and enable new routes in the future.

Based on popular demand and as part of the its turboprob operations growth plan, Firefly recently reinstated its Subang-Kuantan route, he said, adding that further expansion plans would be announced in due course.

The certificate of recognition was presented to Leong by Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at a ceremony on Nov 15 at a leading hotel here.

This was the sixth edition of Superbrands, the world's leading independent arbiter of branding, established in 87 countries around the globe. -- Bernama

i have a question in my head....it's mas soon will hv three brands other ?? firefly, mas n the other unnamed full service carrier for regional destion

dont forget maswings.

Hi, am a newbie here.

If i may share some of the photos from my recent flight to Melaka. I just had to try it out while the route lasts! :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/azuan1880/blogs/2011/melakadaytrip/15.jpg

Yes, it was an empty flight!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/azuan1880/blogs/2011/melakadaytrip/23.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/azuan1880/blogs/2011/melakadaytrip/20.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/azuan1880/blogs/2011/melakadaytrip/17.jpg

My full trip report for those interested:- http://www.azuanzahdi.com/index.php/2011/12/26/subangmelakasubang-by-air-a-memorable-flight/

Cheers,

Firefly reaches out to govt agencies
Published: 2011/12/31
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/pff1/Article/#ixzz1i5V2Wj3B

KUALA LUMPUR: Firefly is promoting its new twice daily services between Subang and Kuantan to government agencies.

Firefly marketing and communications head Angelina C Fernandez said its findings had shown that there is a substantial amount of government agencies movement between Kuantan and Subang.

This is from government employees who make regular trips to Kuala Lumpur for meetings and training purposes, she added.

"To further tap this market, our sales team regularly conducts product briefings tailored to government agencies where we stress on the convenience of our direct flights to Subang City Airport, which is a mere 20 minute drive from the city centre," she said in a statement.

Firefly highlights its convenient flight timings, which benefit day trippers, and its booking terms, which provide passengers with full flexibility to make flight amendments.

Delete

Hi, am a newbie here.

If i may share some of the photos from my recent flight to Melaka. I just had to try it out while the route lasts! :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/azuan1880/blogs/2011/melakadaytrip/15.jpg

Yes, it was an empty flight!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/azuan1880/blogs/2011/melakadaytrip/23.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/azuan1880/blogs/2011/melakadaytrip/20.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/azuan1880/blogs/2011/melakadaytrip/17.jpg

My full trip report for those interested:- http://www.azuanzahdi.com/index.php/2011/12/26/subangmelakasubang-by-air-a-memorable-flight/

Cheers,

Let the photo do the talking perhaps u want file the amazing experience with airliners .net

Firefly sees 20pc more seat occupancy
Published: 2012/01/17
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120117113405/Article/index_html#ixzz1jjAgrkSA

Firefly, a unit of Malaysia Airlines, expects a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in seat occupancy for the upcoming Chinese New Year festival, compared to the same festival period last year.

In a statement today, Firefly said routes experiencing good demand this year are Subang to Penang, Langkawi, Koh Samui and Singapore.

"The increase in air travel to these destinations is partly due to passengers traveling to reunite with their families and loved ones during this festive period as well as holiday makers taking advantage of the long break," said its head of marketing and communications, Angelina C Fernandez.

She said due to strong demand for travel packages during this period, Firefly Holiday is offering several online travel packages, inclusive of flights and accommodation, to domestic and neighbouring beach destinations covered by its network.

"We've kept the price of these packages affordable to cater to the mass market. Packages start from RM509 per person on twin share basis for three days/ two nights, inclusive of flights from Subang to Langkawi and accommodation at Awana Porto Malai Langkawi.

"We are also offering free and easy packages to Phuket, Medan Lake Toba, Koh Samui and Singapore," she added.

Angelina said Firefly Holiday is also offering a four days/three nights fly and cruise with SuperStar Libra (Penang-Phuket-Krabi-Penang) with return flights departing from Subang to Penang from RM1,249.

"The booking period is ongoing until Jan 31 for travel between Feb 1- Oct 27, 2012," she added. -- BERNAMA

firefly want to increase the frequency kb-penang from 1 time daily to 3 times daily