AirAsia shuts down most of its network
By Steve Creedy Thu Mar 26, 2020
Seven airlines flying under the AirAsia brand will see flights across their networks completely or mostly suspended as they join the battle for COVID-19 survival.
AirAsia Group Bhd announced it was "temporarily hibernating" most of its fleet across its network with AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsiaX joining other carriers in cutting flights.
AirAsia Malaysia will suspend all international and domestic flights from March 28 to April 21 while long-haul unit AirAsiaX will suspend most flights from the same date to May 31.
READ: Alaska sees substantial flight reductions for several months
Already on the ground are AirAsia Philippines (until at least April 14), AirAsia India (for 21 days) and AirAsia X Thailand (for three months).
AirAsia Indonesia has significantly reduced international flight frequencies and is continuing to fly domestically at a reduced frequency.
Like other airlines, AirAsia carriers have been hit by falling demand and government restrictions on travel.
Airlines across the globe are slashing capacity and expenses in a bid to conserve cash.
The AirAsia changes come as Bloomberg reported the group was looking at a number of options to shore up AirAsia X, including an investor, support from Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund or shuttering the airline.
A source told the business wire deliberations were at an early stage and the company hadn't made any final decisions.
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