AirAsia further slows fleet expansion as 1Q profit falls - with the potential to accelerate later

Short-haul LCC group AirAsia has reported a sharp drop in profits for 1Q2014, including for its original subsidiary in Malaysia. Long-haul sister group AirAsia X meanwhile swung to a loss in 1Q2014 despite strong traffic growth and load factor improvement as yields in the Malaysian market deteriorated.

AirAsia has made another downward adjustment to its fleet plan, removing six aircraft from its 2014 fleet through aircraft sales. This brings the total reductions for 2014 to 19 aircraft when including the six sales and seven deferrals announced in Feb-2014. The group also expects to defer another seven aircraft in 2015, adding to the 12 deferrals announced earlier and leaving it with a mere 10 deliveries next year.

The new adjustments, which also include deferrals for 2016 to 2018, are understandable given the challenging market conditions. But they may prove to be a step too far, particularly if the pending restructuring at Malaysia Airlines (MAS) proves to be significant, providing AirAsia an opportunity to accelerate growth and improve yields in its home market.