Munich Airport beckons AirAsia X

BERLIN: Munich Airport, Germany’s second largest airport after Frankfurt, is interested to get Malaysian budget long-haul carrier AirAsia X to fly to Munich. In an interview with Bernama at the just-concluded International Tourism Bourse of Berlin, Michael Kerkloh, chairman of the board of management of Flughafen Muenchen GmbH which manages the Munich airport, expressed interest to attract airlines from Asia to fly to Munich which he said was of great strategic importance for airlines flying to Europe. 

"Yes, we are interested to get AirAsia X to fly to Munich airport which offers good facilities and is an excellent choice for both regular and low-cost carriers," he said. AirAsia X does not fly to Germany as of now. Its European network includes flights to the United Kingdom and France, though the airline had recently said that it would also serve other destinations worldwide. 

AirAsia has a fleet of 105 aircraft, including AirAsia X’s nine Airbus A330s and two Airbus A340s. AirAsia X has placed an order with Airbus for a total of 25 A330s until 2015 and 10 (+five optional) next generation Airbus A350s which are expected to be delivered between 2016 and 2018. German aviation experts familiar with Asia’s airlines reckon that with additional aircraft available, AirAsia X may seek new destinations on the European continent. 

Munich could also come up for consideration if AirAsia were to seek new destinations on continental Europe. Munich airport's strategic planners have realised that Asia as the world’s fastest growing region could be a driver for future growth. China and India are of course the two big markets but Indonesia is also becoming increasingly attractive. "In the years to come, Asia will be more dynamic than Europe. We already have a number of low-cost carriers operating from Munich," Kerklow said. 

"Low-cost carriers use Munich because it is a high-quality airport and can offer high yields too. Our interest in Asia is high. We are a Star Alliance hub. Traffic to Munich by airlines outside the Star Alliance is also very high. Munich offers excellent connectivity and has the best air network in Europe. All Nippon Airways and Singapore Air were, initially, skeptical about Munich but now they are happy with it," he said. 

Asked if Munich’s costs were lower than those of Frankfurt, Kerkloh responded: "The yields as well as connectivity are as good here as in Frankfurt. If the yields are good, then I would not worry about airport costs." Underscoring the importance of Asia, Kerkloh said that he was planning to visit a number of countries in the near future. He would be stopping in India, Singapore and Japan and, later, also China. "There is always the possibility of other countries being visited later," he said. 

- Bernama