AirAsia, MAS close to sharing the spoils -24 November, 2011

AirAsia, MAS close to sharing the spoils

Malaysian Airlines and budget carrier AirAsia are expected to make an announcement on collaboration between the two airlines in the first week of December, according to Dow Jones Newswires. “We are looking at tremendous cost savings,” said AirAsia boss, Tony Fernandes. The deal in which a share swap would give AirAsia's parent a 20 percent stake in Malaysia's national airline has been under intense scrutiny within Malaysia. The alliance is expected to eliminate head-to-head competition on some routes, allowing each carrier to focus on core markets. AirAsia this week revealed that net profit slumped by more than half in the third quarter as fuel prices surged. It also warned that the next four months would also be challenging. The AirAsia announcement follows a third straight quarterly loss for Malaysian Airlines, which also suffered as a result of higher fuel costs.

More than 50,000 Cambodian laborers working abroad -

Cambodia has reported that it had sent more than 50,000 Cambodians to work abroad, all of them in Asian countries.

The report filed by Ministry of Labor, a copy of which seen Monday, showed that by the end of March as many as 51,647 Cambodians were working in Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

Among them, 27,152 were working in Malaysia and followed by 16, 197 in Thailand, 8,201 in South Korea and 97 in Japan.

According to the report, majority of the Cambodian laborers are women and are working in factories, housemaids or in restaurants.

Some local non-governmental organizations have expressed their enthusiasm to the employment opportunities for Cambodian people and suggested the government to work harder to push more employment in the country and as well in foreign countries.

Cambodia has permitted more than two dozens of private companies and several non-governmental organizations to help facilitate Cambodian laborers to work abroad.

AirAsia delays delivery of eight more A320s-

This means the low-cost carrier will now defer a third or 16 of 48 aircraft deliveries scheduled for 2010 and 2011, after making a similar move in July when it deferred the delivery of eight aircraft for 2010.

The budget carrier is also unwinding all its leases with GE Commercial Aviation Services and other lessors for early return of 13 B737s.

It will also sell two of its own B737 aircraft to hasten its move towards using one aircraft type for greater efficiency.

The Malaysian Insider reported that AirAsia boss Tony, Fernandes also attributed the aircraft deferment in 2011 to doubts over the completion of the new Kuala Lumpur low-cost carrier terminal.

This is despite assurance from Malaysia Airports Holdings the new terminal will be completed on time by the third quarter of 2011.

AirAsia became the largest customer for the Airbus A320-200 in December 2007 after it placed a firm order for a total 175 aircraft, with an option for 50 more.

The budget carrier has so far taken delivery of 63 A320s, which are used for its services in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.