AirAsia X to sign 'major' Airbus plane order

[HONG KONG] AirAsia X Bhd, the long-haul arm of Asia's largest low-fare carrier, said that it will sign a "major" Airbus SAS plane order in Paris this week to expand its fleet amid rising travel demand.

An announcement is tentatively scheduled for Dec 18, the Kuala Lumpur-based carrier said in an e-mailed statement. AirAsia X chief financial officer Yvonne Abdullah said last month that it may order more Airbus A330s as its current order of 25 of these planes isn't enough.

"This is a very significant investment," Azran Osman-Rani, AirAsia X chief executive officer, said in a phone interview yesterday, declining to give details of the order. "It shows we are on a very strong growth path."