Firefly is a low cost airline and a full subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. It claims to be the first community airline in Malaysia. Its base of operations and hub is Penang International Airport. The airline's first flight was on April 3, 2007 to Kota Bharu.
Management and operation
Even though Firefly is 100% owned by Malaysia Airlines, it has a separate management, which is by FlyFirefly Sdn.Bhd. The focus of Firefly is to give a services in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle.
Idris Jala, Malaysia Airlines' managing director, speaking at a business briefing and launch of the new airline’s logo on the March 16, 2007, said Firefly would work with MAS in breaking new ground and realising a core network over the next five years. The core network would include markets like North America, South America and South Africa.[1]
There is speculation that in further developing Firefly, Malaysian Airlines may follow the SilkAir model (the airline set up by Singapore Airlines to fly its narrow-bodied fleet) and Dragonair model (Cathay Pacific's subsidiary).
Destinations
Domestic Firefly route map at January 2008
Firefly flies from two hubs, Penang and Subang in Kuala Lumpur. The domestic flights from Penang are Langkawi, Kota Bharu, Subang, Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan 14 times weekly as well as to Koh Samui and Phuket in Thailand seven times weekly. The flights out of Subang are Penang, Langkawi, and Kota Bharu.
Fleet
The Firefly fleet consists of the following aircraft:
Firefly has started operations with two 50-seater Fokker 50 planes.
Firefly expand its operation on 29 October 2007 from Penang to Subang. Firefly have also taken delivery of a third leased Fokker 50 aircraft to expand its services.
On June 26, 2007, MAS signed an agreement for the acquisition of 10 ATR 72-500 aircraft with options of 10 more which has been exercised, to replace the F50[2]. The aircraft will start to arrive from August 2008 [3], with three planes in 2008, seven in 2009, four in 2010 and the rest in 2011 [4]. The first ATR 72 arrived on 11 Aug 2008; Firefly the replace all of their Fokker 50 by end 2008.[5]
References
- Karim, F.N., "Firefly to start services April 2", Business Times, March 15, 2006
- Yeow, J. & Francis, I., "MAS to launch Firefly", The Sun, March 15, 2006
[1]
External links
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