KUALA LUMPUR – Air Asia X cancelled without explanation today’s announcement of its new global investors.
The event, scheduled for the Low Cost Terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, was due to be attended by Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Kalimullah Hassan, chairman of AirAsia X, Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X and Dato’ Tony Fernandes, director of AirAsia X.
International media had been flown in to cover the event.
Others who were invited were told in a Wednesday evening email, “Regretfully, we wish to inform you that the event has been postponed to another date. We would like to apologise for any inconveniences caused.”
Local media in Malaysia had already revealed that Japan’s Orix Group and Bahrain’s Perigon Capital would each take a 10 percent stake in AirAsia X for a total of US$75 million each after the much-publicised entry of Sir Richard Branson last year.
“The money will be used to fund the purchase of 25 Airbus A330-300 for the long-haul AirAsia X carrier,” an airline official said.
Branson’s Virgin Group has a 20 percent stake in the long haul budget carrier.
AirAsia X has begun flights to Australia’s Gold Coast and the Chinese city of Hangzhou using one leased aircraft.
