AirAsia Aviation group CEO Bo Lingam said the five aircraft will be delivered on a staggered basis, or one or two a month, from August to December 2024.

“We anticipate our fleet to exceed 300 aircraft within the next five years, carrying over 100 million guests annually,” he told the media at a ceremony with deputy transport minister Hasbi Habibollah, where the low-cost network carrier received four A321neo aircraft at the group’s Sepang headquarters.

He said the additional four aircraft bring its total fleet to 221 currently.

Lingam said including the additional four, it has eight operational A321neos serving AirAsia Malaysia and Thailand.

“The new aircraft are game-changers, allowing us to enhance our route network, offer longer-range flights, and improve operational efficiency.

“In addition, these aircraft will be a key enabler for our Fly-Thru services, which have been integral to our network growth,” he said.

Lingam said AirAsia expects its Fly-Thru guests to increase to 25% by 2025 from the current 18%.

“As Airbus’s longest-fuselage single-aisle A320 fleet, A321neo’s advanced technology and fuel efficiency align with AirAsia’s goals of reducing operational costs while giving a superior travel experience.

“Its versatility allows it to land at smaller airports, serve secondary cities, and scale up operations with 30% lower costs versus a wide-body aircraft,” Lingam said.

In the first half of 2024 (H1 2024), AirAsia launched 20 new routes across the group, serving over 130 destinations and carrying more than 31 million guests.

AirAsia, the aviation arm of Capital A Bhd, operates five airlines, AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Philippines, AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Indonesia, and AirAsia Cambodia.