AirAsia X cancels A330ceo orders as losses mount

AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) has cancelled twelve A330-300s on order from Airbus Industrie(AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) as part of a drive to stem losses at the AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) longhaul subsidiary. 

Announcing a second quarter loss of MYR133 million (USD35.2 million), AirAsia X said that of the aircraft, four were to have arrived next year, five in 2017, and three in 2018. It did not incur any penalty from manufacturer Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac).

According to the ch-aviation aircraft database, AirAsia X has taken delivery of twenty-one out of the original thirty-one A330-300s it ordered from the Europeans.

Overall, AirAsia X will now take delivery of only three new A330ceo aircraft - one next month followed by two in 2016 - before the new fleet of A330-900neo begin arriving from 2018 onwards.