Published: 24 Dec 2008: AirAsia has stated that it isn´t planning any merger with the budget carrier of Australia´s Qantas Airways Ltd.
Azran Osman-Rani, CEO, AirAsia X "scotched the report and said that the airline was not in talks with the Australian carrier", reported smh.com.au.
"I think it´s completely pie in the sky," Osman-Rani reportedly said. "It´s the first time I have heard about it. We are just busy on our own plans … growing [the business]."
A recent report in Malaysia´s The Star newspaper, citing an unnamed source, said Jetstar and AirAsia were in merger talks, possibly involving a share swap, to cope with the slowing worldwide demand for air travel. The report had indicated that the talks are still in preliminary stages and it is learnt that AirAsia´s boss Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes and Qantas new chief executive officer Alan Joyce have been mulling over it.
