Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Malaysian startup signs for CSeries 100 aircraft

(Bombardier / flymojo)

New Malaysian airline flymojo announced its presence Tuesday with a tentative order for up to 40 Bombardier CSeries 100 (CS100) aircraft.

The startup, whose existence was announced by the Malaysian government at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace show (LIMA), signed a letter of intent for 20 of the delayed jets and took 20 options.

Based on list prices, a firm order for 20 aircraft would be valued at approximately $1.47 billion, rising to $2.94 billion if flymojo exercised its options. If confirmed, it would be the first sales success for the CSeries in Southeast Asia.

The new airline is privately owned, but no details were given of its backers. It will be based out of Johor Bahru, Johor and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

According to Malaysia’s Deputy Transport Minister Aziz Kaprawi flymojo will have its main hub at Senai International Airport in Johor province, which forms the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia. There will be a secondary hub in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, which forms part of the island of Borneo to the east of the peninsula. Borneo is split between Malaysian and Indonesian territory.

“Flymojo will transform Senai into a key regional aviation and logistics hub,” the Minister said. The new carrier would also boost tourism into the Malaysian provinces of Sabah and Sarawak.

The airline “will play a key role in improving connectivity between the Peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak, as well as other parts of the region,” Kaprawi said.

According to local press reports, flymojo is due to start operations in October.

“With its strategic market footing and unique operations, flymojo is an ideal match for the all-new CS100 jetliner,” Bombardier Commercial Aircraft president Mike Arcamone.

(Alan Dron - ATWOnline News) 

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