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Firefly (airline)

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Firefly
IATA ICAO Call sign
FY FFM FIREFLY
Founded16 March 2007; 17 years ago (16 March 2007)
Commenced operations3 April 2007
HubsSultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
Penang International Airport
Secondary hubsSenai International Airport
Sultan Ismail Petra Airport
Fleet size14
Destinations17
Parent companyMalaysia Airlines
HeadquartersPetaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Key peopleMr. Ignatius Ong
Websitewww.fireflyz.com.my

FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, operating as Firefly, is a full-service point-to-point carrier and a full subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. Its head office is located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.[1] It claims to be the first community airline in Malaysia. Firefly operates from two hubs - Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, Selangor and Penang International Airport. The airline's first flight was on 3 April 2007, from Penang to Kota Bharu.

Management and operation

Firefly has a separate management apart from its parent company, Malaysia Airlines. Firefly focuses on serving the Malaysia as well as Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

Idris Jala, Malaysia Airlines' managing director, speaking at a business briefing and launch of the new airline's logo on 16 March 2007, said Firefly would work with MAS in breaking new ground and realising a core network over the next five years. The core network would include markets such as North America, South America and South Africa.[2]

Destinations[3]

Firefly ATR 72-500 at Langkawi Airport

Firefly flies from two hubs, Penang and Subang in Kuala Lumpur. The domestic flights from Penang are Langkawi, Kota Bharu, Subang, Kuala Terengganu and Kuantan 2 flights daily, and Phuket in Thailand a daily flight. The flights out of Subang are Penang, Langkawi, Alor Setar, Johor Bahru, Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu, Singapore, , and Pekanbaru in Indonesia. However, Firefly announced on 8 March 2009 that flights from Penang to Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu and Kuantan have been temporarily suspended.[4] In 2011, the routes to Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, and Kuantan from Penang have been reinstated.[5]

Malaysia
Indonesia
Singapore
Thailand

Future destinations

The airline is planning to use Malacca International Airport in Malacca to expand their base. New departure scheduled soon departs from Malacca are Malacca-Singapore, Malacca-Penang, Malacca-Medan Kuala Namu and Malacca-Kota Bharu. Other new routes there are under planning are Subang-Bengkulu, Subang-Jambi, Subang-Palembang, Subang-Padang, Phuket-Langkawi, Penang-Krabi and Penang-Hua Hin.[6]

The airline has also been granted rights to fly from Singapore to Subang, Penang, Kuantan, Terengganu, Ipoh & Malacca.[7]

Fleet

A Firefly Boeing 737-800 at Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Firefly formerly operated jet-service in 2011 with its hub in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The jet operation was briefly served as the low-cost subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines.

Firefly started operations with two 50-seater Fokker 50 aircraft. It also took delivery of a third leased Fokker 50 aircraft to expand its services.

On 26 June 2007, Malaysia Airlines signed an agreement for the acquisition of ten ATR 72-500 aircraft with options for ten more (which was exercised), to replace the Fokker 50s.[8] The aircraft started to arrive from 11 August 2008,[9] with five delivered in 2008, five in 2009, four in 2010 and the rest in 2011.[10] All Fokker F50s retired by the end of 2008.

On 25 August 2010, Firefly announced that it would take up four ATR 72s in the option clause of the purchase agreement.[11] On 8 November 2010, Firefly announced an order for 30 Boeing 737-800 aircraft from year-end to 2015 as part of its expansion into east Malaysia initially, and into regional markets in the future. Firefly's first Boeing 737-800 arrived in December 2010 and began its operations on 15 January 2011.[12][13]

On 16 August 2011, Firefly announced that it would only operate the ATR aircraft from Subang and Penang, and cease its Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-400 flights.[14] Jet operations were discontinued in accordance with a restructuring-of-services agreement made between Malaysia Airlines (Firefly's parent company) and AirAsia. On 16 September 2011, Firefly ceased the Johor Bahru - Kuching route. Other Boeing 737 services, including Kuala Lumpur - Kuching and Kuala Lumpur - Kota Kinabalu, were transferred to Malaysia Airlines in October 2011.[15]

On 18 December 2012, MASwings' parent company, Malaysia Airlines, ordered 36 ATR 72-600s for its subsidiaries. Twenty of the ordered aircraft will be delivered to Firefly while the remaining sixteen will enter service with MASwings.

As of August 2017, the Firefly fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Firefly Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
ATR 72-500 4 - 72 Total 4

References

  1. ^ "Contact Info." Firefly. Retrieved on 21 April 2016. "Principal Office FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, Lot R-01, 3rd Floor, CITTA Mall, No: 1, Jalan PJU 1A/48, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia."
  2. ^ Firefly to help MAS boost revenue
  3. ^ http://www.fireflyz.com.my/flights/routes-schedules
  4. ^ "Firefly suspends some flights from Penang", "Business Times", 9 March 2009
  5. ^ http://www.fireflyz.com.my/news-releases/firefly-strengthens-its-current-network-with-the-increase-of-turboprop-fleet
  6. ^ Marina Emmanue (8 January 2009). "Firefly eyes Ipoh, Malacca routes". Business Times.
  7. ^ "Constant reviews become more vital", The Star, 5 April 2009
  8. ^ MAS inks RM62m deal
  9. ^ Our Fleet | Firefly
  10. ^ Positioning itself - Carving out its own seat
  11. ^ Marina Emmunuel. "Firefly to double ATR fleet to fuel expansion". Business Times Malaysia.
  12. ^ "Firefly expands with 737-800". Firefly (Malaysia).
  13. ^ Jeeva. "Firefly plans to expand services and take up 30 B737-800s". The Star (Malaysia).
  14. ^ Firefly to only run turboprop planes The Sun Daily
  15. ^ Firefly pulling out of Sarawak after 4 months
  • Karim, F.N., "Firefly to start services April 2", Business Times, 15 March 2006
  • Yeow, J. & Francis, I., "MAS to launch Firefly", The Sun, 15 March 2006
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