Firefly (airline)

Firefly
IATA
FY		 ICAO
FFM		 Callsign
FIREFLY
Founded 2007
Hubs Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
Penang International Airport
Secondary hubs Senai International Airport
Frequent-flyer program Enrich
Fleet size 17
Destinations 19
Company slogan Beyond Convenience
Parent company Malaysia Airlines
Headquarters Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
Subang, Selangor, Malaysia
Key people Mr. Ignatius Ong
Website www.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 on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, 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 it's 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

Firefly route map as of July 2010
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, as well as to Koh Samui 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, Koh Samui in Thailand, Pekanbaru and Batam in Indonesia. However, Firefly announced on 8 March 2009 that flights from Penang to Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Koh Samui and Kuantan have been temporarily suspended.[3] In 2011, the routes to Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, and Kuantan from Penang have been reinstated.[4]

 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.[5]

The airline has also been granted rights to fly from Singapore to Subang, Penang, Kuantan, Terengganu, Ipoh & Malacca.[6]

Fleet

A Firefly Boeing 737-800 at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, which was previously operated by the airline.
Interior of Firefly ATR 72-500
A Firefly ATR 72-500 at Changi Airport in Singapore

As of March 2015, the Firefly fleet consists of the following aircraft:[7]

Firefly fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
ATR 72-500 12 0 72
ATR 72-600 5 15[8] 72
Boeing 737-400 1[9] 0 160 Charter Service only
Total 18 15

Firefly started operations with two 50-seater Fokker 50 aircraft.

Firefly expanded its operation on 29 October 2007 from Penang to Subang. Firefly also took delivery of a third leased Fokker 50 aircraft to expand its services.

On 26 June 2007, MAS 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.[10] The aircraft started to arrive from 11 August 2008,[11] with five delivered in 2008, five in 2009, four in 2010 and the rest in 2011.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14][15]

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.[16] 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.[17]

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.

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Info." Firefly. Retrieved on 22 February 2010. "Principal Office FlyFirefly Sdn Bhd, 3rd Floor, Admin Building 1, Complex A, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, 47200 Subang, Selangor, Malaysia. "
  2. ↑ Firefly to help MAS boost revenue
  3. ↑ "Firefly suspends some flights from Penang", "Business Times", 9 March 2009
  4. ↑ http://www.fireflyz.com.my/news-releases/firefly-strengthens-its-current-network-with-the-increase-of-turboprop-fleet
  5. ↑ Marina Emmanue (8 January 2009). "Firefly eyes Ipoh, Malacca routes". Business Times.
  6. ↑ "Constant reviews become more vital", The Star, 5 April 2009
  7. ↑ Firefly fleet list at planespotters.net
  8. ↑ "Malaysia Airlines to buy 36 turboprop planes". Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  9. ↑ Firefly Fleet, retrieved 10 September 2013
  10. ↑ MAS inks RM62m deal
  11. ↑ Our Fleet | Firefly
  12. ↑ Positioning itself - Carving out its own seat
  13. ↑ Marina Emmunuel. "Firefly to double ATR fleet to fuel expansion". Business Times Malaysia.
  14. ↑ "Firefly expands with 737-800". Firefly (Malaysia).
  15. ↑ Jeeva. "Firefly plans to expand services and take up 30 B737-800s". The Star (Malaysia).
  16. ↑ Firefly to only run turboprop planes The Sun Daily
  17. ↑ Firefly pulling out of Sarawak after 4 months

External links

External links