Two of the region’s most aggressive low-cost carriers AirAsia and Jetstar are in preliminary talks for a partnership. Both airlines, boasting routes across Southeast Asia and Australia, are aiming to find ways to reduce costs even more. Occasionally, their services coincide in destinations such as Cambodia's Siem Reap and the Australia's Gold Coast.
Qantas has been actively seeking regional alliances to capitalise on its growing ties with Asia. In a brief official statement, the airline announced that “its wholly-owned subsidiary Jetstar and AirAsia have entered discussions regarding a potential cost-saving joint venture”. But it stressed that nothing had been agreed and the initiative was still in the early stages.
Last week, the Australian government loosened some foreign-ownership rules on Qantas to help it raise more capital and contribute to the consolidation of an industry that has bled billions of cash and slashed thousands of jobs in the current downturn.
For more details on the airlines, visit www.jetstar.com and www.airasia.com
Margie T Logarta
