Firefly (airline)

Infobox Airline
airline=Firefly
logo=Firefly logo.pnglogo_size=147
fleet_size=5(+8 orders, 10 option)
destinations=8 (+4 starts October 26) scheduled
IATA=FY
ICAO=FFM
callsign=FIREFLY
parent=Malaysia Airlines
founded=2007
headquarters=George Town, Penang, Malaysia
key_people= Eddy Leong
hubs=Penang International Airport
secondary_hubs=Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
focus_cities=
frequent_flyer=
lounge=
alliance=
website= http://www.fireflyz.com.my

Firefly is a low cost airline and a full subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. It claims to be the first community airline in Malaysia. Its base of operations and hub is Penang International Airport. The airline's first flight was on April 3, 2007 to Kota Bharu.

Management and operation

Even though Firefly is 100% owned by Malaysia Airlines, it has a separate management, which is by FlyFirefly Sdn.Bhd. The focus of Firefly is to give a services in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle.

Idris Jala, Malaysia Airlines' managing director, speaking at a business briefing and launch of the new airline’s logo on the March 16, 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 like North America, South America and South Africa. [ [http://www.nst.com.my/Sunday/National/20070318082313/Article/index_html Firefly to help MAS boost revenue] ]

There is speculation that in further developing Firefly, Malaysian Airlines may follow the SilkAir model (the airline set up by Singapore Airlines to fly its narrow-bodied fleet) and Dragonair model (Cathay Pacific's subsidiary).

Destinations

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 14 times weekly as well as to Koh Samui and Phuket in Thailand seven times weekly. The flights out of Subang are Penang, Langkawi, and Kota Bharu.

Indonesia

*Banda Aceh (Sultan Iskandarmuda Airport) [Starts October 26, 2008]
*Medan (Polonia International Airport) [Starts October 26, 2008]
*Pekanbaru (Sultan Syarif Qasim II International Airport) [Starts October 26, 2008]

Malaysia

*Johor Bahru (Senai International Airport) [Starts October 26, 2008]
*Kota Bharu (Sultan Ismail Petra Airport)
*Kuala Lumpur (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) Secondary Hub
*Kuala Terengganu (Sultan Mahmud Airport)
*Kuantan (Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport)
*Langkawi (Langkawi International Airport)
*Penang (Penang International Airport) Main Hub

Thailand

*Koh Samui (Samui Airport)
*Phuket (Phuket International Airport)

chedules

Below are Firefly latest schedules (from October 26, 2008 to March 28, 2009). They are based on the website homepage :

*Days
**1 - Monday
**2 - Tuesday
**3 - Wednesday
**4 - Thursday
**5 - Friday
**6 - Saturday
**7 - Sunday
*Local time
**+0700 : Indonesia, Thailand
**+0800 : Malaysia

Fleet

The Firefly fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Firefly has started operations with two 50-seater Fokker 50 planes.

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

On June 26, 2007, MAS signed an agreement for the acquisition of 10 ATR 72-500 aircraft with options of 10 more which has been exercised, to replace the F50 [ [http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/26/nation/18131774&sec=nation MAS inks RM62m deal] ] . The aircraft will start to arrive from August 2008 [ [http://www.fireflyz.com.my/flights/fleet/ Our Fleet | Firefly ] ] , with three planes in 2008, seven in 2009, four in 2010 and the rest in 2011 [ [http://biz.thestar.com.my/bizweek/story.asp?file=/2007/11/3/bizweek/19357578&sec=bizweek Positioning itself - Carving out its own seat] ] . The first ATR 72 arrived on 11 Aug 2008; Firefly the replace all of their Fokker 50 by end 2008. [cite news|title= MAS finalising payment options| url= http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Tuesday/Frontpage/flyff.xml/Article/| author= Presenna Nambiar| accessdate=2008-08-12| date=2008-08-12| publisher=Business Times]

References

*Karim, F.N., "Firefly to start services April 2", "Business Times", March 15, 2006
*Yeow, J. & Francis, I., "MAS to launch Firefly", "The Sun", March 15, 2006 [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/03/asia/AS-TRV-Malaysia-New-Airline.php]

External links

* [http://www.fireflyz.com.my Official website]
* [http://www.fireflyz.com.my/flights/schedules Firefly Latest Timetable]
* [http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Firefly Fleet detail]
* [http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Firefly.htm Fleet age]

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