CHRISTCHURCH: AirAsia X celebrated the first flight into Christchurch at a ceremony held at the Westfield Mall in the city yesterday.
Following the arrival of its inaugural flight, D7 2754 with over 85 per cent passenger load to New Zealand last night on the A330 aircraft, AirAsia announced it will donate a percentage of each ticket purchased by every passenger travelling to and from New Zealand to help fund the restoration of some of the Christchurch’s most iconic buildings.
“We’ve set a target of raising RM500,000 (NZ$220,000) and expect to reach the target within 12 months,” says AirAsia X chief executive officer (CEO) Azran Osman-Rani.
Famous for being the world’s fastest growing low-cost airline, the AirAsia group continues to buck global airline trends and in 2010 reported a RM1 billion (NZ$434 million) profit.
Late last year, Christchurch International Airport announced the airline was adding Christchurch to its 150-destination network, a move that AirAsia and Tourism New Zealand estimate will introduce 70,000 new visitors to New Zealand in the first year of operation – nearly half that which will be achieved by the Rugby World Cup.