HK keen to land AirAsia, says airline

The Hong Kong Airport Authority met with Malaysian budget airline AirAsia yesterday and was keen to grant the low-cost carrier landing rights, according to chief executive Tony Fernandes.

Airport Authority officials met Mr Fernandes at Hong Kong Airport when he arrived yesterday and were scheduled to hold further talks with him at the Grand Hyatt hotel later in the day, he said.

'Now the talks are getting more exciting. This is the first time I see the Hong Kong Airport Authority beginning to understand the needs of low-cost carriers. [It] is making a big effort to come and get AirAsia,' said Mr Fernandes, who warned, however, that a deal would not be concluded overnight.

AirAsia was also in talks to secure landing rights in a few south China cities, he added.

In contrast to Mr Fernandes' enthusiastic account of yesterday's discussions, however, the authority sought to downplay the impact of the meetings between the two.

'We welcome all kinds of carriers, including low-cost carriers. They are all important business partners for us. We are constantly talking to various low-cost carriers,' a spokeswoman told the South China Morning Post. She declined to comment specifically on AirAsia.

Previous talks between the two parties have been inconclusive and negotiations ended in acrimony in May last year. Instead, AirAsia obtained landing rights in Macau.