logo
AirAsia nears deal for Airbus narrowbody jet

AirAsia nears deal for Airbus narrowbody jet

The Star5 days ago
The advanced discussions for extra-long-range narrowbody aircraft could still end up with no deal.
KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Bhd is nearing an agreement to buy dozens more Airbus SE single-aisle aircraft in a deal that could be announced during Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's state visit to France this week, according to people familiar with the matter.
The South-East Asian low-cost carrier is working on an expanded aircraft purchase with the European planemaker, which supplies all its aircraft, said the people who declined to be identified discussing private matters.
The advanced discussions for extra-long-range narrowbody aircraft could still end up with no deal, they said.
AirAsia has 240 mostly single-aisle aircraft in its fleet, and a backlog of more than 350 orders for the top-selling A320 family of jets.
The budget carrier has also been discussing an order for up to 100 of Airbus' smaller A220 jets. — Bloomberg
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Romanian government survives no confidence vote and pushes tax hikes through
Romanian government survives no confidence vote and pushes tax hikes through

The Star

timean hour ago

  • The Star

Romanian government survives no confidence vote and pushes tax hikes through

FILE PHOTO: Romania's interim President Ilie Bolojan walks to attend a European Union summit in Brussels, Belgium March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo BUCHAREST (Reuters) -Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's three-week old coalition government survived a no confidence vote on Monday, allowing it to push through unpopular tax hikes needed to lower the European Union's largest budget deficit. The government has fast-tracked through parliament an increase in value-added tax, excise duties and other levies from August to prevent a ratings downgrade to below investment level and to unblock access to EU funds. The broad coalition of four pro-European parties took power at the end of June, ending months of political deadlock after a presidential election was cancelled in December and was re-run in May. The parties have been reluctant to agree the hikes that have been criticised by employers and unionists while thousands of public sector workers have staged protests. The hard-right opposition filed Monday's no confidence motion and said it will file more. "I understand the opposition does not agree with the measures proposed by the government," Bolojan told lawmakers. "What then are the solutions? On the one hand we are told the problems in the economy are serious, on the other not to take these measures. We can't have both." While all four parties in the government approved the increases, the Social Democrats, the coalition's largest party without which a ruling majority cannot hold, criticised them on Monday. "For solid, continued political support we must quickly correct some of the absurd things from this first package of measures," Social Democrat leader Sorin Grindeanu said. The Social Democrats had supported replacing a flat rate of tax on income with progressive taxation instead of raising VAT, but the other parties did not support that and the tax authority has said it is not equipped to enforce it. Bolojan said earlier this month the coalition government would do everything possible to lower the deficit to around 8% of economic output by year-end from last year's 9.3% - above an initial 7% target - and closer to 6% in 2026. Under Romanian law, the tax measures could be challenged in the constitutional court, and the opposition last week said they would seek to do so. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; editing by Barbara Lewis)

U.S. tariffs would slow Czech economic growth by 0.4 pp in 2025: ministry
U.S. tariffs would slow Czech economic growth by 0.4 pp in 2025: ministry

The Star

timean hour ago

  • The Star

U.S. tariffs would slow Czech economic growth by 0.4 pp in 2025: ministry

PRAGUE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A 30-percent tariff imposed by the United States on imports from the European Union (EU) could slow Czech economic growth by 0.4 percentage points from August this year and by 1.1 percentage points in 2026, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Economic growth would thus reach 1.6 percent this year, and 1.3 percent in 2026, according to an estimate by the ministry. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that his country will impose a 30-percent tariff on imports of goods from the EU as of Aug. 1. According to Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura, exports to the United States account for less than 3 percent of the Czech Republic's total exports. However, the country would also be indirectly affected through its European partners who purchase Czech goods and components. "Up to 20 percent of EU exports head to the United States annually, and demand for these exports would decline due to the price increase after the tariffs are introduced," Stanjura said on social media platform X. "The negative impact of the tariffs will certainly not be immediate, and there is still room for European leaders to find a solution with the U.S. administration that avoids a lose-lose outcome like a trade war," he added. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told reporters on Monday that the impact of tariffs on the Czech economy could be several tenths of a percent of gross domestic product, depending on their specific form.

Roundup: Italy urges dialogue with U.S. as tariff hikes threaten blns in loss
Roundup: Italy urges dialogue with U.S. as tariff hikes threaten blns in loss

The Star

timean hour ago

  • The Star

Roundup: Italy urges dialogue with U.S. as tariff hikes threaten blns in loss

ROME, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Monday the European Union (EU) is prepared to impose billions of euros in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods should ongoing trade negotiations between the two sides fail to produce an agreement. In an interview published Monday by Italian daily Il Messaggero, Tajani emphasized that while the EU has the tools to defend its economic interests, dialogue remains the preferred path forward. "Tariffs hurt every side, including the U.S.," he said. "If the stock market falls, that puts the pensions and savings of Americans at risk." Tajani's remarks followed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Saturday that Washington will impose a 30 percent tariff on imports from the EU and Mexico starting Aug. 1. The move marks the latest escalation in a series of tariff policies introduced by the Trump administration, even as U.S. and European officials are still working on a trade agreement. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also voiced concern over the prospect of a transatlantic trade war, warning that such a development would harm both sides. "Our government is in close contact with the European Commission and all parties involved in the tariff negotiations," Meloni said in a statement. "A trade war within the West would make us all weaker in the face of global challenges we are addressing together. Europe has the economic strength to protect its interests and reach a fair agreement." An analysis by the Milan-based Institute for International Political Studies suggested that Italy would be among the EU countries most affected by the U.S. tariffs. Under a 30-percent duty scenario, Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) would contract by an estimated 0.5 percent compared to a no-tariff baseline, while Italy's GDP would shrink by approximately 0.36 percent. On Monday, the Association for the Development of Industry in the Mezzogiorno (SVIMEZ) released its estimate of the impact of the U.S. tariffs on Italy's exports, projecting a reduction of nearly one-fifth in export volume and a loss of 12.4 billion euros in trade once the tariffs take effect. SVIMEZ also warned of broader macroeconomic consequences, estimating a 0.5-percent reduction in Italy's GDP in 2026 and the potential loss of up to 150,000 jobs, including some 13,000 in the country's southern regions. "The repercussions would be nationwide," SVIMEZ President Luca Bianchi told Class CNBC. Italy's main agricultural organization, Coldiretti, echoed the concerns, warning that the proposed tariffs could deal "a deadly blow" to the agri-food sector. "Thirty-percent tariffs could inflict combined damages of up to 2.3 billion euros on Italian producers and U.S. consumers alike," Coldiretti said. Key agricultural exports such as cheese, wine, and processed foods would be hit hardest, the group noted. According to Coldiretti's estimates, the new duties would raise overall tariffs on Italian cheese to 45 percent, wine to 35 percent, processed tomatoes to 42 percent, stuffed pasta to 36 percent, and jams and marmalades to 42 percent. (1 euro = 1.17 U.S. dollar)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store