The fact that Firefly operates turboprops and is based at Kuala Lumpur's Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, just west of the city in Subang, means it serves different routes than the low-cost carriers. Subang's proximity to the city center also helps Firefly distinguish its services. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where the others are based, is farther from the city, to the south.
The carrier aims to position itself as a premium airline that caters primarily to business travelers, whom Ong says are less price-conscious than leisure travelers. However, Firefly is planning to do more promotions in an effort to lure vacationers as well. The airline's fleet expansion will enable it to achieve greater economies of scale and have more seats to sell, he says.
In addition to the Subang airport, Firefly has a hub at Penang International Airport on peninsular Malaysia's west coast. It plans to develop two new hubs on the peninsula, too, one somewhere on the east coast—perhaps at its busiest destination there, Kota Bharu, in the northeast corner—and one at Johor Bahru's Senai International Airport on the southern tip.
“Johor Bahru has huge development potential and not just because it's next to Singapore,” says Ong, adding that Malaysia's second-largest city is booming thanks to the region's oil and gas industry. He also cites the Malaysian government's Iskander development, which includes campuses of overseas educational institutions, such as the U.K.'s Newcastle and Southampton universities, as well as tourist attractions and business offices of major international companies.
Developing Johor Bahru's Senai airport as a hub could give Firefly an alternative to Singapore's Changi Airport, where it cannot increase service because of slot constraints. Senai is just a short bus ride away from Singapore.
Seletar Airport in Singapore is another alternative, but Ong says Firefly would only consider it if the there were strong public transport infrastructure in place to move passengers to and from that airport.
“Our passengers to Singapore are mostly business people, so they are going to want to catch a taxi when they arrive at the airport. I can't have 72 people [a full aircraft load of passengers] with no taxis.” Ong says. “Unless I see public infrastructure in place, I will stick to Changi. But I would never say 'never' to Seletar.”