Indonesia AirAsia Plans IPO on Indonesia Stock Exchange & Bonds
Budget airline Indonesia AirAsia, the local unit of Malaysia's AirAsia and one of the world's leading low-cost carriers, seeks to collect up to USD $250 million over the next two years through an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) as well as the issuance of convertible bonds. The company aims to raise around USD $110 million worth of convertible bonds (which will have a low coupon rate with a 2-year maturity), while the IPO (which is scheduled for 2017) is expected to generate about USD $150 million.
The primary reason for these corporate actions is to collect fund for financing needs. The low-budget carrier, which has a projected valuation of USD $700 million, plans to issue around 20 percent of its shares in the IPO. AirAsia's Kuala-based management added that it also wants to list a local unit on the stock exchange in the Philippines.
Previously. AirAsia Group Chief Tony Fernandes said that the group is eager to expand its presence in Indonesia, one of the world’s fastest growing regions in terms of air passengers. The recent fatal crash of Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501, which crashed in the Java Sea on 28 December 2014 en route from Surabaya (East Java) to Singapore, did not block the group's plans to expand in Indonesia. In the crash, which was the second-deadliest crash in Indonesian territory after Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 in 1997, all 162 people on board were killed. The Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501 crash was also AirAsia Group's first fatal accident in the group’s 18-year history.