TOULOUSE, (FRANCE): Community airline, Firefly, is planning to expand its service into Indo China in an effort to boost the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

Firefly chief executive officer Ignatius Ong said the airline planned to implement the new initiative now that it has taken delivery of the first turboprop regional aircraft from Avions de Transport Regional (ATR).

"We will focus on new routes in Indo China which is to Vietnam and Cambodia from next year onwards," he told reporters after taking delivery of the ATR 72-600 aircraft from Avions de Transport Regional on Wednesday.

Firefly purchased 20 units of the 72-seater airplane from ATR which will be delivered in stages until 2019.

The company, which is targetting a revenue of RM350 million this year and flies 25 routes in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airline which began operations in April 2007.

With 12 aircrafts, Firefly's passengers grew from 100,000 at the beginning to 1.2 million passengers last year.

Ong said in materialising the new route, the company planned to make the Sultan Ismail Petra airport in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, as its hub for Indo China flights.

Commenting on ATR's plan to manufacture the 90-seater regional aircraft, he said: "If the opportunity knocks I will sure grab it."

He said Firefly would fully support ATR's initiative to manufacture the new aircraft as it would be a practical choice for the airline to use the 90-seater aircraft to meet demand.

Meanwhile, ATR chief executive officer Filippo Banagto said the matter was still under discussion especially with its shareholders as it would involve engineering modification.

"We have received requests from Firefly and Latin America for the design but the main focus for us right now is to complete aircraft orders in hand," he said, adding that Firefly was ATR's bluechip customer.

Ong said, to proceed with the design, ATR must at least secure orders for 100 units of the 90-seater aircraft and receive approval from company shareholders.-- Bernama