Malaysia's AirAsia says to hedge half fuel needs

LANGKAWI, Malaysia, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Malaysian budget airline AirAsia (AIRA.KL: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) plans to hedge half its future fuel needs, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

"We are very comfortable with our hedging position," Chief Executive Tony Fernandes told reporters at an airshow on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi.

"We are looking at covering ourselves at least 50 percent going forward. Oil is something you have to live with and build your business around."

AirAsia, Asia's largest budget carrier, introduced its low-fare, no-frills concept in December 2001, and has expanded aggressively since. It currently operates 63 aircraft.

On Nov. 23, it announced that its total number of aircraft orders comprised 175 firm orders and 50 purchase options, enabling capacity growth up to 2014.

(Reporting by Clarence Fernandez, Editing by Hsu Chuang Khoo and Mark Bendeich)