MUMBAI: Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia plans to increase flight frequency between Malaysia and India to total 69 weekly flights in the first quarter of 2024. The airline said it will fly up to 1.5 million seats per year.
“The significant increase in capacity comes in response to the anticipated surge in travel demand following the Malaysian government’s announcement of a 30-day visa-free entry for travellers from India into Malaysia starting 1 December 2023,” said AirAsia, in a press statement.
The announcement also coincides with the recent announcement by the governments of Thailand and Vietnam of a visa-free entry initiative for visitors from India to these countries. This enables Indian travellers to explore other ASEAN nations affordably via AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service with a one-stop in Kuala Lumpur and connect to Bangkok, Phuket, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and more seamlessly.
Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said: “This is a huge, much-anticipated news not only for AirAsia but for the country, and we truly thank the Malaysian government, particularly Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, for this forward-thinking initiative. AirAsia has been at the forefront of trying to make visiting Malaysia from India easier. The 30-day visa-free entry for the citizens of India will surely provide a welcome boost for Malaysia’s tourism and its economy ahead of the upcoming peak travel season while boosting economic bonds between these great nations. As a vital player in the aviation sector, we stand ready to add capacity to support the demand for affordable and accessible air travel in the region.”
AirAsia Head of Regional Commercial (India), Manoj Dharmani added: “We see this as an opportunity not only to enhance regional connectivity between two of our largest markets but also to act as a catalyst for significant economic growth. In the first quarter next year, AirAsia will be operating a total of 69 flights weekly to Kuala Lumpur from nine destinations in India from Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, NewDelhi, Amritsar and Trivandrum – a new destination commencing February 2024.”
AirAsia India, which was a joint venture between Tata and AirAsia Berhad, officially ended its operations over a month ago. The brand was sunset on October 31. The Tatas acquired AirAsia’s stake in the company and rebranded it as AIX Connect with plans to merge it with Air India Express. The merger, approved by the Competition Commission of India and is expected to be completed by 2023 end. Air India Express, with its 26 Boeing 737 aircraft and 28 Airbus from AirAsia India, will add 23 new Boeing 737 Max by April 2024.
“The significant increase in capacity comes in response to the anticipated surge in travel demand following the Malaysian government’s announcement of a 30-day visa-free entry for travellers from India into Malaysia starting 1 December 2023,” said AirAsia, in a press statement.
The announcement also coincides with the recent announcement by the governments of Thailand and Vietnam of a visa-free entry initiative for visitors from India to these countries. This enables Indian travellers to explore other ASEAN nations affordably via AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service with a one-stop in Kuala Lumpur and connect to Bangkok, Phuket, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and more seamlessly.
Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said: “This is a huge, much-anticipated news not only for AirAsia but for the country, and we truly thank the Malaysian government, particularly Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, for this forward-thinking initiative. AirAsia has been at the forefront of trying to make visiting Malaysia from India easier. The 30-day visa-free entry for the citizens of India will surely provide a welcome boost for Malaysia’s tourism and its economy ahead of the upcoming peak travel season while boosting economic bonds between these great nations. As a vital player in the aviation sector, we stand ready to add capacity to support the demand for affordable and accessible air travel in the region.”
AirAsia Head of Regional Commercial (India), Manoj Dharmani added: “We see this as an opportunity not only to enhance regional connectivity between two of our largest markets but also to act as a catalyst for significant economic growth. In the first quarter next year, AirAsia will be operating a total of 69 flights weekly to Kuala Lumpur from nine destinations in India from Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, NewDelhi, Amritsar and Trivandrum – a new destination commencing February 2024.”
AirAsia India, which was a joint venture between Tata and AirAsia Berhad, officially ended its operations over a month ago. The brand was sunset on October 31. The Tatas acquired AirAsia’s stake in the company and rebranded it as AIX Connect with plans to merge it with Air India Express. The merger, approved by the Competition Commission of India and is expected to be completed by 2023 end. Air India Express, with its 26 Boeing 737 aircraft and 28 Airbus from AirAsia India, will add 23 new Boeing 737 Max by April 2024.
