AirAsia X mulls flying to Eastern Europe, London and Orlando

Capital A chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes

KUALA LUMPUR: As part of its continuing quest to add long-haul destinations to its routes over the long term, AirAsia X is exploring possible destinations in Eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary, and the airline is not ruling out revisiting London and exercising its landing rights to Orlando in the United States.

AirAsia X is also exploring flights to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Capital A chief executive officer and adviser and steward for AirAsia Aviation Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes told reporters after the launch of the ASEAN Explorer Pass, an annual travel pass.

"But we’ll certainly want to go beyond Asia, to Kazakhstan, even though it’s considered Asia,” he said when asked about its long-haul ambitions following its purchase of Airbus planes by the group.

AirAsia X last flew to London in 2012, serving the Stansted Airport.

In line with the effort to promote travelling within ASEAN, Fernandes pointed out that as the region continues to rise as a major hub for international trade and investment, enabling intra-ASEAN connectivity and accessibility to key travel necessities such as flights, hotels, and rides was crucial.

"Data from the previous travel pass sold by AirAsia MOVE in December 2022 clearly indicates that demand for travel within the ASEAN region is high, with over 80,000 international flights redeemed and flown in a year,” he said.

Fernandes said the ASEAN Explorer Pass allows unlimited travelling to explore ASEAN destinations, especially hidden gems in all corners of the region beyond the popular destinations and the main Tier-1 cities.

"The pass is available for global travellers, with our aim is to promote ASEAN and wants to become ASEAN’s most popular online travel agent (OTA) platform,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing noted the ministry is committed to positioning ASEAN as a premier travel destination in Asia.

Hence, he said Malaysia aims to attract more than 30 million visitors this year, and in the process, rake in RM100 billion in tourism receipts.

"Numerous initiatives are underway to evaluate Malaysia’s appeal as a preferred tourism destination,” he added.

The ASEAN Explorer Pass is currently on an early-bird promotion price of RM999, or RM89.91 on a monthly instalment. It can be purchased on the AirAsia MOVE app from today till April 30 and will return to its original price of RM1,188 from April 30 thereafter. - Bernama