Malaysia’s AirAsia X Bhd
is set to launch non-stop flights to Turkey from November, rebooting the Southeast Asian budget carrier’s ambitions to fly to Europe and establish a global low-cost carrier network.
AirAsia X - the long-haul low-cost arm of AirAsia - will start flying to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport from Kuala Lumpur four times a week, according to flight scheduling data tracked by AeroRoutes. A representative for the carrier didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move comes just over a month after AirAsia tentatively agreed to purchase as many as 70 extended-range Airbus SE jets during Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to France. The new jets are part of a plan by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, chief executive officer of AirAsia parent Capital A Bhd., to fly to Europe and then make a foray into North America.
The start of Kuala Lumpur-Istanbul flights is a significant milestone for AirAsia X, which previously flew to London and Paris between 2009 and 2012. The carrier dropped those routes more than a decade ago due to waning demand and a carbon emissions levy.
The carrier’s recent efforts to expand its network have generated mixed results. It started flying to Central Asia last year with a route to Almaty, Kazakhstan. But its service to Nairobi - its first African destination - will be suspended from Sept. 1 due to low demand. - Bloomberg
