AIRASIA X (AAX) Berhad said it’ll start a one-stop service between Kuala Lumpur (KL) and London via Bahrain, starting June 26.
The route is an element of the airline’s expansion of long-haul operations from Southeast Asia, it said in an announcement on Thursday.
“It is a defining step in the subsequent phase of AAX’s growth. Bahrain as our strategic aviation hub allows us to attach Asia with the Middle East and Europe more effectively while making a scalable platform for future growth,” Capital A Berhad and AAX advisor Tony Fernandes said.
AAX, the medium- to long-haul arm of the low-cost carrier AirAsia Group, said this will probably be its second fifth-freedom route, signaling expansion beyond Asia to serve international markets.
The airline said the Kuala Lumpur-Bahrain-London service will position Bahrain as a strategic location and set it up as AAX’s Middle East hub.
Mr. Fernandes added that the service strengthens the general aviation ecosystem by enabling Capital A businesses equivalent to cargo and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) to grow alongside AAX.
“Looking ahead, we’ll deepen partnerships with airports, tourism authorities and industry stakeholders to unlock recent demand corridors. We’re constructing a growth engine that balances connectivity, industrial performance and operational resilience, while staying true to our price proposition of inexpensive long-haul travel,” he said.
Last month, AAX accomplished the acquisition of AirAsia Berhad and AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd. from Capital A. The transaction brings all AirAsia-branded airlines under a single platform, the AirAsia Group, while Capital A will concentrate on non-aviation businesses.
Kuala Lumpur serves as AAX’s major gateway, linking travelers to 95 destinations across 23 Asian countries with almost 2,000 weekly flights, including routes to Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Australia and Japan. — Ashley Erika O. Jose