Air Asia X Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi service from November 23, 2009

Air Asia X, the long-haul, low-cost carrier based in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is starting flights between Kuala Lumpur and Abu Dhabi, the capital of
the United Arab Emirates (UAE), five times a week from November 23, 2009. The frequency may be enhanced later on, with Air Asia X using Abu Dhabi as a refuelling base as well as a stopover hub, Air Asia X, the long-haul subsidiary of
Air Asia, said in a statement.

On the Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi route, Air Asia X will use an Airbus A340-300 aircraft, configured for 256 seats in the economy class, and 30 seats in the
premium class.

The flights will operate on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesday, Fridays, and Saturdays.

The introductory, limited, all-inclusive fare between Kuala Lumpur and Abu Dhabi will be Dh99 (US $26.95) one-way, and return flights for 99 Malaysian ringgit (Dh102.56).

AirAsia X, which franchises the brand name of AirAsia, the biggest airline in Asia, added that it would seek funding from investors in the United Arab Emirates to buy new aircraft and eventually use the UAE as a stopover base for services to Europe and Africa.

Osman Rani, chief executive of Air Asia X, said in the statement that the new flights to the UAE is a part of the airline’s overall strategy in expanding its operations to the Middle East.

The planned Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi flights, Osman Rani added, would offer residents in the UAE an array of opportunities to travel to Asia.

From Abu Dhabi, Asia X plans to fly to destinations not covered widely at present by the existing Persian Gulf-based carriers. The proposed destinations include Spain and countries in Scandinavia, according to Osman Rani.

Air Asia and its affiliate Air Asia X already fly to over 130 destinations in South-east Asia, China and Australia from its hub in Malaysia.

Also, Air Asia X is the biggest airline to launch services to Abu Dhabi in the last few years.

Air Asia X explained in the statement that it had initially planned to start flights to India in 2009 and to Abu Dhabi in 2010, but he plan was reversed “after learning of the huge investment that Abu Dhabi was putting into its tourism drive.”

Abu Dhabi airport, with the arrival of Air Asia X, will start becoming a hub for low-cost carriers, Osman Rani continued, thus complementing flights to Saudi Arabia via Saudi Arabia-based budget airlines Sama and Nas Air.

Air Asia X also that it expected to fly nearly 100,000 Haj pilgrims being transferred to Sama and Nas Air in Abu Dhabi, as well as on Air Asia X’s planned non-stop flights from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.