AirAsia X to add two weekly flights on the Kuala Lumpur-Gold Coast route

AirAsia X, the long-haul, low-cost carrier based in Kuala Lumpur, has announced that it will increase the number of flights between Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, by two return flights a week. The extra flights, to start on October 21, 2009, are meant to cater to the growing demand to fly to the Gold Coast, which is Queensland’s famed tourist destination, AirAsia X said in a statement.

The airline is launching sale of tickets for the additional flights, starting at $149 one-way.

AirAsia X also connects with AirAsia, its sister airline and the biggest low-fare carrier in South-East Asia.

The airline already flies to the Australian cities of Melbourne and Perth, and plans to start service to Sydney in 2009.

AirAsia X had been trying to fly to Sydney, but recent reports in the Malaysian media hinted that the government of Malaysia had rejected the carrier’s request on account of “pressure” from Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia X’s competitor.

Azran Osman-Rani, chief executive of AirAsia X, said in the statement that the extra flights to the Gold Coast are, in terms of being launched in October 2009, “in lieu of the Sydney flights.” However, he denied media reports that airline has dropped its plan to fly to Sydney, the biggest city in Australia.

The Gold Coast, Osman-Rani added, has had proved to be an “enduring route” for AirAsia X and that the carrier is coping with the downturn in the aviation sector by launching extra flights on all its routes.

AirAsia X’s passenger traffic for the Gold Coast alone went up by nearly 15 per cent in the first half of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008.

According to Osman-Rani, the traffic between Malaysia and the God Coast is not just a “seasonal holiday phenomenon” but a year-round happening, which has emboldened the company to raise capacity on the route by as much as 50 per cent with 2 extra flights a week.

Meanwhile, AirAsia X – which offers ongoing flights to London and China – is launching a premium-class seating, complete with bigger, reclining chairs.

The carrier said in the statement that it will take delivery of three new Airbus A330 aircraft in 2009, and these planes are likely to be used for its services to the Middle East – in particular to Abu Dhabi – and China.

AirAsia X added that it is considering setting up a “virtual” hub in the Middle East as a part of its ambitious expansion project.

In addition, AirAsia X said it is planning to enhance frequency of services to Melbourne, Perth and Gold Coast (Australia), Taipei (Taiwan) and Hangzhou (China).