Air Asia X eyes Middle East

Asian low-cost carrier Air Asia X has revealed plans to entre the Middle East market in the not-too-distant future.

“We do have plans to come into the Middle East,” the airline’s commercial advisor, Tim Clayton, told ATN when probed during last month’s World Travel Market (WTM).

“We operate A330-300 aircraft, which have a range of eight-and-a-half hours, so if you draw an arc from [our hub] Kuala Lumpur to destinations within a six- to eight-hour flights away, that takes in the Middle East, India, China, Korea, Japan and all the way down to Australia.”

When asked about timings of new launches, Clayton said Air Asia X was playing its cards “close to its chest”.

“But the Middle East is our sweet spot and we are currently in talks with airports in the region,” he added.

Clayton was speaking as Air Asia X, which already operates a successful short-haul network as well as a route to the Gold Coast, Australia, prepares to launch flights to London next year.

He noted the trend towards customers booking more complex journeys and maximising the airline’s network and low fares by, for example, booking a long-haul flight from the Gold Coast to KL and then flying on to traditional beach destinations in Thailand and Malaysia.

Clayton said the airline aimed to be a “lifestyle brand”, encouraging last-minute low-cost travel to sporting and music events around the world.

Unlike other unsuccessful long-haul LCCs, Air Asia X would survive by flying to key hubs with strong feeder markets, he concluded.

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