AirAsia X passenger numbers exceed 5m

by **hlk** Tue 05 Jul 2011, 08:15

KUALA LUMPUR: Long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X says it has now flown more than five million passengers since its first flight in November 2007 and believes the number can be multiplied as early as in two years.

Its chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani said that the five million mark was an important milestone for the company, which started its operations with just one destination (to the Gold Coast) but flies to 15 today.

“By tapping the underserved market, AirAsia X has created a whole new option for travellers in the region using Kuala Lumpur as a gateway into Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), which is complemented by our short-haul affiliate, AirAsia’s extensive route network in the region.

“Likewise, guests from Asean may tap on AirAsia X network to Europe, Australia, Japan, Korea, India and more.

“We expect passenger numbers to multiply within the next two years once the airline takes delivery of its five new Airbus A330s which will be deployed to new destinations across Asia Pacific and the Middle East,” Azran said in a statement on Sunday.

He added that the performance speaks volume for its business model, and has proven that AirAsia X is heading towards the right direction of a global shift towards low-cost carriers (LCCs) today.

“We are pleased that people around the world are more supportive towards LCCs today and have come to believe that affordable travel does not mean low quality,” he added.

To commemorate the five million passenger milestone, it is having a special promotion offering low, all-in fares.
The promotion started yesterday.

Guests can opt to discover the oriental treasures in Asia by flying to China (Hangzhou, Tianjin, Chengdu), India (Bombay, Delhi), Korea (Incheon) and Japan (Haneda) with all-in fares from as low as RM 255 one way or fly halfway around the world to fulfill their dream for a European holiday in London (Stansted) and Paris (Orly) with all-in fares from as low as RM 605 one way.

Guests can also make their way to the land Down Under, Australia, with all-in fares from as low as RM 305 one way to Perth and RM355 one way to Melbourne and Gold Coast.