Malaysia’s AirAsia X to Offer KL-Perth Flights

Malaysia’s AirAsia X to offer KL-Perth flights

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Xinhua)– Malaysia’s low-cost carrier AirAsia X will start a new direct service to Perth, Western Australia, from Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 2, its director Tony Fernandes said here on Thursday.

The average fare to Perth, including other cost like fuel surcharge, will be just under 400 ringgit (122 U.S. dollars), he said at the launching of the carrier’s destination to Perth here.

For those opting for the business class seats, the return fare is about 2,000 ringgit (612 U.S. dollars), he said.

The long haul, low cost carrier will offer six return flights per week between Perth and Kuala Lumpur, and is already planning to increase the flights to daily return flights by March 2009, Malaysian national news agency Bernama reported.

The route will be serviced by the airline’s new wide-bodied Airbus A330 aircraft, giving passengers a level of service not normally expected from low cost airlines, AirAsia X said in a statement on Thursday.

This is the airline’s third international destination following its launch to Hangzhou, China, in February this year with five return flights per week and to Gold Coast Australia in November last year with four return flights.

To date, AirAsia X has carried over 50,000 guests between Gold Coast and Kuala Lumpur, and 30,000 between Kuala Lumpur and Hangzhou, Fernandes said.

“Looking at what we’ve done with these two routes, we are confident of creating a bigger market in Western Australia and influencing the travel trends among the budget-conscious travelers, to a point where we are looking at daily service to Perth by early next year,” he added.

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