AirAsia X starts flying to Middle East

Long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X has started flying five times a week from Kuala Lumpur to Abu Dhabi, expanding its network into the Middle East.

The inaugural flight on its Airbus 340 culminated with a launch event at the Yas Island Rotana hotel here yesterday.

AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani said Abu Dhabi has the potential to become a hub for the carrier to expand its network into the Middle East.

"I take it (Abu Dhabi ) as a priority market. We are now focusing on adding more capacity and working on the service's efficiency. We will focus on Abu Dhabi first, before expanding our network further into this region," he said after the launch.

Also present were Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Arab Emirates Datuk Yahaya Abdul Jabar, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority deputy director-general Ahmad Hussein and AirAsia X chairman Datuk Kalimullah Hassan.

Abu Dhabi serves as a gateway to the Middle East, which has a population of about 300 million.

Abu Dhabi is the ninth destination offered by AirAsia X, after Chengdu, Hangzhou, Taipeh, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth, London and Tienjin.

To celebrate its launch, AirAsia X is offering 1,100 free tickets under the AirAsia Go Holiday packages from now until Friday. The travel period is for December 1 until January 31 2010.

It is also offering an online promotional offer of a number of seats through its website at RM99 or 99 dirhams, for one-way travel between now and July 31 2010.

Source : Business Times
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