AirAsia expands to Mid-East

KUALA LUMPUR – MALAYSIAN low-cost carrier AirAsia said on Wednesday it will launch flights to Abu Dhabi in November, marking its first foray into the Middle East.

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia said on Wednesday it will launch flights to Abu Dhabi in November, marking its first foray into the Middle East. --PHOTO: AP

The new Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi route, operated by the carrier’s long-haul affiliate AirAsia X, will begin on Nov 23 with five weekly flights in time for the peak travel season for Muslims, it said in a statement. AirAsia X Chief Executive Azran Osman-Rani said it indicated the group’s expansion plans were on track despite the global economic slump. The airline sees a potentially lucrative market in Abu Dhabi, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates with a population of 2 million – of which more than 80 per cent are frequent traveling expatriates, he said. ‘

We believe our low fares will help to stimulate and trigger new travel demand, and will help to boost tourism potential on both ends,’ he said. The carrier is offering a promotional fare of 99 ringgit (S$40.70) for a one-way ticket, which is exclusively available online Aug 20-26 for travel between Nov 23 and July 31, 2010. AirAsia X, which began long-haul operations in November 2007, currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to London, Australia, Taiwan and China. Airlines worldwide are suffering as the economic slump cuts demand for air travel. — AP

SOURCE :
http:www//straitstimes.com
Aug 20, 2009