Press Release

AirAsia X, the Malaysian based long haul, low fare affiliate of AirAsia has announced that from 24 October 2011, it will commence flights from Kuala Lumpur to Gatwick Airport. The new base for the airline is set to further increase passenger traffic from South East Asia to London and Europe with six flights weekly to Gatwick Airport by mid-December.

AirAsia X’s decision to switch from Stansted to Gatwick Airport was to maximise commercial opportunities at Gatwick, to ultimately drive increased traffic flow between UK and Malaysia, and also the various key feeder markets within AirAsia’s network in Asia Pacific. AirAsia X guests will be given a wider choice to of both domestic and international connections via Gatwick Airport. Public transport and accommodation facilities are easily accessible via Gatwick for guest stop overs or for those heading towards central London and the surrounding region.

AirAsia X launched its maiden flight into Stansted International Airport (London) in March 2009. The low-cost long haul airline is currently operating six times a week between Stansted and Kuala Lumpur. The route has fast turned Kuala Lumpur into a regional hub connecting three continents, with Australians and New Zealanders flying into the Malaysian capital and connecting on AirAsia X to London. And British and European travellers using AirAsia X’s service to Kuala Lumpur, in turn, hop onto AirAsia’s extensive route network to travel at low fares throughout South-East Asia, to such popular destinations as Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.  

To mark the occasion, AirAsia X is offering one way all-in fare from as low as RM1,039  (£338*)  for Economy seats and one way all in fare from as low as RM 3,429 (£930) for Premium Fly Flat bed seats through online bookings made from 13 – 24 July 2011 at www.airasia.com for the travel period beginning 6 February – 6 June, 2012.

AirAsia X Chief executive Officer, Azran Osman-Rani said, “Our aim has always been to open up travel for all. The popularity of the London-KL route is further testament to the pent-up demand for long-haul travel, provided the fares are low and the quality is high. That is the combination that we at AirAsia X are offering our guests.”

“Gatwick Airport was chosen as it demonstrated the passion to work with us in realising our objectives to grow passenger traffic between our hubs in Asia Pacific and London. With our new home base in Gatwick, guests would be able to further benefit from the airport’s destination served, airline diversity, and beyond market connectivity potential with faster and cheaper rail connectivity to the city as compared to Stansted. AirAsia X see’s strong potential for the airport as we believe our entry will address the fact that direct services to Asia is significantly underserved from Gatwick,” concluded Azran. 

Gatwick Airport Chief Executive, Stewart Wingate said, “We are seeing more and more Britons choosing to travel long-haul, and in particular to explore countries in South East Asia. Malaysia is ranked as one of the world’s top ten leisure destinations and its capital city, Kuala Lumpur, is one of the most visited cities in the world. We are absolutely delighted to have AirAsia X on board to connect Gatwick to this popular region and give the 450,000 Britons who travel to Malaysia each year the opportunity to fly with an airline that offers a high quality service at prices people can afford. 

“We look forward to working with AirAsia X to help them meet their growth potential and also ensure our airport continues to serve destinations UK passengers want to travel to, be it for leisure or business.”

More information from www.airasia.com

Media enquiries to:
Gatwick Airport press office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1293 505000
Email: gatwickmedia@gatwickairport.com