AirAsia is all set to boost the flights between Malaysia and China following a significant rebound in demand for travel.
The average number of guests carried per flight (load factor) for both AirAsia Malaysia (AK) and AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) flights to/from China was about 80% in July. Several of the strongest performing routes are Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai, Kota Kinabalu-Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur-Nanning and Kota Kinabalu-Wuhan recorded up to 95 percent load factor in the coming months.
Both airlines have sold more than 320,000 seats between China and Malaysia from March to early July this year, which is about 30% compared to the same period pre-Covid in 2019. About 75% of the seats sold are from Chinese nationals, a clear signal that Malaysia continues to be one of the preferred destinations for tourists from China.
Based on the strong current and forecast demand, AirAsia Malaysia (AK) will resume another route from Kota Kinabalu to Hangzhou starting with three flights weekly beginning September 2, 2023. Meanwhile, AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) will be increasing services from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing (Daxing) from four to five flights weekly beginning 1 September, from Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai from four to seven flights weekly commencing September 15, and from Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou from three to four flights weekly starting September 30 this year.
Riad Asmat, chief executive, AirAsia Malaysia said: “The resumption of flights from Kota Kinabalu to Hangzhou aligns perfectly with our commitment to connecting second-tier cities to the world as part of our commitment to serve the underserved. We are also planning to increase the frequency of this route to seven flights weekly starting in October based on demand. The enhanced connectivity will not only boost high-value travellers arrivals into Malaysia but also provide crucial support to Malaysia's domestic travel demand.”
“As China travel demand remains strong across our network for medium haul travel, we will also add more frequencies to our schedule to meet the growing demand and in particular for some of our most popular Chinese destinations such as Beijing (Daxing), Shanghai, and Hangzhou,” commented Benyamin Ismail, chief executive, AirAsia X Malasia.