Following the recent recommencement of services to Shanghai and Hangzhou earlier this month, AirAsia X (AAX) continues to expand its China network with two weekly flights to Beijing, which resumed on 30 March 2023. The service resumption is expected to stimulate business travel and tourism in both directions, with the potential surge in demand for international travel to China following its recent decision to begin reissuing tourist visas.
AirAsia X Malaysia CEO, Benyamin Ismail said: “Our service resumption to Beijing reflects our commitment to boosting our network in China, which has historically always been one of our biggest and most popular markets and providing our guests with more options to travel affordably from/to Kuala Lumpur. We are also looking at ramping up the frequency to four weekly flights starting 1st June 2023 to meet growing forecast demand, further boosting exchanges between the world’s second-largest economy and ASEAN, and the region’s tourism recovery. “More expansion in China is on the horizon for AAX as we plan to relaunch more routes and introduce more unique, less travelled destinations in China in the near future.”
AirAsia X expands flights to Australia’s Gold Coast
AirAsia X also announced the resumption of services to its first-ever route to Gold Coast, Australia, after a hiatus of more than two years due to the pandemic. The Gold Coast is the airline’s fourth destination in Australia. With the relaunch of this service, AAX is set to strengthen its position as the leading low-cost airline connecting Australia to Asia’s key destinations and the only carrier flying direct between Malaysia and the state of Queensland.
Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said AirAsia X was predicted to generate AUD45.6 million for the Gold Coast’s visitor economy. “These direct services from Kuala Lumpur have been secured by the Palaszczuk Government’s $200 million aviation war chest in partnership with Gold Coast Airport. We’re backing AirAsia X because of the airline’s commitment to increasing its Gold Coast flight schedule to five days a week by the end of the year. AirAsia X is a terrific investment in the Gold Coast’s visitor economy and the 450 good Queensland jobs these services will support. It’s terrific to welcome Malaysian visitors back to Queensland to share our great lifestyle and enjoy the Gold Coast’s world-class holiday experiences.”