Male’ Maldives, 8th December 2022 – AirAsia X (AAX) continues its rapid expansion in Australia with the announcement of a return to its first ever route – the Gold Coast, Australia – commencing from 15 February 2023.
The route will be the airline’s fourth destination in Australia, further expanding its network down under. Following the return to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth recently, between April to November this year, AAX has carried over 30,000 guests between Malaysia and Australia. This number is set to grow substantially with today’s announcement and additional frequencies to Sydney and Melbourne launching this month.
The Gold Coast is a sought-after destination for Malaysian visitors due to its safe and spacious destination to year-round sunny climate, family-friendly attractions, immersive nature based experiences and extensive dining scene.
In celebration of its return to its first ever route, AAX is offering great value fares which will go on sale today (at 10am Gold Coast time/8am Malaysia time) between Kuala Lumpur and the Gold Coast from just RM799 (under AUD299) all-in one way for economy and RM3,999 (under AUD1,999) one way for Premium Flatbed.
According to AAX, there has been overwhelming demand for the airline’s return to the ‘Gem of Queensland’ as the Gold Coast is a key leisure destination in its own right and gateway to Australia offering strong domestic connections to Queensland and beyond.
AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail shared, “We are thrilled to be coming back to the stunning Gold Coast as the first and only low cost carrier flying direct! As our first ever route which launched in November 2007, this is an incredibly special announcement for AAX. Fifteen years ago the Gold Coast was the catalyst for the birth of AirAsia X and our Australia expansion, which quickly became one of our most popular core markets.”
Furthermore, the Tourism Minister of Queensland, Stirling Hinchliffe, also shared that AAX’s services have been secured by the Queensland Government’s AUD200 million aviation attraction war chest, in partnership with Queensland’s four international airports. She added that AAX’s return to Gold Coast Airport’s arrivals board is an investment in its tourism and jobs, revealing they are backing AAX’s return with the hopes of rebuilding Queensland’s post-COVID overseas economy.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming Malaysian visitors back to enjoy Queensland’s great lifestyle in Australia’s favourite destination and AirAsia X increasing its inbound flight schedule to five a week by late 2023. AirAsia X from Kuala Lumpur is predicted to land almost 59,000 seats on the Gold Coast every year, generating AUD45.6 million for the visitor economy, and supporting 450 good Queensland jobs, said Minister Hinchliffe.
Alongside AAX’s rapid return to Australia, sister medium haul airline Thai AirAsia X also recently launched its first ever direct services between Bangkok to Sydney and Melbourne, delivering a combined total of six mid range routes to Australia, providing more value and choice for consumers than ever before. In addition, short haul airline Indonesia AirAsia recently increased services between Perth and Bali to fly twice daily to meet overwhelming demand.
