Male’ Maldives, 29th January 2023 – AirAsia X Berhad has announced its operating statistics for the Sixth Quarter of 2022 (6Q22) and the 18-month full financial year which ended 31st December 2022 today. In 6Q22, the total number of passengers carried was recorded at 337,638 passengers, demonstrating an over quadruple boost as compared to the preceding quarter – 79,557 passengers were carried between July – September 2022 as the travel recovery gained momentum in tandem with the peak travel season.
The airline’s seat capacity and Available Seats per Kilometre (ASK) capacity stood at 427,384 and 1,700 million respectively as more aircraft returned to service with a dedicated focus on flying the most popular and profitable routes first as a priority post-pandemic. During this period, Air Asia X posted a healthy Passenger Load Factor (PLF) of 79%, an increase compared to 73% in 5Q22. The PLF this quarter is already close to emulating the PLF recorded pre-pandemic, between October – December 2019 which stood at 81%.
During 6Q22, AirAsia X launched flights to Melbourne, Perth, Tokyo-Haneda, Sapporo, Taipei, Jeddah and Bali-Denpasar, on top of introducing an all-new Sydney-Auckland route. On the back of significant pent-up demand for great value medium haul travel since the inauguration and following the pandemic, additional frequencies have been incorporated into a number of top-tier routes, namely Seoul, Sydney, Sydney-Auckland, Melbourne, Perth and Sapporo, particularly between November – December 2022. At of the end of December 2022, AirAsia X served daily flights to key markets including Seoul, Sydney, Sydney-Auckland, Melbourne and Bali-Denpasar.
On a full financial year basis, AirAsia X carried a total of 417,195 passengers with a total of 536,491 seat capacity, while ASK capacity stood at 2,072 million. PLF during the year stood at 78%. By the end of December 2022, AirAsia X was operating flights to 13 destinations including Seoul and Delhi, two of its most popular destinations that were launched in the prior quarter. With the re-opening of the China borders, AirAsia X is well poised to accelerate its recovery to pre-COVID levels.
Air Asia X Thailand
The airline’s associate AirAsia X Thailand carried a total of 212,523 passengers in 6Q22 with a strong PLF of 92%, reflective of the business recovery trajectory within the country. Seat capacity and ASK capacity charted at 230,961 and 1,031 million respectively as more aircraft were returned to service during the quarter, with additional frequencies set in motion to selected routes so as to cater to the year-end peak travel season. During the period under review, AirAsia X Thailand launched flights to Osaka and Sapporo in Japan and Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. Between January – December 2022, AirAsia X Thailand carried a total of 279,707 passengers, and seat capacity was recorded at 318,132 while ASK capacity stood at 1,383 million. Overall, AirAsia X Thailand recorded a healthy PLF of 88% as it began relaunching flights in June 2022, beginning with Seoul, followed by Tokyo Narita, followed by Osaka, Sapporo, Sydney and Melbourne.
The total fleet size for AirAsia X stood at 14 A330s as at the end of December 2022, with 7 aircraft activated and operational, while AirAsia X Thailand’s total fleet size was 8 A330s as at the end of December 2022, with 5 aircraft activated and operational. Overall, the airline company’s strategic relaunch has gained significant momentum and shows a positive start for 2023 for Air Asia X.
