KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia has marked its long-awaited return to Subang Airport (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) with overwhelming demand, particularly on its routes from East Malaysia..
AirAsia Aviation Group chief commercial officer Paul Carroll said the airline’s inaugural flights from Kota Kinabalu and Kuching on Friday (Aug 30) recorded impressive load factors exceeding 19 percent.
He asserted that Sabah and Sarawak are critical markets for AirAsia, with the airline currently operating over 20 flights per day from Kuala Lumpur to both Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
“East Malaysia is a very important market for us. That’s one of the reasons why we chose Kuching and Kota Kinabalu as the first two destinations out of Subang.
“We’re very happy with the demand, and we’re looking to grow further in these regions,” he said.
He said this to New Sarawak Tribune during the AirAsia FREE Seats Fest at Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) here, yesterday (Aug 31).
As AirAsia’s domestic capacity approaches pre-COVID levels, he said the airline is set to carry close to 16.5 million domestic passengers this year.
He revealed ambitious plans to increase this figure to about 18 million passengers in 2025 for the domestic network.
“We are back in a growth story now. Airasia’s DNA is always making fares affordable for the people,” he added.
To celebrate its return and expanding network, AirAsia has also launched a FREE Seats campaign, offering 10 million guaranteed seats across its vast route network, which includes Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
Passengers can book these seats for travel between 17 February 2025 and 31 January 2026, with additional perks available for those who pre-book seats, baggage, inflight meals, and travel insurance.
While terms and conditions apply, one can find more details and make bookings by visiting AirAsia MOVE (formerly airasia Superapp) or airasia.com.
