AirAsia X, the long-haul branch of AirAsia Groupfinds its way back to Europe more than 13 years after it ceased serving the Paris and London from Kuala Lumpur. At the time, the AirAsia group explained the withdrawal of its subsidiary by the soaring oil prices, the increase in taxes and the introduction of a European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).
From 17 November 2025the Malaysian company will be launching a direct route between the capital of Malaysia and the airport ofIstanbul Sabiha Gökçen. The latter, based in Asia, is already an aviation giant. The platform has recorded 41.49 million passengers last year, including almost 22 million on international routes.
The route will be operated four times a week on board an Airbus A330-300, offering a two-class configuration, including a Premium class. However, the airline will be competition with Turkish Airlineswhich offers up to three daily flights between Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur. The airline will therefore have to fight in the price segment to attract passengers.
Towards a company with a worldwide audience?
Tony Fernandes, co-founder of AirAsia and Managing Director of Capital A, describes this approach as a ". transformation to become the world's leading low-cost carrier network ". He emphasised that the aim was to stimulate growth, connect regions beyond ASEAN and " making air travel more democratic ".
AirAsia's return to Europe through its long-haul subsidiary is part of an ambitious globalisation strategy. The vision of a global presence has in fact been confirmed by the signature with Airbus an order for 50 A321XLR with options for a further 20 aircraft. It would provide non-stop service to so-called "secondary" destinations in Europe such as Athens, Geneva or Bologna. The A321LXRs would complement a delivery of 14 A330-900s and 20 A321neo aircraft.
The Istanbul route is being launched at the same time as the withdrawal of AirAsia X from Africa. The carrier has decided to definitively suspend its service to Nairobi in Kenya. Launched in the summer of 2024, the route has never really met passenger demand. In other news, AirAsia X will start operating three flights a week between Kuala Lumpur and Tashkent (Uzbekistan) on 15 October.
