The AirAsia Group will restructure its Australian route network.
The decision is attributed to rising costs, softer demand, strategic adjustments to the network and fleet, and the group’s accelerated long-term fleet plan, which includes speeding up the return of less fuel-efficient wide-body aircraft.
AirAsia X will suspend its Kuala Lumpur–Sydney route. Passengers with reservations will be offered refunds or rebooking options.
Meanwhile, Indonesia AirAsia will increase its Denpasar–Perth service to 35 weekly round trips from December 1; AirAsia X will operate one daily round trip on the Kuala Lumpur–Melbourne route from November 15; and AirAsia will gradually increase its Kuala Lumpur–Perth service to 14 weekly round trips from October 27.
Benjamin Ismail, General Manager, commented, “This was an extremely difficult decision and not one made lightly. Since its launch in 2012, Sydney has played an important role in our history, connecting people in Australia with Malaysia and the surrounding region.” He added that the company will continue to consider the possibility of resuming the route in response to changing market conditions and its fleet strategy.
