AirAsia X announced on July 1st that it will begin operations on the Kuala Lumpur-Nairobi route. This will be the company’s only African route, operating four round trips a week starting from November 15th.
The D7101 flight from Kuala Lumpur departs at 7:00 PM and arrives in Nairobi at 11:00 PM. The return D7102 flight from Nairobi leaves at 12:30 AM and arrives back in Kuala Lumpur at 3:10 PM the same day. The journey takes 9 hours from Kuala Lumpur and 9 hours and 40 minutes from Nairobi, with departures from Kuala Lumpur on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and from Nairobi on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
A launch announcement event was held on July 1st at the AirAsia Group headquarters ‘RedQ’, located next to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Invited media from various countries, along with AirAsia X CEO Benjamin Ismail and the Director General of Malaysia Tourism, Datuk Yasmin Mahmood, attended the event. The event venue, themed around a safari party, was enlivened with dancers and Kenyan musicians performing songs and dances.
According to CEO Ismail, by capturing the connecting demand from countries such as Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, and Australia, “We are expecting over 156,000 passengers annually.” He also added, “This will strengthen the connection between Malaysia and Kenya, and contribute to the revitalization of the tourism industry.”
To celebrate the inaugural flight, a campaign offering free fares on this route will be run until July 14th. It is exclusively for bookings made through the AirAsia MOVE app, with the travel period lasting from November 15th, 2022, until October 8th, 2025. A separate charge for fuel surcharges and taxes is required, with the total cost starting from 471 Malaysian Ringgit one way.
Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, located in East Africa, is a city coexisting with nature, famous for its Safari tours and close to Nairobi National Park, which is home to a variety of wildlife.
AirAsia X has continued its aggressive route expansion, including launching its first service to Central Asia in Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan, on March 14th.
■Flight Schedule D7101 Kuala Lumpur (19:00) to Nairobi (23:00) / Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays D7102 Nairobi (00:30) to Kuala Lumpur (15:10) / Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays
