ADAC confirms AirAsia X's arrival in Abu Dhabi

The airport said the new route will enhance Abu Dhabi’s already strong connections to South East Asia and beyond, with five flights per week. There is currently a Malaysian population of 3,200 in the UAE, and wider South East Asian and Oceanian population of 566,700, according to national embassies in the UAE. As expatriate residents in UAE are entitled to at least one return ticket to their country of origin, and many travel more frequently, there is a strong market for the low cost carrier.

Abu Dhabi is the airline’s eighth long haul destination and its first destination in the Middle East. The route will be served by an Airbus A340-300 configured for 256 seats in economy cabin and 30 Premium seats on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Mohammed Al Bulooki, Vice President of Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue, ADAC, said: “Abu Dhabi aims to increase its reputation as the capitals’ airport, and we continue to increase connectivity and the range and breadth of services we offer to our local community, as well as our customers from further afield.

”We are delighted with the AirAsia X business concept that stimulates travelers from Asia to visit the UAE, offering increased access to the culture and hospitality of Abu Dhabi, in particular opening up opportunities for Islamic tourism between our two nations. There is also the potential economic benefit to the Emirate that comes with passengers travelling at bargain rates, potentially having increased spending power as they experience the UAE,” he said.

AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani added: “We are ecstatic with our first long haul route into the Middle East from Kuala Lumpur. This clearly indicates that our expansion plans are on track, which represents our determination in providing truly low fares on our long-haul, low fare services across the globe. We believe our low fares will help to stimulate and trigger new travel demand, and will help to boost tourism potential on both ends. This is part of our overall strategy in expanding into the Middle East. We see an untapped market which has strong economic potential for the route. Abu Dhabi is the largest city in UAE, with a population of 2 million – in which more than 80% of the populations are frequent traveling expatriates. Therefore, we see an increasing trend of UAE travelers flying to Malaysia for holidays; tapping into a very lucrative market.”

The route opens with a special all inclusive fare of AED99 one way.

Mohammed Al Bulooki (left) with Azran Osam Ran at the launch of AirAsia X's new long-haul low-cost route from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur