AirAsia X Targets Airbus A321XLR Flights To Mombasa, Zanzibar & More African Destinations

AirAsia X has officially launched a new direct route from Kuala Lumpur to Nairobi, its first-ever destination in mainland Africa. The low-cost carrier sees opportunities for further expansion in the continent and expects to add more routes as new aircraft join its fleet over the next few years.

Jambo Kenya! First of many destinations in Africa

AirAsia X, the mid-range low-cost airline primarily serving Asia-Pacific, will commence flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO) on November 15, 2024. The flights will be operated four times a week on the Airbus A330 with “all in” one-way economy fares starting from $135 (KES18,899) on the AirAsia MOVE app.

Photo: Alphonsusjimos | Shutterstock

In an interview with Simple Flying, AirAsia Group Chief Commercial Officer Paul Carrol said the airline plans to leverage its network from its two major hubs to increase connectivity between Africa and Asia and expand into other markets. The airline chose Nairobi as its first East African destination because of the two-way traffic and multiple passenger segments between Kenya and Asia. Paul Carrol added,

“Predominantly, we see two-way traffic and the opportunity to target a number of segments on the market. The traffic profile we observed is both inbound and outbound. There is a huge leisure segment and significant student movement into Kenya. We also see opportunities to promote tourism from Kenya to ASEAN and beyond and to target the trader market, which is big in China.”

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AirAsia X Schedules Its New Longest Airbus A330 Route To Nairobi

It will be the airline’s first time on the African mainland.

Furthermore, AirAsia is keen to expand its presence in Africa, especially as there are no low-cost carriers flying between Asia and East Africa. Cairo and Cape Town are part of the airline’s imminent plans. However, other destinations like Mahé, Mombasa, Zanzibar, and Dar es Salaam will be added when the airline starts operating the Airbus A321XLR.

Flying to Nairobi and beyond

Passengers flying from Nairobi to Kuala Lumpur can seamlessly connect to over 130 destinations across Southeast, Northern, and Central Asia, as well as Australia. Additionally, Kenyan citizens can enjoy visa-free travel to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, with a visa-on-arrival option for Indonesia.

Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock

AirAsia X is confident about the balanced demand profile to and from Nairobi and the different passengers traveling to the East African nation. The airline is looking to expand within the region and beyond once it builds its brand awareness in the market. It also targets fifth freedom flights from Nairobi to increase intra-Africa connectivity and sees opportunities to drive the network traffic into Nairobi to destinations like Mombasa and Entebbe.

According to Carroll, the airline’s long-term expansion plans will hinge on the growth of its fleet with the A321XLR, which it expects to start operating around 2027. The new aircraft will allow AirAsia X to add more African destinations and serve the thinner markets. Carroll added,

“Our expansion in Africa will depend on the expansion of our fleet. Some destinations will be available to be served on a narrowbody. We have commitments for A321XLRs, so that will open up a wide range of destinations for us going forward.”

Photo: Airbus

During an Airbus media briefing at AviaDev Africa, Airbus Airline Marketing Director Joep Ellers touched on the long-haul opportunities the XLR presents for Africa. According to ch-aviation’s fleet module, AirAsia X has up to 20 Airbus A321XLRs on order. While Nairobi is the first destination in mainland Africa, AirAsia X previously served Mauritius between October 2016 and March 2017 with the A330.

What are your thoughts on this story? Are you excited to see AirAsia in Kenya? Please let us know in the comments!