AirAsia X Airbus A330 Passengers Surge 42% YoY in Second Quarter

There is always something exciting happening in the AirAsia Group, and that’s certainly the case currently with its long-haul airline, AirAsia X. With the low-fare airline gearing up for the launch of nonstop services from Asia to Africa, it must be heartening news that passenger numbers surged by 42% in the second quarter of 2024 (2Q24) compared to the same period in 2023.

Bouncing back strongly

On Wednesday, AirAsia X released its operating statistics for the second quarter, covering both AirAsia X Malaysia (D7) and Thai AirAsia X (XJ). The pair carried 1.24 million passengers and operated 4,072 flights in the quarter using 22 Airbus A330-300s.

Photo: Airbus

In 2Q24, AirAsia X Malaysia carried 880,265 passengers, a 42% increase over the 621,984 carried in the second quarter of 2023. By restricting capacity growth, as measured by available seat kilometers (ASK), to 25%, it pushed the passenger load factor up by seven percentage points to 83%.

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Revenue passenger kilometers grew by 38% in 2Q24, driven by the increased demand and the return to service of one Airbus A330-300 widebody, bringing the active fleet to 16 of the airline’s 18 A330s. In the quarter, AirAsia X operated 2,916 flights at an average stage length of 4,164 kilometers (2,587 miles), compared to 2,234 flights at 4,302 kilometers (2,673 miles) in 2Q23.

Strong demand came from the peak spring travel season and the Eid holiday period, helped along by the additional aircraft operating compared to 2Q23. Services were resumed from Kuala Lumpur International (KUL) to Xi’an in China, adding to the existing Chinese routes to Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shanghai.

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An airline on the move

Affiliate airline Thai AirAsia X carried 362,596 passengers in 2Q24, up 17% year-on-year, upping its load factor to 84% from the 78% recorded in 2Q23. Capacity was well managed and ASKs only increased by 4%, while demand (RPKs) grew by 14%, leading to higher passenger load results and better yields.

Photo: Airbus

Thai AirAsia X finished the second quarter with six of its seven A330-300s in service, with those widebodies operating 1,156 flights at an average length of 4,359 kilometers (2,709 miles). In July, the carrier (XJ) announced it is relocating all of its flight operations from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Bangkok Don Mueang Airport (DMK) starting October 1, 2024.

The relocation is a strategic move to create more opportunities for connections to the larger AirAsia domestic and international networks while also giving passengers more convenient access to inner Bangkok. Don Mueang Airport was formerly Bangkok’s main airport, which is why Thai AirAsia X CEO Tassapon Bijleveld described the move as a “homecoming.”

“We will be joining the strong and extensive AirAsia network, which has a domestic market share of over 40% in Thailand and a vibrant international network that encompasses Greater China, India and South Asia, ASEAN and Japan for a total of 93 routes served by 1,250 flights a week.”

Photo: Airbus

From October 1, passengers flying to Seoul, South Korea; Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo in Japan; Shanghai, China; and Sydney, Australia, will depart from Don Mueang Airport, although the Sydney flight is being suspended from August 1 until November 30, 2024.

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The airline said it will resume services in December 2024 with additional flight frequencies and better connectivity to key onward destinations in the AirAsia group network. All affected customers will automatically be booked on AirAsia X Malaysia flights to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport via Kuala Lumpur or have the following options:

• Subject to seat availability, they can change to a new travel date of their choice within six months from the original scheduled departure date without any additional cost.
• Retain the value of the booking with a 10% top-up in a Credit Account linked with their AirAsia member account for future travel with AirAsia.
• Obtain a full refund in the amount equivalent to the original booking.

Thai AirAsia X customers affected by the suspension will be notified directly via their registered email account and SMS. The above options are for bookings made directly with AirAsia, while those who booked through travel agents or other platforms need to refer to those outlets directly for advice.