AirAsia X will commence three direct weekly services between Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo effective December 9, 2010. This is the 12th destination for the airline after Australia, India, Taiwan, China, Europe and Korea. To mark the opening for sale of the new route, AirAsia X is offering a promotional offer- all in fare from as low as RM99* (*includes airport taxes) one way from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo for the booking period from September 23-26, 2010 for the travel period from December 9, 2010 to July 31, 2011. Promotional seats are limited and available on first-come, first-served basis and are made exclusively available online via www.airasia.com and mobile.airasia.com.
Guests flying on this new route will have the chance to experience the new ‘Premium FlatBed seats' on the new A330 aircraft. The flatbed seats are standard Business Class specifications of 20 inch width, 60 inch pitch and stretches out to 77 inch in full recline position. The seats feature universal power sockets, adjustable headrests and built-in personal utilities such as tray table, drink holder, reading light and privacy screen. This new improvement offers comfort to the guests and position AirAsia as the market leader, further bolstering the brand as the epitome of innovation and excellence.
Azran Osman-Rani, Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia X said, "AirAsia X's commencement of direct services to Tokyo from Kuala Lumpur is a new addition to our long haul Asian network after Korea. We are pleased our long standing ambition has finally pulled through and as the largest metropolitan city in the world; Tokyo represents an important feeder market into our growing international network. The three times weekly flight will strengthen our historic business and tourism links with Japan's commercial center, adding real convenience and providing affordable international travel for everyone."
"We estimate that more than 60 per cent of AirAsia X passengers to and from Tokyo will be first time visitors, which will contribute significantly to tourism growth, allowing AirAsia X the opportunity to open up new market segments from Tokyo. This will further boost tourism traffic into Malaysia from Japan, which has already shown an increase in visitor arrivals to date in 2010 compared to last year. AirAsia X's direct connection will be able to stimulate new travel demands and further tap the young working adults and families, to travel to Malaysia and thereafter use Kuala Lumpur as a gateway to over 132 routes in South East Asia that includes regional ASEAN cities or long-haul sectors serviced by AirAsia X. This translates into a low-cost yet efficient travel experience for guests who benefit from using the LCC Terminal in Kuala Lumpur to connect to destinations as diverse as Australia (Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne), China (Hangzhou, Tianjin, Chengdu), Taipei, and London," added Osman-Rani.