• Launching exclusive direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Tianjin (4 x weekly)

• Doubles number of visitor seats to Changsha to over 150,000 seats per annum

SEPANG, 11 October 2018 – AirAsia will further its expansion into China with the announcement of an exclusive direct service between Kuala Lumpur and Tianjin, connecting the coastal city in China of more than 15 million people with Southeast Asia and beyond from 2 December 2018.

AirAsia’s long haul affiliate, AirAsia X, will not only provide the only direct services between the two popular tourist and leisure cities, but will stimulate regional demand through great value airfares, enabling more people to travel.

BIG members promotional all-in fares between Kuala Lumpur and Tianjin will be available for sale on airasia.com and mobile application from 11 October 2018 to 21 October 2018 for the travel period 2 December 2018 to 28 March 2019 with fares on sale from RM288* one way including tax for Standard Seats or from RM799* one way including tax for its award-winning Premium Flatbed.

AirAsia will also beef up its direct route between Kuala Lumpur and Changsha, doubling the current number of seats on the popular route in response to popular demand, by operating its fleet of larger wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft commencing 29 October 2018.

BIG members Promotional fares between Kuala Lumpur and Changsha are on sale today starting from RM188* one way including tax for Standard Seat and RM799* one way for Premium Flatbed will also be available during the same booking period and for travel period.

AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail says, “The announcements today of the new and exclusive route between Kuala Lumpur and Tianjin and the capacity increase to Changsha with our larger wide body aircraft will contribute year-round capacity of over 300,000 additional visitor seats in total to China, significantly boosting tourism, trade and economic growth while paving the way towards China’s Year of Tourism and Culture 2020, envisioned by the leaders of both nations.”

“Together with our existing routes into China, today’s announcement means we are further strengthening our foothold in Northern China and increasing our overall capacity to China - one of our  fastest growing markets. We will continue to look for expansion opportunities that not only maintain AirAsia Group’s dominance as the largest foreign carrier to China by capacity, but also enable us to remain committed in our quest to making air travel affordable for everyone, ” added Benyamin.

With the launch of Tianjin as our newest destination, AirAsia will fly to 20 cities in China with 550 weekly direct flights from hubs in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. This follows AirAsia Group’s grasp of a stronger foothold in China with the introduction of 13 new routes this year, including from Bangkok Don Mueang to Nanjing, Ningbo and Chengdu; from Kota Kinabalu, Phuket and Krabi to Macau; Phuket to Kunming; Krabi to Hong Kong; Chiang Mai and Clark to Taipei; Manila to Kaohsiung; Cebu to Shenzhen and soon from Kuala Lumpur to Tianjin.

Tianjin is located in the northern China bordering Beijing and Heibei Province. The coastal metropolis boasts many of China's cultural, social and economic elements over the past century. Various attractions such as The Five Great Avenues district, Tianjin Radio and TV Tower and Drum Tower allows you to experience the multifaceted sides of the city. History buffs will be whisked back in time surrounded by ancient elements at Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street, while Tianjin Binhai New Area offers visitors a well-developed and modern attractions such as The Binhai Modern Art Gallery, The Binhai New Area Cultural Center and state of the art Tianjin Binhai Library which became social media sensation in recent years.

Changsha offers a relaxing and scenic experience for visitors to this city in down South Central China. It is the birthplace of Mao Zedong, one of China’s most revered political figures. Infused with nature, history and scenic geographical terrains, visitors are able to experience the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wu Ling Yuan (Zhangjiajie) where visitors can enjoy various kinds of activities including hiking, boating, mountaineering, parasailing, rock climbing or camping. Within the Zhangjiajie scenic area where the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar was filmed, there are a number of highlights such as Tianzi Mountain, Yangjiajie, Wulingyuan, Tianmen Mountain, and the Diaojiao Houses in Shiyanping.

Keep up-to-date with AirAsia's latest promotions and activities via Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia) and Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia).

*Promotional all-in-fares quoted are for one-way travel only inclusive of taxes. Terms and conditions apply.