ALMATY, 24 September 2024 - AirAsia X (AAX) proudly announces its role as the Official Airline Partner for two of Kazakhstan’s most prestigious football tournaments – the Qazaqstan Final Cup and Final Cup League. This partnership highlights AirAsia’s dedication to uniting people across borders and inspiring them to ‘Dare to Dream,’ through the shared passion of sport.

The collaboration between AAX and Kazakhstan’s football community also reinforces the airline’s long-standing support for sports. AirAsia has a history of backing sporting events and athletes across the globe, from grassroots initiatives to major international competitions, aligning with its ‘Dare to Dream’ initiative that inspires people to achieve their goals.

Football, being Kazakhstan’s most popular sport, offers a powerful platform to connect with millions of fans. The tournaments will be broadcast to over two million viewers in Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Europe. By engaging with this widespread audience, AAX not only reinforces its presence in Central Asia but also promotes Malaysia as a must-visit travel destination.

As the only airline offering direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty, AAX is pivotal in linking Central Asia with Southeast Asia. Since launching the route this year, AAX has maintained a strong load factor of 90 per cent on its four weekly flights, underlining the rising demand for travel between these regions. The airline sees this as a key opportunity to expand connectivity and strengthen ties between Malaysia and Central Asia.

Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X said: “Partnering with Kazakhstan’s premier football tournaments provides us with a unique opportunity to connect with the local community while further establishing our footprint in the region. Since we launched our direct route between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty in March, we have witnessed tremendous demand with 65,000 guests flown between the two cities, proving the potential of this growing market. We are excited about the possibility of increasing flight capacity or frequency as demand continues to rise.

“Through our Fly-Thru services, travellers from Central Asia can access a wide range of destinations across Southeast Asia, including Penang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Bali, Phuket, and Krabi. This seamless connectivity plays a key role in promoting tourism and enhancing travel convenience across the region.”

In celebration of this exciting partnership, the AAX cabin crew will light up the field with a special opening performance ahead of the highly anticipated Kazakhstan Final Cup between FC Atyrau and FC Aktobe. Fans can look forward to an unforgettable spectacle as AAX brings its signature energy to the event on 29 September 2024 at 8:00 pm - Kazakhstan local time.