New budget airline launched in Malaysia

New budget airline launched in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian airliner AirAsia has started a new long-haul budget airline to be named as AirAsia X with a number of long distance destinations including India and China and Europe.

AirAsia will be joining hands with domestic airliner Fly Asian Express (FAX) in the operation of the airline. Announcing the launch, Tony Fernandes the owner of AirAsia, said, "The launch of AirAsia X will bring independence to the long haul low-cost traveler, by providing a choice of service for their long haul travel requirements."

The airline is expected to start functioning from July this year and at present the management will be in the hands of FAX. Fernandes added that the new airline hopes to cater atleast 500,000 passengers in its first year. To start with, the airline will have around 20 airplanes under its command.

"Air Asia X's network will cover destinations which are more than four hours in flight duration from Kuala Lumpur, offering daily point-to-point frequencies to popular destinations in China, India and Europe," the company said in a statement.

Fernandes also said at the announcement that the company was talking to Virgin and EasyJet in a bid to create a global "low-cost" network. "Many ideas and thoughts are being exchanged," he said. "The timing for a world-class (budget airline) network is not very far away."

The maiden flight is scheduled in July and will take off to Europe from Kuala Lumpur. The cost of a one-way ticket is 9.99 ringgit ($2.7).