KUALA LUMPUR- AirAsia (AK) announces a new route from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Port Blair (IXZ), Andaman Islands, India, starting November 16, 2024.
This addition marks AirAsia’s 17th destination in India and establishes it as the only airline offering international flights to Port Blair from ASEAN countries.
AirAsia Port Blair Flight
The carrier will operate three weekly flights to Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair, bringing its total weekly flights to India to 26. This expansion follows AirAsia’s launch of eight new Indian routes in 2024, including Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, and Kozhikode.
Port Blair, located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, offers travelers pristine waters, diverse marine life, and historical landmarks. The destination also provides access to protected ancient tribal communities residing in the Andaman Islands.
AirAsia introduces promotional fares from Kuala Lumpur to Port Blair starting at RM199 (3,749 Indian Rupees) all-in-one way. These fares are available for booking through the AirAsia MOVE app or airasia.com from now until August 19, 2024, for travel between November 16, 2024, and October 25, 2025.
Flight Schedule:
- Kuala Lumpur to Port Blair (AK 65):
- Departure: 10:40
- Arrival: 10:20
- Frequency: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Port Blair to Kuala Lumpur (AK 64):
- Departure: 10:55
- Arrival: 16:15
- Frequency: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
The schedule includes all timings in a 24-hour format based on local time.
Malaysian nationals can benefit from visa-free entry to India for tourist visits up to 30 days until June 30, 2025, facilitating easier travel to Port Blair and other Indian destinations.
Strengthening Connectivity to India
In July, Paul Carroll, Chief Commercial Officer of AirAsia while speaking to media personnel in Bengaluru stated that the airline’s goal to carry 2.8 million passengers from India in 2024, with seat capacity expected to exceed 20% of pre-pandemic levels.
Carroll emphasized AirAsia’s focus on both metro and secondary cities in India. The airline aims to operate nearly 200 weekly round-trip flights from India by December 2024, expanding its network to include more destinations over the next six months.
Since its inception in Malaysia in 2001, AirAsia has served close to a billion guests across 22 countries. In India, it has become one of the largest foreign airlines, operating over 20 daily flights to 16 cities. The airline uses Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok as Asian hubs for connecting Indian travelers to worldwide destinations.
AirAsia operates A330 aircraft from Delhi and Amritsar, offering a premium product on these routes. The airline plans to introduce A321 and A321neo aircraft in the coming years. However, Carroll stressed that AirAsia will maintain its low-cost carrier model, focusing on offering the lowest fares in the market to stimulate demand.
The airline has expanded its Indian network from 10 pre-Covid destinations to 16 by August 2024, recently adding Guwahati, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad.
Carroll clarified that AirAsia no longer operates domestic flights within India, concentrating instead on ASEAN routes and connections to Australia.
To engage with Indian travelers, AirAsia is partnering with Qube Cinemas to offer a cinematic in-flight experience in 130 cinemas across 12 Indian cities. This six-month promotion will give movie-goers the chance to win flights to any of AirAsia’s 130 destinations, aiming to connect with travel enthusiasts through cinema.
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