Malaysia's AirAsia X announced a new international route linking Kuala Lumpur to Bahrain and onward to London's Gatwick airport, in the latest step in the budget airline's global expansion.
The service, set to commence in June, would make Bahrain AirAsia X's first hub outside Asia, making use of its location to connect South-East Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
The move comes as Asia's largest low-cost carrier last month completed the acquisition of the short-haul aviation business from parent Capital A, unifying the group's seven airlines under a single banner.
This also marks a return to the British capital more than a decade since non-stop flights from Kuala Lumpur to Gatwick and Stansted airports were suspended and its long-haul Airbus A340 jets retired.
The Kuala Lumpur-Bahrain-London route will be serviced by AirAsia X's A330 fleet, as part of its efforts to expand international operations. The airline launched flights from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul in November.
Malaysia-based AirAsia X, with a network spanning more than 150 destinations and a fleet of 255 planes, has been exploring options to refinance about $600 million in debt.
The airline group's co-founder Tony Fernandes said last June that it was ready to broaden its fleet by acquiring smaller planes to support new destinations, while AirAsia X deputy group chief executive Farouk Kamal last month said it was considering ordering a further 150 jets.
AirAsia operates an all-Airbus fleet and has more than 350 A320-family narrow-body jets already on order. Last July, it agreed a provisional order for 50 longer-range A321XLR aircraft.
Founded in 2001 with just two aircraft, AirAsia led the development of low-cost carriers in South-East Asia. However, pandemic travel restrictions dealt a severe blow to its parent Capital A, which was classified as financially distressed under Malaysia's PN17 framework.
The consolidation of all AirAsia-branded aviation businesses under AirAsia X is expected to help the airline focus on expanding operations and reducing costs, while Capital A concentrates on reviving its finances.
