AirAsiaX abandons Europe
Long-haul, low-cost carrier AirAsiaX is to quit flights from Asia to Europe, three years after it begun its London Stansted-Kuala Lumpur (KL) service.
The airline blamed weak demand in Europe as well as high taxes, which made it difficult to offer cheap fares. Flights from KL to Paris Orly will cease on 31 March and the London service, which now flies into Gatwick, will stop a day later. AirAsiaX will also halt operations to India due to visa restrictions and baggage handling charges, as it seeks to refocus on core operations to East Asia and Australia. The move leaves Malaysia Airline System, of which AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes recently became a non-executive director, as the only non-stop service provider between London and KL.
