Low-cost carrier AirAsia is set to launch its first international flight from Port Blair, marking a significant expansion in its air services. This announcement was made during the launch of an innovative “cinematic in-flight” experience in partnership with Qube Cinemas.
AirAsia has been expanding its presence in the air travel sector, having recently introduced 10 new routes that now connect India with Malaysia and Thailand, bringing the total to 26 routes. Additionally, the airline has extended its network to cities such as Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Visakhapatnam, Trivandrum, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Hyderabad, and others.
Explansion plans
Going forward, AirAsia plans to introduce new routes from Guwahati, Kozhikode, and Lucknow to Kuala Lumpur, along with a new route from Tiruchirappalli to Bangkok, as part of its ongoing expansion strategy.
Commenting on the expansion plans, Paul Carroll, AirAsia’s Chief Commercial Officer, said, “Our ongoing network and fleet growth post-pandemic will benefit our guests through great value fares, choice, and connectivity leveraging one of the largest low-cost networks reaching over 130 destinations across Asia, Australia and beyond.”
Cinematic experience
The announcement to launch in Port Blair was made during the launch event for AirAsia’s cinematic in-flight experience in partnership with Qube cinemas, aimed at replicating a flight-like cinematic experience in 130 cinema theatres across 12 cities in India.
“We are launching our first international flight from Port Blair,” said Kesavan Sivanandam, Chief Airport and Customer Experience Officer, AirAsia. No specific operational date was confirmed.
“We will continue to introduce new destinations in the market, with a focus on geographical expansion across the country, including points in the North. AirAsia is committed not only to major metropolitan areas but also to tertiary and secondary cities, with more destinations in the pipeline,” Sivanandam added.
AirAsia commenced its India operations in 2008 with its first route from Tiruchirappalli to Kuala Lumpur. In addition to expanding within India, AirAsia has recently launched new routes to Almaty in Central Asia in March and Nairobi in Africa.