AirAsia plans to start flying to US in 2017

The long-haul arm of Malaysia budget carrier AirAsia Bhd said is targeting next year for the start of flights to the US and is considering near-term plane additions to speed up the resumption of European flights. AirAsia X, as the unit is called, plans to begin flying to Hawaii in the first half of next year, an airline spokesman said. The airline had targeted an earlier start date to link Kuala Lumpur with Honolulu, via a refueling stop in Osaka, Japan, but had to push back the start date as it awaits approval from the US FAA. The Kuala Lumpur-based airline is among a new breed of budget long-haul carriers that are trying to steal traffic by offering lower ticket prices while charging for perks that often are free on other airlines, such as food. It largely has focused on flights to Asian destinations. Other budget long-haul carriers, such as Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, have applied that business model on trans-Atlantic routes. AirAsia X also said it plans to fly its new Airbus A330neo planes to Europe once it starts taking delivery of the jetliners in 2018. <br/>