Cheaper international flights ahead for Kiwis as Air Asia returns to NZ

One of the world’s cheapest airlines is promising to slash fares for Kiwis as it announces a return to New Zealand. Air Asia has confirmed that it has ambitious expansion plans, including a return to Auckland via Australia. Flights would leave Auckland, then cross the Tasman to an airport in Australia, before heading on to Kuala Lumpur. Passengers would then be able to connect to dozens of destinations throughout Asia or to places like Istanbul and London. The flights will be run by AirAsia X, the airline’s long-haul offshoot, which uses A330 aircraft with 377 seats. The airline last launched a route to Auckland in 2016, with $99 fares to the Gold Coast and $249 to Kuala Lumpur. As travel demand has ramped up following Covid-19 border closures, airfares have skyrocketed, leading to booked-out flights across the Tasman and one-way fares costing as much as $1000 to Sydney. Air New Zealand, Qantas and Jetstar are the main airlines currently flying across the Tasman – with some services also being run by Qatar and Latam Airlines. But operators could be about to face more competition, with Air Asia promising to deliver “industry-leading” fares – in other words – the cheapest.<br/>