AirAsia strengthens ties with Indonesia via new routes

AirAsia Malaysia is strengthening its commitment to Indonesia by resuming its flight services from Kuala Lumpur to Banda Aceh, Padang and Pekanbaru. These are effective from Oct 1 and it will add services from Penang to Bali-Denpasar for the first time, starting Oct 20. The carrier said the latest routes are a strong testament to AirAsia’s pledge to the local governments of Aceh, West Sumatra and Riau to open international services from their main provincial airports. “The new services are also in response to strong demand by local communities from both countries, which share cultural similarities and familial ties, and will boost tourism and creative economy in the regions.” CEO Riad Asmat said Indonesia is a core market for the airline and that it is glad to be back by launching four new routes with an additional eight weekly flights, on top of six existing routes. This brings the number of flights to Indonesia to 66 weekly. “As an airline group with extensive connectivity in Asean and the Asia Pacific, together with our affiliate Indonesia AirAsia, we are thrilled to continue playing our role in bringing foreign tourists directly to various popular and underserved cities in Indonesia and Malaysia. We are excited to reconnect these cities to Kuala Lumpur and Penang, bringing tourists from Malaysia, reconnecting families, and serving business travel,” he said.<br/>