AirAsia X Malaysia is set to be the first international airline to service Avalon Airport once it moves its double-daily Kuala Lumpur flights from Melbourne Tullamarine airport there later this year.
No date has been publicly announced for the move to Avalon, with the airport requiring immigration and quarantine facilities to be put in place before flights can begin. The services are operated by Airbus A330-300s.
“We are proud to be the first airline to operate international flights at Avalon Airport, connecting Melbourne and the Victorian region with Kuala Lumpur, Asia’s number one LCC hub,” AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benyamin Ismail said in a statement.
“Melbourne and Victoria are important markets to us and this new service with 560,000 seats annually will provide a significant boost to business and tourism, including to such attractions as the Great Ocean Road.”
Avalon Airport CEO Justin Giddings said AirAsis X is moving to Avalon under a 10-year agreement structured to accommodate the airline’s “significant growth”.
“We’re extremely pleased to welcome AirAsia to Avalon Airport,” he said.
Freight also factors in the move, according to Avalon Airport owners Linfox.
I am particularly excited about the large volumes of freight capacity that AirAsia X has on each flight,” said David Fox, executive chairman of Linfox Airports.
“We have received great interest from exporters in the region and this now provides the perfect platform for fresh food access to Asia.”
AirAsia to move Melbourne flights to Avalon
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