Air Asia, the largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia, has recently started offering direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty, as per the press office of the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee. The service commenced from March 14, with four flights scheduled every week. The inaugural flight was celebrated at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, attended by several dignitaries including Bulat Sugarbayev, the Kazakh ambassador to Malaysia..
The inaugural flight, identified as D7600, from Kuala Lumpur to Almaty was fully booked, indicating a significant demand for this route. The local authorities welcomed the Malaysian team at Almaty Airport.
The direct flights between the two nations are expected to improve their cultural and economic relations. With easy transit options through Kuala Lumpur, Kazakh nationals traveling to Southeast Asia will have a convenient gateway. Furthermore, the arrival of Air Asia X will increase competition within Kazakhstan’s aviation services industry.
Air Asia X has announced that it will be using an Airbus aircraft to operate flights from Terminal 2 of Kuala Lumpur Airport to Almaty. The flights will be scheduled four times a week and will take six hours and fifty-five minutes.
Prior to the launch of these flights, a meeting was held between Malaysian aviation authorities, including Dato’ Captain Norazman Mahmud (CEO of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia – CAAM) and representatives from Air Asia X, Malaysia Airlines, and the Kazakh delegation led by Saltanat Tompiyeva (Chairwoman of the Civil Aviation Committee). The main topic of discussion was to improve flight connectivity between cities in Kazakhstan and Malaysian carriers. The meeting also emphasized the importance of putting the fifth-degree open sky framework into practice.
The management at Malaysia Airport Holdings organized a visit for the Kazakh team to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. During the visit, the team was briefed on airfield maintenance procedures and passenger traffic control. This highlighted the airport’s wide range of services, catering to over 60 airlines globally. The airport is projected to serve over 60 million passengers by the end of 2023.