Calicut Bound: AirAsia Opens Bookings For Kuala Lumpur to Kozhikode Flights

When it comes to expansion into the Indian market, AirAsia is on fire right now. In the history of aviation, no airline has expanded at this pace in the market between India and Malaysia. AirAsia has opened the reservations for flights between Malaysia and Kozhikode. This will be the first far-east Indian connection for AirAsia.

AirAsia Connects Kozhikode to Kuala Lumpur

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) grants airlines permission to operate foreign flights. In its Air Traffic Rights Bulletin published on 6 March 2024, the authority said it has granted AirAsia rights to operate non-stop flights from Kuala Lumpur to three Indian cities. These cities included Bhubaneswar, Kozhikode, and Guwahati.

AirAsia has already started flight bookings for Bhubaneswar. It will operate 3X weekly flights from 26 May. Recently, Mathrubhumi English reported that AirAsia has gathered the slots at Kozhikode Airport for the initiation of operations. Now, the airline has opened the bookings.

From August 1, AirAsia will operate non-stop flights between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (T2) and Calicut Kozhikode International Airport. Flights will be operated three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The return flight will be operated the next day. As expected, the Airbus A320 will be deployed on this route. Here is a quick look at the flight timings:

According to the permission from MAVCOM, the airline had the right to start flights in June 2024, but it opted to delay it by another 2 months. AirAsia will become the first airline to connect Malaysia to Kozhikode. For the airline, it will be the third airport in the state of Kerala, after Kochi and Trivandrum.

Sixth Indian Destination For 2024

In February, AirAsia launched direct flights to Trivandrum in Southern India. After that, the airline made its intention clear that it would expand rapidly in the Indian market during the Summer Schedule. And as expected, it is holding up to its words. On April 21, the airline launched Jaipur services. Vizag services will start within a week from April 26.

In May, there are two destinations scheduled for launch. Ahmedabad flights will start from May 1, and Bhubaneswar launch is anticipated on May 26. Bookings for all these flights are available on AirAsia’s website with a 20% special discount.

After TRV, JAI, VTZ, AMD, & BBI, Kozhikode will become the sixth Indian destination for AirAsia in the calendar year 2024. The most important part is that the airline is not stopping here. It has more destinations in its think tank. It has the right to fly to Guwahati as well. If implemented, it will become the first airport in Northeast India to get a Malaysian connection. Moreover, it is eyeing to launch flights to Patna.

After this, all the flying rights of AirAsia will be exhausted, restricting it from further expansion. It is willing to fly to more cities like Aurangabad, Madurai, and Coimbatore, but bilateral restrictions will not allow it to do so.

The AirAsia Group is currently connecting Malaysia to 10 Indian cities. AirAsia Berhad operates from Kuala Lumpur to Jaipur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Trichy, Kochi, and Trivandrum. AirAsia X, the LCC Long-Haul subsidiary operates to 2 Indian cities – Delhi and Amritsar with the Airbus A330.

Have you ever traveled with AirAsia? How was your experience? Discuss in the comment section.

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