AirAsia targets full capacity by August with network expansion
Dhaka: AirAsia Group is targeting full capacity restoration by August as the airline moves ahead with network expansion and fleet modernization across its seven airlines.
The airline group said it is progressively restoring aircraft frequencies and adding new routes, with recently announced services to multiple key cities, including Busan, Bahrain, London, and Batam.
Further expansion will be considered on a disciplined basis, prioritizing routes that support long-term profitability, AirAsia said.
As jet fuel prices ease, the airline said it is restoring value fares for passengers across the region, describing affordable air travel as central to its mission and a driver of tourism and economic opportunities across Southeast Asia.
Since April 2026, AirAsia's seven airlines have averaged 85% on-time performance across more than 150 destinations. Its operational foundations have been reinforced through fleet management, network optimization, and cost discipline.
Fleet modernization is also underway, with older, less efficient aircraft being phased out and replaced with new Airbus A321LR jets, which deliver up to 20% fuel savings per seat. The group has also placed a massive order for 150 Airbus A220s to further improve efficiency.
AirAsia's Group Chief Executive Officer Bo Lingam said the company has emerged from recent challenges as a stronger and more agile operation.
"Over the past several months, we have been reminded that resilience is not built during easy times but through how we respond to challenges," Lingam noted, adding that the group is now a stronger, more agile, and more focused ecosystem as a result.
Lingam also called on governments and industry partners to avoid raising airport levies, taxes, and charges over the next one to two years to help sustain demand and support economic recovery across the region.
He said air travel and tourism remain the economic backbone of many ASEAN countries, urging all stakeholders across the aviation and tourism industry to play their part in keeping costs affordable as the sector continues to recover.
Meanwhile, the company is in the process of changing its name from AirAsia X to AirAsia Group Berhad, subject to shareholder approval at its upcoming annual general meeting.
