AirAsia has recently been recognised by OAG Aviation Group (OAG)’s 2024 Megahubs Index as a key player in making Kuala Lumpur International Airport KLIA (KUL) the top global Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) Megahub. KLIA is ranked as the second most connected airport in the world, just after London Heathrow (LHR), with more than 14,500 low-cost connections to 137 destinations.
What is a Megahub and who are the tops?
A megahub is an airport that provides many connections to international places, making global travel easier. Besides LHR and KUL, other major megahubs include Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam, and Incheon International Airport in Seoul.
As a top airline, AirAsia operates 43% of all flights at KLIA and makes up 74% of the airport’s total LCC capacity*. In the fourth quarter of this year (Q4), the airline recently announced five new routes, adding to the existing 112 international and 14 domestic routes it already operates from KLIA. The airline also plans to introduce new routes to other countries in Asia and Africa. Currently, there are up to 236 daily departures from KLIA. *Source: SRS Analyser for Jan – Sept 2024 period covering all AirAsia and AirAsia X airlines
| New Routes and Airline code | Inaugural Flight | Weekly frequency |
| Kuala Lumpur – Chiang Rai, Thailand (AK) | 2nd November | 3X |
| Kuala Lumpur – Da Lat, Vietnam (AK) | 1st November | 4X |
| Kuala Lumpur – Port Blair, India (AK) | 16th November | 3X |
| Kuala Lumpur – Chongqing (D7) | 15th October | 4X |
| Kuala Lumpur – Nairobi, Kenya (D7) |
15th November | 4X |
AirAsia has great connectivity from the five countries where they operate across Asean in Bangkok, Thailand; Jakarta, Indonesia; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Manila, the Philippines. This plays a vital role both in establishing Kuala Lumpur as the top global Megahub Low-Cost Carrier and also reinforced its dominance in regional markets. AirAsia Thailand is the leading carrier at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, which ranks as the 15th most connected LCC airport globally, while AirAsia Indonesia holds a similar position at Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, ranked 18th in the top 25 LCC airports.
…. When I co-founded AirAsia 23 years ago, I envisioned a future where KLIA would stand among the global elite airports. It is now the second most connected airport globally, powered by the momentum AirAsia has built as the world’s leading LCC megahub. Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A and Advisor of AirAsia
He also noted that AirAsia is the largest foreign operator for routes between Asean and both India and China, with KLIA a key hub in their Fly-Thru service. The airline aims to grow Fly-Thru traffic to 25% by 2025, up from 21% in 2019, further enhancing connectivity.
Bo Lingam, CEO of AirAsia Aviation Group, highlighted the role of AirAsia’s fleet expansion in supporting its network growth plans.
…. We reactivated our order book this year having taken delivery of four new A321neos with five more to go, and our fleet reactivation exercise is ongoing and targeted to be completed this year. We currently hold an order for 361 units of the A321 model to meet the airline group’s fleet growth and replacement needs.
He added that this secured aircraft delivery stream allows AirAsia to rapidly grow their network and enhance connectivity across Asia and beyond, to turn Southeast Asia into the next Dubai as a key transit point through multi-hub connectivity.
To support its goal of building a global low-cost airline network, AirAsia will be announcing more destinations before year end showing its commitment to connecting Southeast Asia (Asean) with the world and vice versa.
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