14-8-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysia-based airlines are gearing up to introduce Central Asia destinations into their flight networks, as an increasing number of travellers express interest in exploring this untapped region. Among the carriers taking this stride are AirAsia X Bhd and Batik Air Malaysia.
AirAsia X Bhd has plans to fly to Almaty, Kazakhstan, while Batik Air Malaysia intends to add Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to its expanding list of destinations. Both airlines will operate flights from Kuala Lumpur to these new locations.
Prior to the pandemic, the routes from Almaty to Kuala Lumpur and Tashkent to Kuala Lumpur were respectively served by Kazakhstan’s national airline, Air Astana, and JSC Uzbekistan Airways. The Malaysia Aviation Commission (Mavcom) has recently granted air traffic rights (ATR) approval to AirAsia X for the Almaty route, and Batik Air has received the green light to operate flights to Tashkent. Additionally, Batik Air also obtained ATR for the Kuala Lumpur-Okinawa, Japan route via Taipei. These approvals were granted during the second quarter of 2023.
According to an aviation analyst interviewed by the New Straits Times, both Batik Air and AirAsia X will need to commence operations by the end of 2023 to avoid the expiration of the ATR allocations. Batik Air, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Lion Group, is expected to begin direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tashkent by the end of the year. Lion Group’s group strategic director, Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, mentioned that they are working out the details with authorities from Islam Karimov International Airport (TAS) in Uzbekistan and aiming for the first flight to possibly commence in November.
Meanwhile, AirAsia X has been working on introducing the Kuala Lumpur-Almaty flight since October 2019. The airline has been engaging in discussions with the Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan and the embassy of Kazakhstan in Malaysia over the past four years. Recently, a meeting was held between AirAsia X representatives and the embassy to discuss the route, suggesting that both airlines are awaiting clearance from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to proceed with their planned routes.
Mavcom’s efforts to facilitate the expansion of Malaysia’s aviation industry have also seen ATR approvals granted to other airlines. Firefly, a subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), received ATRs for flights from Kota Kinabalu to Narita and Taipei. Capital A Bhd’s cargo unit Teleport obtained ATRs for freighter flights to Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Tawau. MYAirline Sdn Bhd secured ATR approvals for destinations in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, with Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok flights having commenced in June.
In the second quarter of 2023, Mavcom awarded a total of 57 ATRs to the Malaysian civil aviation sector, encompassing 45 international and 12 domestic routes. This signifies an 85.7% increase in ATR applications compared to the same period in 2022, reflecting the strong momentum in the aviation sector. Despite this positive trend, there was an 11.7% decrease in ATR applications in Q2 2023 compared to the first quarter.
Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim, the Executive Chairman of Mavcom, highlighted the commission’s commitment to enhancing connectivity and promoting economic growth through these initiatives. He praised the airlines for seizing the opportunities for expansion and contributing to the recovery of the aviation sector.
