TASHKENT, Oct 20 — AirAsia X Bhd plans to expand its fleet by acquiring smaller aircraft, including new engine options (NEO) and long-range (LR) models, as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in medium-haul markets.

Its chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail said the airline is expected to receive the new aircraft in the second half of 2026 (2H 2026).

He noted that the airline is set to take delivery of the Airbus A321neo and A321LR aircraft, which will enable it to operate routes lasting between five and seven hours.

“For example, we are evaluating several potential destinations such as Busan in South Korea, Adelaide and Darwin in Australia, as well as smaller cities in China,” he said during a familiarisation trip with the media on the airline’s inaugural flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The local carrier launched its first flight to Tashkent on Oct 15, 2025, offering three weekly services between Malaysia and Uzbekistan’s capital.

Tashkent marks AirAsia X’s second destination in Central Asia after Almaty, Kazakhstan, which was launched on March 14, 2024.

Benyamin said the airline is also focusing on increasing flight frequencies across its existing destinations, as overall performance has remained encouraging.

“In Australia, for instance, we are working towards offering more consistent schedules, while China has rebounded strongly, so we are adding back capacity there,” he said, adding that demand for flights to Japan and South Korea also remains robust.

He added that the airline’s monthly and quarterly results have shown a healthy load factor averaging 84 per cent.

Benyamin described the figure as a significant improvement compared with the levels recorded during the Covid-19 period. — Bernama

 Malay Mail – Money