Malaysia’s AirAsia stopping flights to Colombo
View(s):AirAsia is terminating its popular, budget-fare, flights to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and back from end February, the airline said earlier this week in an announcement that surprised the local travel industry.
Malaysia’s highly successful budget carrier said it would no longer fly on this route from 26 February saying the decision was “due to commercial reasons”.
Jasmine Lee, Commercial Director of AirAsia Berhad, asked on email for the reasons for the move, told the Business Times that: “AirAsia has always taken great consideration in deciding the routes and destinations that we service, and as part of our ongoing realignment of business plans for the airline as a group, we have had to make the unfortunate decision to terminate the Kuala Lumpur – Colombo route indefinitely effective 26 Feb 2013.”
The airline has been operating seven times a week to KL with the route starting on 15 August 2009. A subsidiary of the airline, Thai AirAsia has also stopped flying to Colombo from Bangkok.
Earlier this month Gulf Air also announced the stoppage of flights to Bahrain and back.
Airline industry officials said such withdrawals and pullouts are not unusual due to rising cost of maintaining airlines and route rationalization to ensure the carriers fly to sectors that are most profitable. AirAsia gave many Sri Lankan holidaymakers a cheaper option to fly to KL which is one of the most, sought-after travel destinations after Singapore.
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