NEW DELHI, May 2 — AirAsia X will start flying to the north Indian city of Amritsar from August 16 as it seeks to cater to the significant transit and tourism traffic from Punjab state.
The long-haul budget carrier announced it will operate four weekly services between Kuala Lumpur and Amritsar on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“Many Sikhs and Punjabis have been asking us to fly direct to Amritsar, home to the world famous Golden Temple, and we are pleased to be able to offer this direct service,” AirAsia X Chief Executive Officer Benyamin Ismail said in Amritsar on Tuesday.
“This new route is part of our efforts to strengthen our position in India which offers us the possibility of expanding to Europe and North America,” he said.
Amritsar is the third Indian destination for AirAsia X and the 21st in India for the AirAsia Group. AirAsia X’s two other destinations are New Delhi and Jaipur.
Punjab’s Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former top cricket star, said the direct Malaysia service would boost Amritsar’s attraction.
“The Golden Temple alone attracts 125,000 visitors daily.
“We welcome AirAsia X to Amritsar, and are happy that the Punjabi diaspora and foreign tourists from destinations within the wide network of AirAsia, including Australia and New Zealand will be able to travel to the city and Punjab,” Sidhu said.
The airline is offering promotional fares for a limited period starting from 3,555 rupees (RM 208) one way for the economy seat and 11,900 rupees one way for Premium Flatbed seats.
AirAsia X said the new route has the potential of 156,832 seats annually between Kuala Lumpur and Amritsar. — Bernama
