AirAsia X will reenter the London market in June, launching a one-stop daily service between Kuala Lumpur and London Gatwick (LGW) as it seeks to reestablish a European footprint more than a decade after withdrawing from the UK.
Flights will begin June 26, operating via Bahrain using Airbus A330 aircraft. The service marks the first link between LGW and Kuala Lumpur since 2012 and positions Bahrain as a developing intermediate hub in AirAsia X’s broader network strategy.
“Our return to London marks a significant milestone for AirAsia X and we’re excited to commence our operations at London Gatwick this June,” Group CEO Bo Lingam says. “This new daily route will enable UK travelers to seamlessly and affordably connect to Bahrain, ASEAN and beyond.”
AirAsia X first entered the London market in 2009 with service to London Stansted before switching to LGW in 2011. However, it exited the UK and wider European market the following year, citing high fuel prices, rising UK taxes and weak yields, despite reporting load factors above 80% on its London and Paris routes, operated using A340-300s.
Since suspending the services, the Malaysian airline has repeatedly signaled its intention to return to the UK, with Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes describing London as the carrier’s “most wanted route” as far back as 2014.
The latest move represents AirAsia X’s second step back into Europe after resuming service to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen in November. It also reflects a more structured expansion strategy, anchored by its letter of intent with Bahrain’s Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry to develop the Gulf state as a hub linking Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
The Malaysia-UK market is currently served nonstop only from London Heathrow, where British Airways operates daily Boeing 787-9 flights to Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia Airlines flies twice a day with A350-900 aircraft.
According to Sabre Market Intelligence data, O&D traffic between the UK and Malaysia totaled 481,000 two-way passengers in the 12 months to June 2025, up 1.8% year-over-year, although only 27% traveled nonstop. London-Kuala Lumpur accounted for 61% of total demand, while Dubai, Doha and Singapore were the largest one-stop markets, underscoring the scale of connecting traffic that AirAsia X will aim to capture.
AirAsia X currently operates 18 A330-300s and has 14 A330-900s on order, the CAPA Fleet Database shows.
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