• AirAsia Tile
    AirAsia
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    AK/AXM
    Airline Type:
    Low-Cost Carrier
    Year Founded:
    1993
    CEO:
    Tony Fernandes
    Country:
    Malaysia
    Hub(s):
    Kuala Lumpur International Airport
    Region:
    Asia
  • Jewel Changi Airport
    Singapore Changi Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    SIN/WSSS
    Country:
    Singapore
    CEO:
    Lee Seow Hiang
    Passenger Count :
    3,053,000 (2021)
    Runways :
    02L/20R - 4,000m (13,123ft) | 02C/20C - 4,000m (13,123ft) | 02R/20L - 4,000m (13,123ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Terminal 4 | JetQuay CIP Terminal

Last Thursday, the AirAsia Aviation Group celebrated its return to operations at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4. AirAsia Aviation Group Limited (AAAGL) is the holding company of Capital A's airline group.

The first AirAsia flight returning to Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4 (T4) was AirAsia flight AK703 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Airbus A330-300, which was full, departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) at 07:37 and landed in Singapore at 08:24. According to Flightradar24.com, the return flight, AK702, departed from T4 at 10:26 and arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 11:11. AirAsia Group is the largest foreign airline group by capacity in Singapore, with more than 12% of the total passengers passing through Changi Airport terminals, and contributing 51% of T4's overall seat capacity.

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AirAsia's return to Changi T4 will open up opportunities to add more Airbus A330-300 capacity. Photo: Getty Images

The A330 will add capacity in Singapore Changi

The group says returning to T4 will allow it to add more services to meet the strong demand and enable them to return to full recovery to pre-Covid frequency levels soon. Hosting festivities at the airport was Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes, who said the airline is currently operating 168 flights weekly to 12 destinations across Asia, which is about 60% of its pre-Covid flying. He is hopeful that by the end of the year, AirAsia will be at 100% with more flights and the use of more, larger A330 widebody aircraft.

"Not only are we thrilled to be back flying - today we are just as excited to be back at T4. As our third-largest hub, Singapore is an integral market for us. From starting out with just two daily flights in 2008, we increased services significantly to 281 weekly flights pre-pandemic to meet huge demand for affordable travel in the region. We are proud to have contributed to the industry's growth and to have played a pivotal role in making the Kuala Lumpur - Singapore route one of the busiest in the world."

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The first AirAsia flight to return to Singapore Changi Terminal 4 was an Airbus A330-300. Photo: Getty Images

T4 is a bit like home for Fernandes

From next Thursday, AirAsia Malaysia will be operating 120 weekly flights from Singapore Changi Airport. AirAsia Indonesia flies 34 flights weekly on two routes, AirAsia Thailand flies 24 weekly on two routes, and AirAsia Philippines has four flights weekly on one route. Fernandes added:

"With the international travel rebound, no travel restrictions into Singapore and the move to T4, we are optimistic that we will see our pre-pandemic passenger numbers up again soon and foresee continued solid growth in our cargo and logistics operations in the region. Returning to this state-of-the-art terminal is a bit like coming home as we actively participated in the consultation and sharing of ideas in the design and functionality of T4."

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More on the aircraft

The plane that operated Thursday's flight has had an interesting few weeks, operating flights in Mongolia for MIAT Mongolian Airlines (MIAT). The Flightradar24.com data shows that the Airbus A330-300, registered to AirAsia X as 9M-XXZ, operated 60 MIAT flights between July 10 and September 8. It mainly flew from the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, using Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN) as its base.

The seven-year-old A330 operated exclusively on routes from UBN to Germany's Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Istanbul Airport (IST) in Turkey. Since returning to Asia, it has flown from Kuala Lumpur to Australia's Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), South Korea's Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN), and Singapore Changi Airport.