NAIROBI: Long-haul low-cost carrier AirAsia X Bhd (AAX) has successfully launched its inaugural direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Nairobi, Kenya, marking a significant milestone as the airline ventures into East Africa. The maiden flight achieved an impressive passenger load factor of nearly 90 per cent.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, AAX’s CEO Benyamin Ismail announced that the Kuala Lumpur-Nairobi route, operating four times weekly, is currently the only direct flight link between Malaysia and Africa. The high load factor translates to approximately 278 passengers on board, with the return flight from Nairobi to Kuala Lumpur experiencing a 75 per cent passenger load.

The passenger demographics on the inaugural flight included Australians, Chinese, Malaysians, and Kenyans returning home. For the return journey to Kuala Lumpur, up to 90 per cent of the passengers were Kenyans. Benyamin Ismail expressed confidence that maintaining an 85 per cent load factor per trip could lead to surpassing their target
of transporting over 156,000 travellers annually on this route.

Meanwhile, Capital A Bhd’s airline business acquisition is progressing as planned, with co-founder and executive chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun stating that the process is expected to conclude by the end of this month or early December. The acquisition, valued at RM6.8 billion, was overwhelmingly approved by AAX shareholders in October 2024.

Following the acquisition, AAX aims to explore and expand into more destinations, particularly underserved ones. AAX chairman Datuk Fam Lee Ee emphasized the significance of the new direct flight, highlighting its role in strengthening bilateral relations between Malaysia and Kenya and fostering business collaborations.

The launch event was attended by notable figures, including the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Kenya, Ruzaimi Mohamad, and the director-general of Asia and the Pacific of Kenya’s State Department for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Jane Makori.