AirAsia Unveils Three New Routes from India

18.01.2024 - 08:03 / skift.com / Peden Doma Bhutia

AirAsia has announced the launch of a new route from Ahmedabad to Kuala Lumpur. Set to take flight from May 1, the new connection will mark AirAsia’s eleventh route from India, and third new route in 2024 alone. This will also be the Malaysia-based carrier’s entry into the state of Gujarat, as it looks to rapidly grow its connectivity from Malaysia to India.

AirAsia had earlier said that it plans to add 69 weekly flights in the first quarter of 2024, providing over 1.5 million seats annually for the India-Malaysia route.

The Malaysian government has introduced a 30-day visa-free entry for Indian travelers starting December 1, 2023. 

Air Asia Group CEO Bo Lingam called the flight launch a celebration of the government’s “commendable initiative” for visa free entry into Malaysia for Indian nationals.

“When we launched our very first flight into India in 2008, our vision and mission had always been to enhance affordable connectivity between our two nations. Both Malaysia and India have plenty of untapped tourism potential and it’s been amazing to see how travel has boomed in both countries in the last decade,” Lingam said.

AirAsia operates a wide network of routes directly from India to Malaysia from Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Kochi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, New Delhi and Amritsar. In February the airline will be commencing flights from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, making it the second direct route from the state after Kochi followed by Jaipur in April and Ahmedabad in May.

Bharat Gaurav Trains undertook a total of 172 trips carrying almost 100,000 tourists in 2023.

Indian Railways had introduced the concept of operating tourist trains on theme-based circuits under the banner of “Bharat Gaurav” Tourist Trains. These theme-based tourist circuit trains aim to showcase the country’s cultural heritage while connecting to major historical places while covering major tourist circuits.

The journey undertaken on these trains are offered in the form of comprehensive tour packages wherein services like off-board travel and excursions by buses, stay at hotels, tour guides, meals, travel insurance are also provided.

The railway ministry has been focusing on promoting domestic tourism through provision of rail-based tourism with better quality coaches under Bharat Gaurav Train scheme, a release from the government stated. This is also in line with the government’s “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” and “Dekho Apna Desh” initiatives to encourage domestic tourism. 

Online travel platform EaseMyTrip.com is set to embark on a nationwide roadshow for the first time spanning multiple cities. The travel company said this initiative will be executed in close collaboration with its recently-acquired domestic travel brands,