PUTRAJAYA: Budget carrier AirAsia is expected to launch more international flights this year to meet the growing demand, said AirAsia Malaysia managing director Datuk Captain Fareh Mazputra.

He said this move is part of AirAsia's goal to enhance access to tourism hubs in countries with appealing tourist destinations, especially in ASEAN.

"Our target, post-COVID-19, is to activate international destinations aimed at bringing tourists from Asia and globally to allow them to explore attractive destinations," he told the media at the inaugural flight ceremony from Kuala Lumpur to Labuan Bajo at Komodo International Airport, Indonesia, recently.

Commenting on the inaugural flight to Labuan Bajo, Fareh said the new route brings AirAsia's total flights to Indonesia to 28 flights per week.

"We are waiting for more. The response to this inaugural flight is promising. It is still new and requires a lot of work in terms of promotion," he said.

Direct flights between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 and Labuan Bajo are scheduled for three times a week, which commenced on Tuesday (Sept 3), on an Airbus A320 aircraft.

The airline is offering special fares, including all-in fares, starting from RM179 one-way.

Meanwhile, Hendra P Iskandar, Economic Advisor at the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia, said that close cooperation to boost the tourism sector between Malaysia and Indonesia will be enhanced to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

He noted that the direct flights introduced by AirAsia make the low-cost airline the first global airline to land at Komodo International Airport since the airport was rebranded on April 2, 2024.

"This is a gift for Indonesia's independence on August 13 and Malaysia's independence on August 31. It shows concrete cooperation between these neighbouring countries," Hendra said.

Regarding tourist arrival targets in Indonesia, he said Indonesia aimed for 1.7 million tourists last year and the achieved tourist arrivals reached 1.9 million arrivals.

"This year, we are targeting 2.7 million tourists, not including those arriving on AirAsia flights to Labuan Bajo," Hendra said.

To achieve this target, promotional efforts need to be intensified, he said, particularly in programmes such as the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair 2024.

"We will conduct frequent promotions at tourism promotional programmes such as MATTA Fair. This is the step we will take, and it is a task for the neighbouring countries, not just our own," Hendra said, adding that AirAsia's direct flights to Labuan Bajo will also be promoted at MATTA Fair.

Held from today until September 8 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), the MATTA Fair is an annual event organised by MATTA and is a key attraction for travel enthusiasts across the country.