AN AFFORDABLE airline has delayed its flights from a major UK airport – before they’ve even taken off.
AirAsia X was due to launch flights from London Gatwick on August 27, however flights have been removed from the schedule.
The airline has said that due to “prolonged geopolitical instability in West Asia” the route is now expected to launch in March 2027.
Benyamin Ismail, General Manager of AirAsia X said: “Following a thorough review of the operating environment, we have made the difficult decision to defer the commencement of our Kuala Lumpur-Bahrain-London Gatwick services due to the prolonged geopolitical instability in West Asia.
“This decision was made in view of ongoing safety and operational considerations, with the safety and well-being of our guests and crew remaining our highest priority.
“It is also in line with actions taken by other carriers that have reduced or suspended operations in the region.
Read more on travel inspo
“We will continue to closely monitor developments in the region and review the route when conditions are conducive to safe and sustainable operations.”
The route will travel between London Gatwick and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, stopping at Bahrain and would’ve operated four times a week and then daily from the start of November.
Flights were set to be on an Airbus A330-300, which with AirAsia X, holds between 285 and 377 passengers.
Despite being a long-haul flight, the airline has been able to make the route low-cost due to the stopover in Bahrain and choosing Gatwick Airport over London Heathrow.
The Malaysian airline already delayed the launch of the route due to conflict in the Middle East.
However, the airline said at the time that it was still focusing on growth, with specific destinations including Busan, Batam, Bahrain and London.
When flights eventually launch, British travellers will be able to head to 100 destinations across Asia through the airline’s Kuala Lumpur hub, including Japan and Sri Lanka.
The airline used to operate budget long-haul flights from Kuala Lumpur to London but the service stopped in 2012.
AirAsia X added that all impacted travellers will be informed and offered either a full refund or credit to be used within 730 days.