AirAsia X lands at London Gatwick with new flights to Kuala Lumpur
- AirAsia X will begin operating flights between London Gatwick and Kuala Lumpur from 26 June 2026
- Kuala Lumpur will be the 15th destination in Asia served from London Gatwick
- London Gatwick is also preparing to welcome new airlines including Jet2, Condor, Air France, Air Arabia, Eurowings, Animawings and Beijing Capital in 2026
London Gatwick is adding a new destination to its expanding long-haul network, with AirAsia X launching a daily flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Starting on 26 June 2026, the service will operate via Bahrain on A330 aircraft, connecting London Gatwick with the Malaysian capital for the first time since 2012. Passengers can also benefit from onward connectivity to a wide range of destinations including Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo and Melbourne.
This summer, London Gatwick will offer passengers the choice of 57 long-haul routes, including 15 across Asia.
Pierre-Hugues Schmit, CEO, London Gatwick said: “The arrival of AirAsia X and flights to Kuala Lumpur is fantastic news for London Gatwick passengers. The new daily service will provide excellent opportunities to visit the city or onward connectivity across the region – ideal for holidaymakers, businesses and the many British‑Malaysian families who will now have even better options for visiting friends and relatives.
“AirAsia X is the latest airline to choose to fly from London Gatwick, ahead of what will be a fantastic summer for our passengers.
“Our ever-expanding list of carriers and destinations, combined with our unwavering commitment to excellent passenger service, means London Gatwick really is the airport for everyone, whatever your journey.”
Bo Lingam, Group Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia X said: “Our return to London marks a significant milestone for AirAsia X and we’re excited to commence our operations at London Gatwick this June. This new daily route will enable UK travellers to seamlessly and affordably connect to Bahrain, Asean and beyond through our extensive Fly-Thru connectivity spanning over 130 destinations worldwide.
“The service will also play an important role in strengthening travel, trade and people-to-people ties between the UK, Bahrain, Malaysia and the wider Asia-Pacific region and we look forward to welcoming guests on board as we continue to expand our long-haul network.”
AirAsia X is one of eight new airlines to arrive at London Gatwick already this year, joining the likes of Jet2, Air Arabia and Air France, with availability at the airport remaining in high demand.
With 43m annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top 10 airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5bn GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). Almost 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared capacity of 55 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15m people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2bn sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
VINCI Airports, as the leading private airport operator in the world, manages the development and operation of more than 70 airports located in 14 countries. VINCI Airports draws on its expertise as a comprehensive integrator to develop, finance, build and operate airports, leveraging its investment capability and know-how to optimise operational performance and modernise infrastructure while bringing about their environmental transition. In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy, setting itself the aim of reaching zero net emissions (scope 1 and 2) across the network by 2050 while supporting the territories’ local climate transition.
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GIP’s scaled platform has over $170bn in assets under management. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables us to be responsible stewards of our clients’ capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.
