AirAsia adds DRW-KUL

[HS-TQE]

AirAsia Direct Darwin-Kuala Lumpur Route Launched

Connectivity between the Northern Territory and Asia will increase with a new AirAsia Malaysia non-stop service between Darwin and Kuala Lumpur

www.nationaltribune.com.au

"The venture demonstrates the strong partnerships between the Northern Territory Government, Airport Development Group and AirAsia, and is supported under the Territory Aviation Attraction Scheme."

Will be interesting if this flight is able to stand on its own once the Territory Government subsidies expire. Clearly the NT Government are after Malaysian inbound tourism, hence the subsidies.,

 

[elanshin]

AirAsia Direct Darwin-Kuala Lumpur Route Launched

Connectivity between the Northern Territory and Asia will increase with a new AirAsia Malaysia non-stop service between Darwin and Kuala Lumpur

www.nationaltribune.com.au

"The venture demonstrates the strong partnerships between the Northern Territory Government, Airport Development Group and AirAsia, and is supported under the Territory Aviation Attraction Scheme."

Will be interesting if this flight is able to stand on its own once the Territory Government subsidies expire. Clearly the NT Government are after Malaysian inbound tourism, hence the subsidies.,

I legitimately wonder why someone in KUL or Malaysia would want to goto DRW. CNS maybe, but Darwin? If it's to visit "Australia", Sydney and Melbourne are always the aspirational to visit location.

Otherwise it feels like Australia is just an expensive place to visit. Could go to Japan instead for example.

 

[justinbrett]

I legitimately wonder why someone in KUL or Malaysia would want to goto DRW. CNS maybe, but Darwin? If it's to visit "Australia", Sydney and Melbourne are always the aspirational to visit location.

Otherwise it feels like Australia is just an expensive place to visit. Could go to Japan instead for example.

For whatever reason, DRW-KUL has been an on again/off again route for decades. MH flew it in the mid 2010s but they also had another period before that about a decade earlier. My guess is family, but there is also a fair amount of Defence traffic with the former RAAF Base in Butterworth (now back to RMAF base but still an Australian contingent permanently based there).

I lived across the road from the MH office on Mitchell St about 20 years ago - although the route was suspended in the 3 years I lived there. They had a big neon sign at the top of their office which made them look like they were the biggest airline in town. (There was a QF office there but I don't recall them having a sign. I booked my first LONE4 with my mate there as walk ins - it was so much easier! )

 

[Chrizztofa]

I legitimately wonder why someone in KUL or Malaysia would want to goto DRW. CNS maybe, but Darwin? If it's to visit "Australia", Sydney and Melbourne are always the aspirational to visit location.

Otherwise it feels like Australia is just an expensive place to visit. Could go to Japan instead for example.

Not sure if the schedule has been released (flights don't seem to be bookable yet) but it wouldn't surprise me if it was a red-eye flight into DRW to utilise aircraft that would otherwise be parked for the night.

The MH flight times were approx:
MH145 2215KUL-DRW0450+1
MH144 0540DRW-0900KUL

If the new AK flights follow a similar schedule it would be excellent for connections to other Asian cities which is probably the target market. Connections are currently are via DPS or SIN which all arrive in the evenings - too late for any connections other than late night flights to Europe (although SQ is moving to a split schedule from 30 March with some flights departing DRW at 1am to arrive into SIN at around 5am).

AK might be a better fit for the market than MH. The demand from DRW seems to be there - almost every flight I've taken through DRW has been full - but clearly the yields are not there to support full service carriers (other than QF and SQ).