AirAsiaX is halting its Auckland services starting from early February. The airline has stated that it intends to return as soon as possible since Auckland and New Zealand are vital destinations for them. AirAsia X had originally planned to reroute its Auckland service to Kuala Lumpur via Sydney with a stop in the Gold Coast, but it has now entirely abandoned New Zealand and is providing refunds to affected passengers.
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According to AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail, the airline regrets having to make this difficult decision to temporarily suspend their services to and from Auckland from early February next year. He further stated that Auckland remains a favorite bucket list destination of their guests, and they plan to return once market conditions are more favorable and more aircraft resume operations.
The airline, like others, is working hard to reactivate more aircraft as soon as possible and will reconsider Auckland services in the future. They apologize to guests affected by this decision and prioritize guest reimbursements as soon as possible. AirAsia X has announced the suspension of services between Auckland-Sydney and Auckland-Kuala Lumpur from February 2, 2024, and the reinstatement of the Auckland-Gold Coast-Kuala Lumpur services from February 3, 2024.
The airline has immediately taken all flights off sale to and from Auckland, New Zealand. AirAsiaX faced tough competition on the Tasman from dominant carriers Air New Zealand and Qantas. Although it only operated three flights per week, it offered some extra competition that helped put downward pressure on prices and operated a widebody A330 plane. AirAsia X is the long-haul division of Air Asia, and both are part of a larger group with the new name, Capital A, reflecting its increasingly broad business beyond airlines. The airline suffered significantly when Covid hit, as it was a long-haul carrier when borders were shut. It had to restructure its debt in 2021 but rebuilt aggressively and has returned to profitability.