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AirAsia Group drops Sydney as part of fleet reduction in response to market conditions
August 24th 2026
AirAsia Group will end nonstop flights between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney Kingsford Smith amid a shrinking of the LCC group’s fleet and difficult market conditions. Read More » Flights to Sydney, operated by AirAsia X with A330-300s, are ending in late October. AirAsia Group said the decision to axe Sydney from its route network reflected a "combination of increased cost pressures, softer demand and the need to strategically align the airline’s network and fleet". This included the sooner-than-previously-scheduled retirement of older aircraft, including A330-300s flown on the Sydney-Kuala Lumpur route. “The current operating environment requires us to make some tough choices," AirAsia X general manager, Benyamin Ismail, said. "By accelerating the retirement of older, less fuel-efficient widebody aircraft and adjusting our network, we are taking the necessary steps to build a more resilient and commercially sustainable operation for the future." In terms of its other Australian routes, AirAsia Group said it planned to have 35 flights a week on Perth-Denpasar, daily flights on Melbourne-Kuala Lumpur and up to 14 flights a week on Perth-Kuala Lumpur by December this year.
