Where could AirAsia X fly with the Airbus A321XLR?

With the new revolutionary AirAsia X has ordered 30 new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, many are now wondering where it intends to fly this aircraft and how the low cost carrier will deploy it among its network.

Where will the aircraft be based?

The first question is the easiest to answer. AirAsia X is based at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and it is likely that these new A321XLRs will be stationed there on shuttle routes.

Knowing that the distance traveled by the A321XLR is about 4,700 nautical miles (you can take a few, depending on the cargo load), we can judge the location of the Southeast Asia hub. Is.

Looking at this map, we can see many destinations for which AirAsia X could fly the plane. But we must not forget that the airline also has a fleet of A330 aircraft (24 A330-300 and 78 A330-900neos on order). Therefore, to help narrow down the list of possible destinations, we need to look at the areas in which the new A321XLRs are best suited: long distance, low density or high frequency routes.

For example, if AirAsia X does not have a flight to Dubai yet, it is likely that it will deploy the largest A330 on that route instead of the A321XLR. In addition, it should be worth it in terms of distance, because AirAsia (the main airline to which belongs AirAsia X) already has many small planes for local Asian destinations.

Here are our initial forecasts:

Cairo, Egypt

AirAsia X could serve the world of pyramids and become a transfer airline for tourists traveling from Australia to this culturally-friendly country.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Until now, AirAsia X has no roads to Africa. Dar es Salaam could be a gateway to the region for the airline and an ideal route to open with the A321XLR.

The French territory of Reunion could be another destination in the region. AirAsia X already flies to Mauritius nearby.

Queenstown, New Zealand.

Testing the limits of the plane would be a route to the popular tourist destination of Queenstown. This summer and winter destination is the gateway to the South Island and is an easy sell for the airline.

As AirAsia X already serves Christchurch, there is already an infrastructure for the airline in the area.

Cairns, Australia

This last path may seem like a strange choice, but it has more merit than it appears at first. The Cairns International Airport serves destinations from various international destinations in Asia, such as Shenzen for Hainan Airlines, Bali with Jetstar and even Singapore for Silk Air.

A direct link to the Kuala Lumpur hub would be perfect for the airline and would actually allow AirAsia X to compete directly with rival Silk Air.

Today's article is no shortage of other roads and with 30 A321XLRs on the road, AirAsia X will have only the embarrassment of choice.

What do you think? Can you think of itineraries that we have not mentioned? Let us know in the comments.