AirAsia X (AAX) is soaring into its next chapter of growth with the announcement of a long-awaited route to Istanbul, Türkiye, a city where East meets West. The new direct service between Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul will commence on 14 November 2025 with four weekly flights, marking another significant step in AAX’s global network expansion.
This strategic launch marks AAX’s long-anticipated entry into Europe, opening a vital gateway linking Southeast Asia to Europe via one of the world’s most historically rich and geographically unique destinations. Straddling two continents across the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul offers travelers the rare opportunity to experience the best of both worlds.
The airline will operate from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), a major hub with connections to over 117 international and 40 domestic destinations. This provides guests from Southeast Asia even greater onward travel options, while giving travelers from Istanbul and beyond seamless access to AirAsia’s network of 130 destinations at unbeatable value.
Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X said: “Istanbul has always been a dream destination for many of our guests, and its launch marks another proud moment in our journey to rebuild stronger than ever. Hot on the heels of our recent expansion into Central Asia, this long-awaited route takes us one step closer to delivering longer connectivity across continents. As the only city in the world built on two continents, Istanbul perfectly captures our vision to bridge Asia and beyond through affordable, medium-haul travel. This is a strategic decision that strengthens our network, creates more pathways for business collaboration, and enhances access to new experiences for travelers around the world.
“This new route also opens the door to an affordable Umrah Plus Istanbul package offered by ikhlas.com, the Islamic lifestyle arm of Capital A, giving our Muslim guests the opportunity to combine their spiritual journey with a visit to one of the world’s most iconic cities. From Istanbul, our guests can connect seamlessly to destinations across Asia, including Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, China, Thailand and more through our convenient Fly-Thru service, without the need to recheck baggage. Likewise, travelers from Europe and beyond can now access the wonders of Southeast Asia with ease through our extensive network.”
H.E. Emir Salim Yüksel, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Malaysia added: “This new additional connection between Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul is a tangible step in strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Malaysia and Türkiye. It will not only boost tourism flows, but also expand business links, foster industry collaboration, and open new pathways for education, innovation and people-to-people engagement. By enhancing air connectivity, we are bringing our regions closer in a way that benefits travelers, communities and economies alike.”
In celebration of this milestone, AAX is offering introductory first-come first-served promotional fares from RM499 all-in one way and from RM3,999 all-in one way for the airline’s award-winning Premium Flatbed. Flights are available for booking starting today until 20 August 2025 for the travel period between 14 November 2025 and 14 September 2026, on airasia.com and the AirAsia MOVE app. To double the celebration, all AirAsia guests can enjoy an exclusive promotion of up to 45% off checked baggage when booking their flights, making their journey even more rewarding.
