AirAsia to connect Bangkok with six Indian cities

Low-cost carrier AirAsia is making huge expansion in Asia this year, flying to at least six more cities in India including Chennai and Hyderabad from Bangkok from September, once AirAsia acquires more new Airbus planes.

AirAsia, voted the best low-cost carrier by London-based consultancy group, Skytrax, is also planning daily flights to Colombo in Sri Lanka and Taipei from either Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok.

The sources said AirAsia's long-haul airline, AirAsia X, is likely to fly to several more routes from Kuala Lumpur to India, namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Amritsar, and Kochi.

The airline, which had advertised for station managers in the seven Indian cities, currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli since last December.

''More destinations will be added, both in India and China, once new planes arrive. There will be new destinations from both Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok,'' the sources said.

Thai AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Tassapon Bijleveld confirmed recently that Thailand's popular resort island Phuket would become the airline's second hub in the Kingdom after Bangkok.