AirAsia will operate an additional 18 return services between the Gold Coast and Kuala Lumpur this summer, delivering more than 13,000 additional international visitor seats in and out of the region.

Operated by AirAsia’s long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X, the daily services will ramp up to 11 per week from mid-December to mid-January, offering holidaymakers and locals an affordable overseas getaway this Christmas and New Year.

Airport CEO Chris Mills said AirAsia X connected the Gold Coast with major hubs across the Asia Pacific region through Kuala Lumpur.

“Thanks to AirAsia we are seeing more travellers from key international visitor markets like China, Japan and India come to the Gold Coast through Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

“Increasingly these travellers are using Gold Coast Airport as a hub to travel domestically as well as across to New Zealand. 

“In the same way, locals can connect to more than 130 destinations in countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Korea easily and affordably from Kuala Lumpur, and that is driving numbers on this route.”

Mr Mills said the loads on AirAsia X flights to and from the Gold Coast had been climbing this year, which showed the popularity of the Gold Coast as a destination.

AirAsia XGroup Head of Commercial Barry Klipp said the additional flights between Kuala Lumpur and the Gold Coast had come in response to growing demand from travellers.

“We recognise how popular the Gold Coast is as a summer destination for visitors from Southeast Asia as well as see the value in offering Australians the chance to escape for the festive season and enjoy the buzzing nightlife, rich food culture, idyllic beaches and exotic locations Asia has to offer,” he said.

The additional services between Kuala Lumpur and Gold Coast will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 13 December, 2018 to 12 January, 2019.

A record 6.6 million people took to the skies to and from Gold Coast Airport in the past financial year, including more than 1 million international travellers.

Gold Coast Airport is currently Australia’s sixth busiest airport, with passenger numbers expected to reach 16.6 million annually by 2037.

To book your next journey, visit airasia.com.