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New Kuala Lumpur - Darwin route to boost tourism

New Kuala Lumpur - Darwin route to boost tourism

Daily Express28-06-2025
Published on: Saturday, June 28, 2025
Published on: Sat, Jun 28, 2025 Text Size: DARWIN: AirAsia Malaysia officially launched its inaugural Kuala Lumpur–Darwin route with a strong load factor of nearly 90 per cent, reinforcing the airline's commitment to boosting tourism in the Northern Territory. AirAsia Malaysia officially commenced operations on June 27, marked by the landing of flight AK612 at Darwin International Airport. Air Asia flight AK612 will operate four times a week. The launch of this new route marks a significant milestone for AirAsia and its strong ties with Australia. Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations, Robyn Cahill OAM joined AirAsia on its maiden flight to Darwin said, the Territory's aviation sector continues to go from strength to strength with this new route providing a boost to tourism, growing business and trade and connecting Territorians with a new international flight option (pic). 'We look forward to welcoming more Australian travellers to experience our unique cultural diversity and commitment to sustainable tourism. In 2024, Malaysia recorded 447,785 visitor arrivals from Australia, an 11.7 per cent increase from 2023 and 6.3 per cent above pre-pandemic 2019 levels,' said Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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