AirAsia continues its strategic expansion into the Northeast Asian market with the launch of three fifth-freedom routes connecting Taipei and Kaohsiung to Japan.
AirAsia X (flight code D7) will be operating the new route from Taipei to Tokyo (Narita) starting 31 May 2024, whereas Thai AirAsia (flight code FD) will connect Taipei to Okinawa commencing 15 June 2024 and Kaohsiung to Tokyo (Narita) on 16 June 2024.
Benyamin Ismail, AirAsia X CEO, said: ”We are proud to launch our first fifth-freedom route this year from Taipei to Tokyo, highlighting the remarkable recovery for AAX.
“Japan has always been the top destination for AAX, and this launch stands as a strong testament to our commitment to the competitive market and to facilitating more convenient and affordable travel for our guests.
“Additionally, our guests between Taipei and Japan can enjoy an enhanced travel experience with our award-winning Premium Flatbed onboard.
“We believe that the launch of this new route can boost tourism opportunities between Taipei and Japan, and we look forward to more route expansion in the future.”
Santisuk Klongchaiya, Thai AirAsia CEO, added: “Thai AirAsia has been actively expanding our routes connecting Taipei and Kaohsiung with Japan this year, including the recent launch of the Kaohsiung-Bangkok route.
“We thank our Taiwanese guests for their constant support along this journey and we look forward to exploring additional routes to Thailand and Japan.”
According to statistics from the Japan National Tourism Organization, the tourism industry in the region has recovered to 80% of pre-pandemic levels, with a total of 25 million foreign visitors to the country between last year.
Among the visitors, Taiwanese made up a total of 4.2 million visitors, showing Japan remains the top travel destination for Taiwan.
