It looks like Melbourne has just beaten Sydney in the race to have a second international airport.
AirAsia broke the news over the weekend that it be will moving its Melbourne operations from Tullamarine Airport to Avalon Airport by the end of this year.
This will see AirAsia X Malaysia operate twice daily flights to and from Malaysia as the first international carrier at the airport.
The move is expected to make long-haul flying more affordable for Melbourne and the Victorian region.
“We are proud to be the first airline to operate international flights at Avalon Airport, connecting Melbourne and the Victorian region with Kuala Lumpur, Asia’s number one LCC hub”.
AirAsia X Malaysia CEO Benjamin Ismail.
The new service adds 560,000 seats annually and is expected to provide a significant boost to business and tourism, including the nearby Great Ocean Road.
The agreement with Avalon Airport is a decade-long one, structured to accommodate AirAsia X’s significant growth.
“It is the first such deal in Australia, and provides a unique low-cost opportunity for people and businesses to access over 130 destinations throughout Asia,” Avalon Airport CEO, Justin Giddings said.
“We’re extremely pleased to welcome AirAsia to Avalon Airport”.
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