AirAsia X eyes summer return to London
Malaysia based AirAsia X has set its sights on a return to London after more than a decade.
This time it will use Bahrain as a connecting launchpad to the UK.
The airline announced plans for a new Kuala Lumpur to London Gatwick service via Bahrain which is expected to start in June.
It hasn’t disclosed an exact date.
In recent years AirAsia has teased a return to western Europe on a number of occasions but these never panned out.
Bahrain will become the airlines first ‘fly thru’ air hub outside Asia.
It will operate Airbus A330 jets on the Kuala Lumpur-Bahrain-London route.
It has an all-Airbus fleet with longe range A321XLR aircraft on order.
AirAsia recently launched long haul flights to Istanbul.
In late 2025, AirAsia signed a cooperation agreement with the Bahrain government to develop its first Middle East hub.
Related News Stories: AirAsia X brand: to disappear or not to disappear? - TravelMole Vietnam skies attract new airline as well as AirAsia - TravelMole European hotel operator files for bankruptcy - Travel Mole
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments