In 2024, AirAsia, the leading short-haul budget airline with a strong presence in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Cambodia, experienced a notable surge in passenger numbers. Pilotcenter.net News reports that the airline consortium met the escalating demand for air travel in the region by carrying over 16 million passengers in the last quarter of the year alone, marking a 9% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Throughout 2024, AirAsia impressively transported a total of 63,184,526 passengers, showing an 11% growth from the previous year, while achieving a high load factor of 89%.

The airline group's operational strength was also demonstrated through its increase in the number of revenue sectors flown, with 387,518 operated in 2024, reflecting a 10% rise from the previous year. The average sector length expanded by 3% to 745 miles (1,191km). Amidst this growth, AirAsia continued to expand its fleet, ending the year with 205 active aircraft out of a total of 224. The reactivation of 14 aircraft during the year contributed to this expansion.

Looking ahead to 2025, AirAsia plans to maximize its fleet utilization by reintroducing nine non-active aircraft in the first quarter and the remaining seven in the second quarter of the year. Noteworthy fleet additions in 2024 included ten new aircraft, comprising nine Airbus A321neos and a pre-owned Airbus A320. Additionally, AirAsia emphasized its commitment to enhancing revenue generation by introducing more new aircraft in the upcoming year.

With operations spanning back to 1996 when it initiated flights between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Langkawi, AirAsia has evolved into a prominent air travel brand, encompassing a total of seven airlines. Among these, five short-haul airlines – AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, Philippines AirAsia, and AirAsia Cambodia – cater to regional travel needs. On the long-haul front, AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X facilitate flights to destinations beyond the immediate region.

While AirAsia India and Indonesia AirAsia X were once part of the AirAsia portfolio, they have since undergone rebranding or ceased operations. AirAsia India transitioned to AIX Connect in 2022 before eventually merging with Air India Express in 2024. Indonesia AirAsia X, a long-haul carrier, operated briefly from 2015 with Airbus A330-200 aircraft but ceased operations in 2019, culminating in its closure in October 2020.

In summarizing its successful 2024 performance, AirAsia expressed confidence in unleashing its full operational potential by efficiently utilizing its fleet, thereby priming itself for sustained growth and enhanced revenue generation in the future.