AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur International) is applying for US traffic rights in order to serve Hawaii the founder and CEO of the AirAsia Group, Tony Fernandes, has said. Commenting on social media about the Group's longhaul plans, Fernandes added that a resumption of flights to Europe is also on the cards.

"AirAsia X is closing in on European routes including London and also application process starting (sic) to Hawaii," he said via Twitter.

Other longhaul destinations being studied include New Zealand via Australia while service to the Maldives will also proceed "as promised."

Last year, Fernandes said he was determined to see AirAsia X return to Europe at some point in the near future. Among the budget carrier group's options would be to use its Thai AirAsia X (XJ, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) subsidiary to reopen flights to Paris Orly and London, which were terminated in 2011 as a result of their poor financial performance.

However, exact timeframes for its international expansion may be put on hold after AirAsia X's acting CEO, Benyamin Ismail, announced a series of cutbacks including route and staff rationalization as well as the deferral of some aircraft deliveries to help turn the loss-making carrier around. The airline is also considering selling off aircraft delivery slots should the right buyers be found.

"If there are reasonable and keen buyers for those aircraft, we may sell the slots," the Business Insider magazine quoted Ismail as saying.

AirAsiaX has orders for twenty-three A330-300s, ten A350-900s, and fifty-five A330-900neo.

Following a boardroom reshuffle late last month, AirAsia X announced plans to raise up to MYR395 million (USD108.7 million) via a rights issue due in the next quarter of this year. Of the proceeds raised, MYR119 million (USD32.7 million) would go towards the repayment of borrowings while MYR270 million (USD74.3 million) would be put towards general working capital for AirAsia X and its Indonesia AirAsia X (IDX, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) and Thai AirAsia X subsidiaries.