AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur International) Group CEO Kamarudin Meranun has confirmed the AirAsia Group unit is planning to add leased widebody capacity to its fleet in 2018 to satisfy demand in the Chinese market.
"The Group ... plans to add third-party leased, all-economy class A330s in 2018 to focus on shorter China routes and redeploy our existing fleet to new markets,” he said in a 3Q17 earnings release. He did not expand on who would provide the requisite A330s.
According to the ch-aviation schedules module, AirAsia X's Chinese network currently consists of flights from Kuala Lumpur International to each of Beijing Capital, Chengdu Shuangliu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Shanghai Pudong, Wuhan, and Xi'an Xianyang. Sister carrier Thai AirAsia X (XJ, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) also serves Shanghai's Pudong airport from Bangkok Don Mueang.
