KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 16): AirAsia X (AAX) marked its service resumption to the Middle East with its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah on Wednesday (Nov 16) with over 80% load factor.

In a statement on Wednesday (Nov 16), the long-haul low-cost carrier said this also kicked off AAX's partnership with Ikhlas (Capital A Bhd’s Muslim-friendly travel and lifestyle platform) to offer affordable ‘Umrah with Ikhlas’ packages.

AAX chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail said with the resumption of six-weekly flights, the airline is back to providing affordable travel for guests and pilgrims in Malaysia and the region to perform the holy pilgrimage of hajj and umrah.

“This route has always been our success story in the past due to the substantial traffic between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, as well as the consistently high demand for umrah services not only from Malaysia but also Indonesia, making Kuala Lumpur an important umrah hub for the region. Pilgrims from other countries can also conveniently connect to Jeddah via AAX while Saudi visitors can connect to 130 other AirAsia destinations via Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ikhlas CEO Ikhlas Kamarudin said the firm had waited two years for the reopening of Saudi Arabia’s travel sectors to make it more convenient for pilgrims to perform umrah or explore other destinations nearby.

“Our goal is to develop a comprehensive travel and lifestyle product to provide albeit low-cost, yet full service to guests to the Holy Land by introducing new ways of umrah bookings through our innovative system and one-stop platform,” he said.

Fares from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah start from RM1,629 all-in one way on economy, or guests can choose to experience the premium flatbed from RM3,199 all-in one way.

The service is available for booking through the ‘Flights’ icon on the airasia Super App or via the website for travel periods between now and Nov 30, 2023.

Additional new season services will be added to the schedule in the near future.

At 10.10am, AAX shed 1.22% or 0.5 sen to 40.5 sen with 900 shares traded.