KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 20): AirAsia X Bhd has plans to serve the US, not only to the West Coast but also the East Coast, Forbes reported the long-haul, low-cost carrier's co-founder and Group CEO Kamarudin Meranun as saying.

In an interview with Forbes, Kamarudin said he has set his sights on running the first low-cost Asian carrier to serve the US — not just the West Coast but also the East Coast — starting with Honolulu, Hawaii, in June.

Earlier this month, AirAsia X said it will begin Kuala Lumpur-Osaka-Honolulu service on June 28.

He said the group is expanding the route network into the US and looking at Europe as well.

"We will try to cover the US East and West Coasts," he said.

According to Kamarudin, flights to the East Coast will stop in Europe — most likely at London Gatwick — while flights to the West Coast will stop in Osaka.

Meranun said the group is looking at re-entering Europe too.

AirAsia X ended its flight to London and Paris in 2012, citing soaring taxes and higher fuel jet prices as some of the reasons for the move.

AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the low-cost carrier will be flying to London Gatwick airport by end of 2018.

He previously said Frankfurt will be added to the list of destinations for AirAsia X but it will be a direct flight out of Bangkok, Thailand.

At 2.20pm, shares of AirAsia X fell 0.5 sen or 1.2% to 40.5 sen, with 3.8 million shares traded, for a market capitalisation of RM1.7 billion.