AirAsia X, soon to be merged with AirAsia, will launch a new daily service from Kuala Lumpur to Bahrain and then on to London Gatwick starting 26 June. The route marks AirAsia X’s return to London after more than a decade.

This new service will be operated using Airbus A330‑300 aircraft.

It builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 3 November between Capital A, the parent company of the low‑cost AirAsia group, and Bahrain’s Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, aimed at establishing a regional base for the group in the Middle East.

The MoU outlines extensive cooperation with Bahrain, including the potential creation of a local Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) for AirAsia, enabling the airline to operate direct flights to Europe, Africa and other markets from the Gulf. Direct flights to Bahrain were also planned from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines within the next five years.

AirAsia aims to operate 25 daily flights through Bahrain by 2030 and to carry more than 20 million passengers over five years between Manama and its various Asian hubs.