Air Asia X is axing all services to and from New Zealand from early February 2024, blaming the move on "weakened consumer demand".
Customers with flights booked after this time are being offered refunds or assistance with alternate travel options, including a credit with the airline, which continues to fly from Australia to over 130 destinations across Asia.
After a break due to COVID-19, the budget airline resumed its Aotearoa services in August 2022. It currently offers services between Auckland and Kuala Lumpur via Sydney which were planned to be dropped in favour of an Auckland-Gold Coast-Kuala Lumpur route on February 3 - instead, the airline is now axing all services to New Zealand.
Services to Sydney and Kuala Lumpur via Sydney will continue until February 1.
Air Asia X pulling out of Aotearoa has been announced amid the peak summer season, when other airlines have either launched new services or are otherwise ramping up capacity to cater to increased demand.
In a note to customers on its website, Air Asia X states "we are a volume business and our network continues to evolve based on a number of factors, but primarily, consumer demand".
"We truly regret having to make this tough decision to temporarily suspend our services to and from Auckland from early February next year," AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail added in a statement.
"However, Auckland remains one of our guests' favourite bucket list destinations and we aim to return again in the future, once market conditions are more favourable and once more aircraft resume operations.
"Similar to other airlines, we are working hard to reactivate more aircraft as soon as possible and will certainly reconsider Auckland services again in the future.
"We sincerely apologise to guests affected by this decision who are booked to fly with us to and from Auckland from early February next year and will ensure that we prioritise guest reimbursements as soon as possible."
