KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X said on Wednesday it will begin flights to Melbourne, its third Australian destination, from November.

The direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne will begin on November 12 and will be serviced by the airline's first Airbus A330-300 planes, it said in a statement.

The carrier will offer four return flights every week between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur and plans to increase to daily return flights during the peak season from December to mid-January 2009, it added.

"The daily peak season service during Christmas would offer Malaysian and Australian travellers attractive low fares at a time when other airlines typically gouge passengers with super high airfares," said Azran Osman-Rani, the company's chief executive officer.

AirAsia X has launched flights to three other destinations in its long-haul network – Gold Coast and Perth in Australia and Hangzhou in China.

An affiliate of regional low-cost carrier AirAsia and Virgin Group, AirAsia X was launched in January 2007.


- AFP/so