AirAsia X delivers strong load factors and continued network expansion in 3Q24 AirAsia X Malaysia: The number of passengers carried surges by 34%, outpacing a 27% increase in seat capacity, with daily flight expansion across half of AAX’s routes in 3Q24 AirAsia X Thailand: Growth momentum continues with Passenger Load Factor at a healthy 80% and the launch of Nagoya as the fourth destination in Japan
SEPANG, October 25, 2024 -- AirAsia X Berhad (“AirAsia X” or “the Company”) has announced its operating statistics for the Third Quarter of 2024 (“3Q24”) today.
In 3Q24, the Company delivered a strong passenger load factor (“PLF”) of 84%, up by four percentage points compared to the preceding year on the back of a 34% increase in the number of passengers carried standing at 1,084,049 passengers during the quarter under review. This performance was realised as more aircraft returned to service over the past year, effectively ramping up seat capacity by 27% year-on-year (“YoY”) at 1,284,871 seats while Available Seat per Kilometre (“ASK”) capacity grew by 17% YoY at 5,141 million in 3Q24.
Questions around this news
What contributed to AirAsia X Malaysia’s passenger growth in the third quarter of 2024?
The release attributes the increase in passengers carried to more aircraft returning to service and expanded seat capacity. AirAsia X Malaysia carried 1,084,049 passengers, a 34% year-on-year increase, while seat capacity grew by 27%. Its passenger load factor reached 84%, four percentage points higher than in the same quarter of the previous year.
Which network changes did AirAsia X report for the third quarter of 2024?
The company launched flights to Changsha and Medina and resumed its Taipei–Osaka route. It also increased service frequency to Hangzhou and Xi’an. More than half of its routes had daily flights by the end of September 2024. Separately, its Thai associate launched flights to Nagoya, its fourth destination in Japan.
What does passenger load factor mean for an airline?
Passenger load factor is the share of an airline’s available passenger capacity that is occupied by passengers, commonly expressed as a percentage. Airlines use it to describe how fully flights are booked across a period. It does not, by itself, show an airline’s profitability, since fares, operating costs and other factors also matter.
What does available seat kilometres measure?
Available seat kilometres (ASK) measure the passenger-carrying capacity an airline offers. The calculation multiplies the number of seats flown by the distance flown. The measure can help describe changes in capacity across an airline’s flights, but it does not indicate how many seats were occupied or how much revenue the flights generated.
In terms of network in 3Q24, AirAsia X launched flights to Changsha (four times per week), Medina (twice per week) and also reintroduced its Taipei-Osaka route (seven times per week), capitalising on the fifth freedom right it holds in the market. Connectivity was further enhanced to leverage two of the most profitable routes, namely Hangzhou (to six times weekly) and Xi’an (to four times weekly). As of the end of September 2024, more than half the routes within its network served daily flights as the Company continues to focus on catering to high travel demand.
The Company’s associate, AirAsia X Thailand (“TAAX”) recorded a healthy PLF at 80% for the quarter, down by two percentage points compared to the previous year. This came on the back of higher seat capacity which rose to 426,064 seats during the quarter, and TAAX’s number of passengers carried increased to 342,533 passengers. During the quarter under review, AirAsia X Thailand launched flights to Nagoya in Japan, marking its fourth destination in this perennial favourite country for travellers.
AirAsia X’s total fleet size remained at 18 A330s as of 30 September 2024, with 16 aircraft now activated and operational. TAAX’s fleet size stood at eight A330s, with seven aircraft activated and operational.
Third Quarter 2024 Operating Statistics


(1) Number of earned seats flown. Earned seats comprise seats sold to passengers (including no-shows) and seats provided for promotional purposes
(2) Number of seats flown
(3) Passengers Carried / Capacity
(4) Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) measures an airline’s passenger capacity. Total seats flown multiplied by the number of kilometres flown
(5) Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) is a measure of the volume of passengers carried by the airline. Number of passengers multiplied by the number of kilometres these passengers have flown
(6) Number of flights flown, *excluding charter and cargo flights
If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact [email protected] to notify us (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours.
At a glance
- Company
- AirAsia X Berhad
- Announcement
- Expansion
- Location
- Sepang
Key figures
- AirAsia X passenger load factor
- 84%
- Year-on-year passenger increase
- 34%
- Passengers carried by AirAsia X
- 1,084,049
- Seat capacity
- 1,284,871 seats
- AirAsia X Thailand passenger load factor
- 80%
- AirAsia X Thailand passengers carried
- 342,533
Products and programs
Earlier from AirAsia X Berhad
- AirAsia X to hold EGM on 16 October for shareholders' approval on transformative aviation acquisition
- AirAsia X Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results
- AirAsia X First Quarter 2024 Financial Results
- AirAsia X First Quarter 2024 Preliminary Operating Statistics
- AirAsia X Fourth Quarter 2023 and Full Year 2023 Financial Results