Published on 27 Jun 2025

AirAsia to suspend Kuala Lumpur-Nairobi flights

A setback for ASEAN regional air connectivity with Africa

Photo source: AirAsia

AirAsia X, the long-haul arm of Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia, has decided to scrap direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Nairobi from 1 September 2025. The airline says the decision was taken in response to lower-than-expected travel demand. This can be interpreted as a broader reflection of poor commercial and people-to-people ties between South-East Asia and Africa.

The airline had launched the route in November 2024, marking its first foray into East Africa. Operating four times a week, the service is currently the only direct air link between Malaysia and Africa. At the time of its launch the new service was heralded as a potential boon for tourism, trade, and business ties between Southeast Asia and East Africa. AirAsia X had worked with the Kenya Tourism Board to promote travel between the two countries, organising joint marketing campaigns. The airline had also explored further expansion in the region, with executives visiting Tanzania last year to assess potential services to Dar es Salaam. AirAsia X had previously floated plans for routes to Cape Town and Cairo. The status of these plans is now unclear.

In 2024, Malaysia became the ninth-largest source of visitors from Asia to Kenya, with 2,951 arrivals. India led the list with 131,570 visitors, followed by China at 90,462 and South Korea at 12,504. The vast majority of Asian travellers visited the East African nation for holiday. While AirAsia X is retreating from East Africa, other Asian carriers have bolstered their services to the continent. Earlier this year, Air India launched a codeshare partnership with Kenya Airways, under which the two airlines share flights on key routes between Asia and Nairobi. Air India passengers can book seats on Kenya Airways’ Nairobi-Mumbai flights, with onward connections to destinations including Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, Malé, Melbourne, and Singapore. Similarly, Kenya Airways passengers can now travel to Delhi on Air India’s flights from Nairobi. The airlines plan to extend the partnership to more destinations over time.

Recently, the Indian government has encouraged its domestic airlines to consider investing in Air Mauritius, the financially troubled national carrier of Mauritius with which Air India has a codeshare partnership. To cut its losses, Air Mauritius has reduced its flights to India. Air Mauritius is also seeking to raise funds by selling equity stakes, and Indian airlines have been asked to consider participating in this effort. Some have argued that Mauritius is of strategic importance to India due to its position along key maritime routes in the Western Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, Shanghai Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, has also expanded into Africa. Earlier this year, its first flight landed at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco. In 2023, around 60,000 Chinese visitors travelled to Morocco, a figure that has surged to over 100,000 in 2024 – a 78% rise. The country has emerged as a key destination for Chinese investment, especially in the electric vehicle supply chain. 

Likewise, Singapore Airlines has added three weekly flights to Johannesburg, South Africa during peak travel periods, bringing its total to 10 flights a week during these times. In addition, starting in July 2025, Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier in terms of passenger numbers, will add a fifth weekly flight from Addis Ababa to Singapore.

References

'Singapore Airlines adds flights to Johannesburg in peak seasons', The African Travel and Tourism Association, 15 August 2024

'AirAsia X explores direct flight to Dar', Daily News Tanzania, 03 October 2024

'AirAsia X inaugurates its first flight to Nairobi from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia', AirAsia, 16 November 2024

'Shanghai Airlines launches flight between Shanghai, Casablanca', China Eastern Airlines, 22 January 2025

'Airlines from China and Morocco reopen services', China News, 23 January 2025

'Air India and Kenya Airways enter codeshare partnership', Air India, 30 January 2025

'Annual Tourism Sector Performance Report 2024', Tourism Research Institute, February 2025

'Ethiopian: Five flights weekly to Singapore', TTR Weekly, 25 March 2025

'AirAsia X flights: Kuala Lumpur - Nairobi flights suspended from 01 September 2025', AirAsia, 02 May 2025

'AirAsia X to suspend KL-Nairobi flights starting September', The Edge Malaysia, 04 May 2025

'AirAsia X to stop Nairobi-Kuala Lumpur route over low demand', Capital FM, 04 May 2025