Southeast Asian low-cost carrier AirAsia X will resume flights to Europe for the first time in more than ten years, launching a new service between Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on November 14, 2025.

The route will operate four times a week — on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays — using the airline’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

AirAsia X previously served Europe with long-haul flights to London and Paris, but in early 2012 it suspended the routes, citing high operating costs and declining demand. The new Istanbul connection marks what the airline calls its “long-awaited return to the European market.”

“This route brings us one step closer to offering longer connections between continents,” said AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail.

The move positions Istanbul as a potential connecting hub for AirAsia X passengers heading between Southeast Asia and destinations in Europe, while offering Turkish travelers an affordable link to Malaysia and beyond.