BENGALURU- AirAsia (AK) has officially cut its only international flight to Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ), ending a brief but significant chapter in the history of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The final flight AirAsia AK54 departed for Kuala Lumpur (KUL) at 12:25 PM on April 10, 2025, marking the end of international connectivity for the isolated archipelago.
This decision ends the short-lived direct air link between Port Blair and Malaysia. The inaugural flight, AirAsia AK55, landed at IXZ on November 16, 2024, becoming the airport’s first international commercial arrival.
AirAsia Cuts International Flight
AirAsia’s decision to exit the Port Blair–Kuala Lumpur route has left Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) without any operational international flights, stripping it of the practical significance behind its “International” designation.
The airline provided no official explanation, and the cancellation came without prior public consultation or alternatives.
The route was seen as a breakthrough, offering a direct link between the islands and Southeast Asia, especially beneficial for tourism, business, and medical travel.
For residents and tourism stakeholders, it was more than a convenience—it symbolized inclusion in the global aviation network.
However, with low demand, logistical challenges, and possibly high operating costs, the service appears to have been deemed unsustainable by AirAsia.
The lack of public data on load factors and profitability adds to the uncertainty surrounding the decision.
Stakeholders are now left with unresolved questions about whether reduced frequencies or freight options could have saved the route.
AirAsia First International Flight
On November 16, 2024, AirAsia (AK) launched its first international flight, AK-55, from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Sri Vijaya Puram (IXZ), a historic moment for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The thrice-weekly service, operating Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, was celebrated as a gateway to global tourism and economic growth.
The service initially showed promise, carrying 156 passengers on its maiden flight and 113 on the return leg.
Journalists and influencers from Malaysia joined the inaugural journey, tasked with promoting the islands’ pristine beaches and rich heritage to a global audience.
For five months, the route provided seamless travel, with flights departing Kuala Lumpur at 10:40 AM and landing in Sri Vijaya Puram at 10:20 AM IST, while the return leg left at 10:55 AM IST, arriving in Kuala Lumpur by 4:15 PM.
However, on April 10, 2025, AirAsia (AK) operated its final flight, AK-54, departing Sri Vijaya Puram (IXZ) at 12:25 PM.
Unanswered Questions
The sudden withdrawal raises critical questions about what could have been done to sustain the route.
Could AirAsia (AK) have reduced flight frequency to one or two days a week to maintain viability? Might cargo transport, leveraging the islands’ strategic location, have offset passenger revenue challenges?
Local stakeholders speculate that incentives from the Andaman and Nicobar Administration or the Indian government could have persuaded the airline to continue, yet no such efforts materialized or if they did, they fell short.
The lack of clarity from both AirAsia (AK) and local authorities has fueled speculation. Some point to the high operational costs of servicing a remote destination like Sri Vijaya Puram (IXZ), while others suggest insufficient marketing failed to sustain passenger demand.
Regardless of the cause, the absence of a contingency plan has left the islands without a clear path forward.
The Veer Savarkar International Airport, modernized in 2023 with a sea-shell-inspired terminal capable of handling 5 million passengers annually, now stands underutilized, its international status reduced to a formality.
Bottom Line
The closure of the route has reignited discussions about the need for long-term planning and sustainable aviation strategies for the islands.
Experts argue that a multi-stakeholder approach combining government subsidies, strategic marketing, and diversified airline participation, may be necessary to maintain international connectivity.
There is growing demand for transparent evaluations, route viability studies, and efforts to attract other international carriers under public-private models.
The sentiment is clear, the islands deserve stable global connections, not short-term experiments.
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