Geelong delegation visits AirAsia’s HQ in KL

A DELEGATION from Geelong has visited AirAsia’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the start of direct services between the Malaysian capital and Avalon Airport.

The aim of the trip was to capitalise on opportunities to increase collaboration with the Geelong region, AirAsia and ASEAN in the areas of trade, tourism and economic development.

The delegation was led by City of Greater Geelong mayor Bruce Harwood and included Avalon Airport chief executive officer Justin Giddings, City of Greater Geelong chief executive Martin Cutter and Committee for Geelong’s Rebecca Casson and Dan Simmonds.

It follows AirAsia’s announcement it would move its Tullamarine operations to Avalon later this year.

“Welcoming the City of Greater Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood and his delegation to our headquarters, RedQ, showed a real commitment to the airline and we’re very pleased to have them join us here today,” AirAsia X Malaysia chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail said.

“ASEAN is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies and as a truly ASEAN carrier AirAsia and AirAsia X sits at the forefront of that growth.

“We’re confident that today’s meeting and our first flight later this year will provide a boost to the local visitor economy as well as open new trade opportunities for the region.”

Cr Harwood said the Geelong region was only months away from having more than 500,000 new visitors annually just moments from their doorsteps and the Great Ocean Road.

“This is a game-changer for the Greater Geelong and our fast-growing northern and western suburbs.

“Today, we’ve learnt that if we can make these services work, the opportunities for our region are endless with the airline signalling even more direct services to and from Avalon and other Southeast Asian destinations being under review.”

As the first international carrier to fly to Avalon Airport, the twice-daily service operated by AirAsia’s long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X, will provide connections via its hub in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to more than 130 destinations across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the US, including Bali, Thailand, Japan, India, China, South Korea and Hawaii.