June 13 marks a historical milestone for AirAsia, the leading and largest low fare airline in Asia as it makes a joint announcement on flying to Shenzhen from two of its hubs; Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Bangkok (Thailand). The airline is set to commence both of its inaugural daily flights on July 15, 2007.

AirAsia is the first low cost carrier (LCC) established in Malaysia and has successfully become the leading and largest LCC in Asia. The airline offers a simple "no frills" service at fares that are on average significantly lower than those offered by traditional full-service airlines. The award-winning AirAsia has successfully revolutionized air travel in Asia by providing incredibly low fares so more people can fly. To date, AirAsia has carried over than 33 million guests within a short span of five years in operation.

With an extensive route network covering most of the ASEAN cities, AirAsia is now expanding its network into China, and Shenzen is an ideal choice as the airline's gateway to the mainland. Currently, the airline is serving seven (7) daily flights to Macau (from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Bangkok) and one (1) daily flight to Xiamen (from Bangkok).

Shenzhen which is located in the southern part of Guangdong province, is the fastest growing city in China for the past thirty years. It is popular for its coastal views, theme parks, historical attractions, and world-class golf courses as well as a well-known shopper's paradise destination. Boasting an endless list of attractions, Thais and Malaysians ranked 5th and 6th in terms of the top visitor arrivals in year 2006.

Kathleen Tan, Executive Vice President - Commercial, AirAsia, said, "As the biggest low cost airline in Asia, the penetration to Shenzhen means a lot us. It is also noteworthy that Shenzhen is the 4th busiest airport in China and this will allow us to tap into the passenger traffic and facilitate travelers to other ASEAN destinations that we fly to. We are very confident that this route will open more opportunities to enhance both of our hubs with greater international links in the region, especially with Shenzhen being the gateway to Southern China and Hong Kong. With Shenzhen being such a hot pick amongst the tourists from both countries (Malaysia and Thailand), we believe guests can leverage on our extensive Southeast Asia network to visit other cities in the region which will further boost local economies and drive more traffic between countries."

"We strongly believe that our amazing low fares will help to stimulate travel in Shenzhen and its surrounding areas including Guangzhou and Pearl River Delta region to Malaysia and Thailand." added Kathleen.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tassapon Bijleveld, Chief Executive Officer, Thai AirAsia said, "The demand from guests for us to start the Bangkok-ShenZhen route has been overwhelming. The Shenzhen route will become Thai AirAsia's 10th international destination, and third (3rd) in China after Macau and Xiamen. We trust that it will further establish our position as the main market player in Thailand as well as establishing new growth opportunities. And with our everyday low fares, we hope that it will enable more people in Shenzhen to fly."