Low-cost carrier, Air Asia has made its inaugural flight to London today and I am wondering how it will affect the UK’s flight market to Asia in the coming months.

Although the airline is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur it has an ever-growing network around the region (see their route map here and click on View All Destinations) and could potentially impact on any or all of the other Asian carriers, not just the obvious one, i.e. Malaysia Airlines.

The new service is being operated by the carrier’s longhaul affiliate Air Asia X using the Airbus A340-300 with a capacity of 286 guests down the back and 30 Premium Seats (XL) at the front.

It will operate 5 times per week between KL’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal at Sepang and Stansted Airport, near London. See schedule.

Headline prices are from £199 one way but of course the actual fare will vary according to demand; and remember to add on the extras.

Naturally other airlines are not going to let the new kid have it all its own way and currently you can buy a return ticket to Kuala Lumpur from London with Emirates for £442 inclusive taxes (book by 16 March). And you can now book your onward Air Asia flights on the Emirates system: for example the current Air Asia fare from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi starts at around £6.

I wish Air Asia X well with the new London service. I think that what they have achieved in Asia in a relatively short time is admirable and it will be interesting to see if the low-cost model can make it in longhaul.