AirAsia X has recorded strong growth in the third quarter of 2012 (Q312), carrying 0.64 million passengers, representing a growth of 40.7 per cent over the same quarter in 2011.

In terms of passenger traffic, the long haul subsidiary of AirAsia - with 12 destinations globally - achieved 3.9 billion Available-Seat-Kms(ASKs) and 3.2 billion Revenue-Passenger-Kms (RPKs) for Q312, resulting in a load factor of 83 per cent.

"It was an increase of 3.3 percentage points (PPT) over the same quarter in 2011, registering then a passenger load factor of 80 per cent," AirAsia said in a statement.

Meanwhile, for the first nine months of 2012, AirAsia X carried 1.91 million passengers, reflecting an increase of 1.7 per cent from the same period of 2011.

Although RPKs and ASKs had contracted by 2.8 per cent and 5.3 per cent, respectively in comparison with 2011, it recorded a higher load factor of 84 per cent, an increase of 4.5 PPT over the same period of 2011.

"Cargo operations also continued to be strong. AirAsia X carried 7,251 tonnes of freight in the third quarter and 19,714 tonnes for the first nine months of 2012, registering growth of 13 per cent over the first nine
months of 2011 for its continuing routes," it added.

AirAsia X Chief Executive Officer Azran Osman-Rani said in the statement that AirAsia X will continue to focus on increasing capacity in its identified core markets including Australia, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.

"We are set to grow our fleet with an additional 24 A330-300 aircraft between 2013 and 2017, which will see AirAsia X expand further in the long-haul segment across the Asia Pacific.

"Our move to KLIA 2 next year will also provide us the right infrastructure and enhanced ground facilities needed to support our growing network and feeder traffic for better connectivity within the AirAsia Group," he added.

AirAsia was named the World’s Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for four consecutive years from 2009.