AIRASIA TO LAUNCH DIRECT FLIGHTS TO SOLO AND BALIKPAPAN FROM KUALA LUMPUR

Kuala Lumpur – AirAsia Berhad, the leading low fare no frills airline in Asia, will introduce 2 new Indonesian destinations to its lineup this month. Beginning 20th December 2005, the low fare airline would offer 1 daily service to Balikpapan, while Solo will commence on 27th December. All flights depart from KL International Airport.

AirAsia low fares for these destinations are as follows:
Kuala Lumpur- Balikpapan from RM 49.99 / Rp 149 999 one way*
Kuala Lumpur – Solo from RM 99.99 / Rp 299 999 one way*

Book now and enjoy the above promotional fares for travel up till 26th March 2006. Booking can be done immediately through www.airasia.com, or by calling AirAsia’s Nationwide Call Centre Numbers at 1 300 88 99 33 (inside Malaysia) or 6 03 7884 9000 (outside Malaysia), and walk-in to AirAsia airport sales counters. Alternatively book anywhere, anytime with AirAsia’s mobile.airasia.com, now available on GPRS, 3G and EDGE mobile phones and wireless devices. Notes: * All fares quoted are excluding airport taxes, surcharges and fees, and are applicable for travel one way only.


“We are pleased to strengthen our Indonesian network by introducing 2 new destinations which would effectively allow us to tap into a wider Indonesian market segment. AirAsia would be the first low fare airline to operate direct flights to Balikpapan and Solo out of Kuala Lumpur. The Kuala Lumpur –Balikpapan route would allow us to gain access into Kalimantan. Meanwhile travelers would be interested to know that Solo is a convenient and affordable gateway to Yogyakarta and Semarang, the heart of Javanese culture.
- Datuk Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia Berhad

Balikpapan and Solo marks the 7th and 8th major Indonesian cities served by AirAsia from its hub in Kuala Lumpur after the commencement of Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Bali, Padang and Medan since 2004.

Flight schedule for Kuala Lumpur – Balikpapan beginning Dec 20th , 2005
Flight From Depart/ Arrival Flight No. Frequency
Kuala Lumpur – Balikpapan 0645/0930 (local time) AK 982 Daily
Balikpapan – Kuala Lumpur 0955/1235 (local time) AK 983 Daily

Flight schedule for Kuala Lumpur – Solo beginning 22nd December 2005
Flight From Depart/ Arrival Flight No. Frequency
Kuala Lumpur – Solo 1605 /1735 (local time) AK 996 Daily
Solo – Kuala Lumpur 1810 /2140 (local time) AK 997 Daily

ABOUT BALIK PAPAN
Balikpapan is a city (population 309,234 as of 1990) on the island of Borneo, in Indonesia. It is the second largest city in the province of East Kalimantan. It is located on an inlet of Makassar Strait, about 115 km from Samarinda, the capital city of East Kalimantan. Mostly surrounded by sea, Balikpapan is an important center of the petroleum, mining, and timber industries. The city is sometimes called the "Main Gate" of East Kalimantan. It has one international airport, called Sepinggan, several harbors such as Semayang and Somber, and one port for the petroleum industry. Surrounded by a bay, called Balikpapan Bay, the city also has potential for business, such as trades and tourism. Many diverse people live in this peaceful city; Dayak, Bugis, Javanese, and some foreigners.

ABOUT SOLO
Solo , the heart of Javanese Culture, is located in Central Java. Solo is 1 hour drive from Yogyakarta and 2 hours drive from Semarang (the capital of central java). The city boasts two beautiful Javanese palaces called Kraton Mangkunegaran & Kraton Kesunanan, while the surrounding countryside is home to some of Indonesia's more unusual ancient temples. Solo is also popular for its batik industry, while Triwindu antique Market is famous among Tourists for its antique hunt.

From Solo to Yogyakarta
Yogya is the 2nd famous tourist destination in Indonesia after Bali. It boasts 2 of the most beautiful temple in the world is located in Yogyakarta surroundings, BOROBUDUR – a Buddhist temple and PRAMBANAN – a Hindu Temple.


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For further information, MEDIA please contact:
For AirAsia: Lim Su Ching, Marketing Director, 6 03 8660 4270, limsuching@airasia.com or
Jeamie Lee, Senior Executive – Promotions & Publicity, 6 03 8660 4000, jeamielee@airasia.com
Andrea Liong, Executive – Publicity & Promotions, 6 03 8660 4028, liongwoenyee@airasia.com