KUALA LUMPUR, 10 February 2025: AirAsia Malaysia (AK) is accelerating its fifth-freedom expansion between Taiwan and Japan by extending its Kuala Lumpur-Kaohsiung service to Osaka in Japan.
Building on the success of its first fifth-freedom route launched last year, flying from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, to Fukuoka, Japan, with a stop in Taipei, Taiwan, AirAsia continues to expand beyond traditional point-to-point routes and create new connectivity opportunities with local fare sales for both flight sectors.
Engaging fifth freedom rights on the Kaohsiung-Osaka route strengthens connectivity between Taiwan and Japan while leveraging Kuala Lumpur as a key origin hub within the airline’s broader network.
AirAsia will begin operating the new route from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to Osaka, Japan, with daily flights, as an extension of its daily service between Kuala Lumpur and Kaohsiung.
The new fifth-freedom sector enhances AirAsia’s presence in North Asia and supports growing demand for travel between Taiwan and Japan. It also enables AirAsia to sell local-sector fares between all three cities.
AirAsia Malaysia General Manager Dato Captain Fareh Mazputra said: “The strong demand for our first fifth-freedom route between Taipei and Fukuoka last year is a clear testament to the success of this strategy, with an average passenger load factor of over 90% since the service commenced. Building on this momentum, we are now introducing the new Kaohsiung-Osaka route as part of our ongoing network expansion, where we strengthen existing routes while unlocking new market opportunities.”
To commemorate this launch, AirAsia will offer special promotional fares for flights from Kaohsiung to Osaka, starting at TWD2,690* (USD85.16) all-inclusive, one-way. Fares from Osaka to Kaohsiung are also available from JPY11,990* (USD76) one-way, all-inclusive. Bookings are open until 15 February 2026 for travel between 15 June 2026 and 24 October 2026, via the AirAsia MOVE app and airasia.com.
Flight schedules: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Kaohsiung (KHH) with the new Kaohsiung (KHH)-Osaka (KIX) sector
Osaka is one of Japan’s most dynamic cities, known for its street food culture, rich history and modern urban energy. As a major commercial and tourism hub, the city continues to attract travellers from across Asia for both leisure and business. The new Kaohsiung-Osaka service further strengthens tourism and travel between Taiwan and Japan, supporting the growing two-way demand.
Travellers can book through-trips on AK170 between Kuala Lumpur and Osaka (round-trip AK170/AK171). They can also purchase local-sector flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kaohsiung, and also between Kaohsiung and Osaka (one-way or round-trip) under the Fifth Freedom rule.
Operating the Kaohsiung (KHH)-Osaka (KIX) route will be challenging for AirAsia, as it will compete directly with Eva Air (11 weekly flights), China Airlines (10 weekly flights), Tigerair Taiwan, and Peach Aviation, each offering daily services. The average round-trip fare on the route is USD400.
*All-in fares are quoted for one-way travel only, including passenger service charge, regulatory service charges, fuel surcharges, and other applicable fees. Terms and conditions apply.
(Source: AirAsia (AK)
