Can Kuala Lumpur unseat Singapore and Bangkok as Southeast Asia’s aviation hub?

Bangkok and Singapore have long been the leading aviation hubs in Southeast Asia, with Thailand’s capital being the main entry point for one of the world’s most visited countries and the city state a hub for global businesses with regional investments.

But Kuala Lumpur has emerged as a rival, particularly when it comes to international travel within Southeast Asia, with AirAsia, the region’s ubiquitous budget airline, having its headquarters in Malaysia’s biggest city and commercial capital.

The carrier recently launched or resumed flights from KL, as it is often called, to Chiang Rai, the northern Thai town and site of the White Temple; and Vietnam’s Dalat, a mountain town known for its temperate climate and alpine scenery.

Malaysia’s official tourism body said the routes showed “the ongoing collaboration between AirAsia and Tourism Malaysia in promoting Malaysia as a prime travel destination within the Asean region”, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an intergovernmental body made up 10 of the region’s 11 countries, with East Timor waiting its turn to join.