has unveiled five new flight routes starting in December 2025, broadening its international reach from Thailand and enhancing travel options for regional and global travellers.

Beginning on 3 December, Thai AirAsia X (XJ) will operate direct flights from Bangkok Don Mueang to Sendai in Japan, Almaty in Kazakhstan and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia — each with four flights per week.

The new services follow the group’s commitment to significantly expand its 2025 network, under which over 30 new routes were announced earlier this year to strengthen connectivity across ASEAN, Asia and beyond.

These additions not only diversify destination profiles — spanning Northeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East — but also reflect the airline’s ambition to elevate Thailand’s role as a regional travel hub.

Industry observers note that expanding direct connectivity to cities such as Almaty and Riyadh could deepen Thailand’s ties with Central Asia and the Middle East, supporting tourism, trade and cultural exchange.

Meanwhile, access to Sendai adds another gateway for leisure and business travel between Thailand and northern Japan, complementing existing routes to Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo.

With these launches, AirAsia reinforces its positioning as a leading low-cost carrier in the region, offering passengers broader options and leveraging growing demand for both regional mobility and intercontinental travel from Southeast Asia.

The new routes are expected to stimulate outbound travel from Thailand and attract inbound visitors — supporting the Thai tourism sector as it enters its peak travel season — while offering travellers more accessible, budget-conscious options across the Asia–Middle East corridor.