AirAsia Okinawa Flights To Restart
In some exciting news, there are rumours that AirAsia Okinawa flights will restart in mid-2024. However, nothing has been confirmed as of 4 February 2024 when writing this.
AirAsia originally started the Okinawa flights back in January 2020, and I was one of the first people to get the tickets for a trip there. However, by early February 2020, Covid-19 had hit the world, namely Japan, resulting in me cancelling my flight.
The initial Okinawa flights by AirAsia were via Taipei and were four times a week. The flight departed KUL at 0730 and arrived in Taipei at 1220. The transit was in-plane for one hour before departing Taipei at 1320 and finally arriving in Okinawa Naha at 1600. In total, it would be a 10.5-hour journey one way.
The return flight from Okinawa would depart Naha at 1730, transit in Taipei for an hour before continuing to KUL, and arrive at 0005+ just after midnight. This is, of course, following Japanese time.
There is not much information right now, but I speculate that AirAsia will follow up with the exact timing as before, and then again, it could change. It’s just a guess until AirAsia makes the official announcement. In 2019, I also wrote about AirAsia flying to Okinawa; you can also read that article.
Several airlines fly to Okinawa via Taipei, and very few are direct flights. But with AirAsia getting back into the game, it can change the prices for some other airlines. Other full-bodied services fly there via Kansai or Seoul, but those flights are slightly higher.
Checking the AirAsia Superapp, a pair of tickets to Okinawa via Kuala Lumpur will cost around RM4,500 without baggage, and checking the baggage section shows that carry-on and checked luggage are chargeable. After adding just baggage, the total jumps to around RM6,000 for two persons.
Therefore, I’m hoping that the AirAsia Kuala Lumpur to Okinawa will be a direct flight with minimal baggage charges to soften the price compared to other airlines.
If you have been wondering about or planning to visit this beautiful tropical Japanese Island, I also wrote an article about Okinawa for first-time visitors in early 2023. That article will give you an idea of what you can do at this beautiful place.
Please visit the official AirAsia website for more information about the other flight destinations, promotions and even the easy-to-use AirAsia SuperApp or AirAsia Move.
Conclusion
Until AirAsia announces this, it is just a solid rumour on my end, but then again, why would the airline not fly to one of the beautiful islands between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea? I would love to visit Okinawa for my birdwatching, bird photography and general food and landscape photography.
Once the news about AirAsia Okinawa flights to restart is confirmed, I will announce it here with more details and information. In the meantime, there are also rumours that AirAsia will be flying to Komodo Island in Q2 of 2024. So, this year is a good year for new destinations in travel.
