By Shahrum Sayuti and Zaharah Othman

AIRASIA celebrated its inaugural Kuala Lumpur-London flight on Wednesday, becoming the first low-cost, long-haul service connecting the United Kingdom and Asia.

The Airbus A340-300 flight from the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang touched down at the Standsted Airport here at 2.40pm local time, 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

It carried 240 passengers, among them AirAsia X chairman Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan, chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani, Asean secretary-general Dr Surin Pitsuwan and British High Commissioner to Malaysia William Boyd McCleary.

The event was made significant with the presence of the Duke of York Prince Andrew at the airport, accompanied by AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandez.

Fernandez said the event was akin to a "bright sunny day after days of dark clouds" for AirAsia.

"This is truly a happy occasion and, coincidentally, this is the first day that the sun is shining since I arrived here (in London)."

AirAsia was recently embroiled in a controversy over the proposed new airport for low-cost carriers in Labu, Negri Sembilan.

The project was cancelled by the government following public protest.

Fernandez said the success of the inaugural flight vindicated the low-cost carrier against its detractors because it had proven that AirAsia was the best choice not only for Malaysian budget-travellers but also for those in Asia and Europe.

Of the 240 passengers on the flight, 33 were Malaysians, 90 British, while the rest were from Southeast Asia, Europe and Australia.

"This indicates our long-haul flights will be a favourite in these regions," said Fernandez.

The new service will operate five direct flights per week, providing passengers with access via AirAsia's Kuala Lumpur international hub, to 64 destinations, including Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Bali for as low as RM53, and to Australia for RM520.

The flights will be operated by AirAsia's associate, AirAsia X.

Meanwhile, it was reported that AirAsia launched its inaugural Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur flights yesterday.

AirAsia Bangladesh chief executive officer Noman Chowdhury said the standard fare with return tickets was 20,000 taka (RM1,080), adding that it was nearly 40 per cent lower than the normal rates.