AirAsia executive director Kamarudin Meranum said the company will fly to five more destinations in China and will also secure landing rights in India.

“These are not only booming economies. They have a huge population. We see lots of opportunity. They are on our radar as our new A320 (planes) arrive. We will also fly to more routes in Southeast Asia,” he told AFP. Kamarudin said shareholders were pleased with the growth plans and strategy, adding that there was no fixed timetable for flying to India.

“They backed our growth model. It was a pleasant surprise,” he said. AirAsia expects the arrival of its first Airbus A320 on December 8. It has ordered 60 A320s with an option for another 40 aircraft, which will completely replace its current fleet of 28 single-aisle, 148-seat Boeing 737-300s.

Speaking to reporters after the company’s first annual general meeting, Kamarudin said despite rising fuel costs, AirAsia would not impose additional fuel surcharges. By year-end, AirAsia would fly to tourists destinations in Southeast Asia including Solo and Balik Papan in Indonesia and Siem Reap in Cambodia out of Kuala Lumpur, he said.

Pahamin Rajab, AirAsia chairman, said shareholders backed the company’s expansion plan to purchase new aircraft and seek new lucrative routes.

“Generally they have gone home pleased after the annual general meeting. We are a new and an expanding airline. They are going to benefit in the long-term (from) investing in the company,” he said.

AirAsia recently launched daily flights from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to Phnom Penh, a move that caters to the increasing number of tourists visiting Cambodia.

AirAsia was launched in December 2001 with just two aircraft and has since become a significant regional player, with its business model increasingly imitated by national carriers and a host of new low-cost entrants.

The airline covers most major cities in Southeast Asia, linking Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Macau, Vietnam, Cambodia, Xiamen in China and the Philippines.