Thai AirAsia X is strengthening connectivity between Thailand and Australia from December with the launch of two new routes.

The airline, which served Brisbane (BNE) before the pandemic, will begin flying from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to both Melbourne (MEL) and Sydney (SYD) for the first time. Acting CEO Tassapon Bijleveld said the LCC has identified the cities as “key growth markets.”

“Thailand and Australia have maintained strong relations for over 70 years, and Australia is among the top three educational destinations for Thai students as well as a leading travel destination for Thai tourists,” he said.

“Thai AirAsia X is very excited to be adding Sydney and Melbourne as two key destinations in Australia this year, with a priority on these two cities as among the most popular to return to first.”

The route to Melbourne will begin on Dec. 1, operating three times a week on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Service to Sydney starts the following day and will be 4X-weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Both routes will operate using Airbus A330 aircraft.

Greg Botham, CCO at Sydney Airport, said: “Bangkok is a fantastic city with great connectivity to the regions of Thailand and is an incredibly popular destination for Australian leisure and business travelers.”

Melbourne Airport chief of aviation Jim Parashos added that the new service provides passengers with more options and from December will increase the total number of return services between Melbourne and Asian cities to more than 420 each week.

According to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser, Thai AirAsia X will face direct competition on both new routes. Thai Airways International and Jetstar serve BKK-MEL daily and 3X-weekly respectively, while Thai Airways and Qantas offer 6X-weekly and 4X-weekly flights between BKK and SYD respectively.