AirAsia has become the first budget airline to get approval to fly to China, and is planning to start a daily service in December.

According to reports, chief executive Tony Fernandes said AirAsia will operate flights between Bangkok and the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming.

“There are hundreds of airports in China and there is huge opportunity,” Fernandes said at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's China Business Summit in Beijing.

AirAsia is in talks with regulators to offer flights from its home base of Kuala Lumpur to Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Tianjin and Beijing, he added.

(CNTA.com September 17, 2004)