AirAsia is a service any traveler in Southeast Asia should become familiar with, as they are arguably the premier budget airline in the region. A Malaysian company based in Kuala Lumpur, they have a subsidiary in Indonesia called, unsurprisingly, Indonesia Air Asia.
Indonesia AirAsia began life as Awair (Air Wagon International) in 1999, founded in large part by Abdurrahman Wahid, former chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim organization and future president of Indonesia. He had a 40 percent stake in the airline, which he sold after being elected president of Indonesia in October 1999. Awair became an associate of AirAsia in December 2004, changing its name to AirAsia in December of 2005.
Despite the name change, Indonesia AirAsia is not a subsidiary of the Malaysian-based airline, nor is AirAsia a majority shareholder in Indonesia Air Asia. They are, however, the major owner, with 49 percent of all shares.
Indonesia Air Asia has its main base in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, which is located on the country's most heavily populated island, Java. The airline operates 10 Boeing 737s and three Airbus A320s.
The airline is a major domestic carrier in Indonesia, which is an important function in a country covering a vast area and made up of islands. Past Jakarta, it flies to the following Indonesian cities: Balikpapan, Bandung, Batam, Denpasar, Makassar, Medan, Padang, Pekanbaru, Solo, Surabaya and Yogyakarta. Foreign destinations include Bangkok, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Johor Bahru, Penang and Singapore.
Web check-in is not available for Indonesia AirAsia flights. Priority boarding is available for a small surcharge. The airline has abolished fuel surcharges, claiming to be the first airline in the world to do so.
