Expats hit by AirAsia X flight cuts Peter Denton, a British expat working in the finance industry in Singapore, said: "Whenever a budget airline goes out of business it means other cheap carriers could soon do the same, which would cut down on choice. It's also a sign to the more expensive mainstream airlines who no longer have to worry about dropping their prices as there's less competition. AirAsia X, part of Malaysian airline AirAsia, which is owned by entrepreneur Tony Fernandes will instead concentrate on its core markets of Australia, China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. The airline has complained of new European Union carbon emission rules and weak demand among consumers as reasons for the route cuts. British expat Mike Daley travels back to the UK regularly to visit his elderly parents. He flew from Singapore to London via Kuala Lumpur. He said: "Because I travel back to the UK so much it's important to get the cheapest flights I can. Sometimes this has involved mainstream carriers offering discounts, having long stopovers in the Middle East, but more recently it has meant flying with AirAsia X. Now this not an option it's going to be a real challenge to get back home as often as I'd like. Another big group who will lose out are students who live in Asia but study at UK universities. This includes both foreign students and those of expat parents who prefer British universities for their children. A handful of new airlines are being launched in Asia this year, as more people can afford to travel as middle classes grow. But these are all short-haul operators, catering for people who want to travel cheaply around Asia and to Australia. Among the new players are Singapore Airlines' low-cost carrier Scoot and two new airlines from Thai Airways, including Thai Smile, which will be launched this summer.