Southeast Asia’s largest low-cost carrier AirAsia X has said it was raising ticket prices and cutting routes to cushion the impact of the war on Iran, but stressed demand for flights remained high, according to AFP.

The Malaysia-based no-frills airline said about 10 per cent of its overall flights had been cut so far.

However, it said its planned services to Bahrain, the airline’s first Middle East hub, and a move to expand its network beyond Southeast Asia, were still set to launch in June.

AirAsia X founder Tony Fernandes said higher prices were “unavoidable” and that capacity would be cut on routes “where we don’t believe we can cover the cost of the fuel”.