KUCHING: Starting today, Firefly Airlines is mounting direct flights from Penang to Kuching in Sarawak.
Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said from April 25, the flight frequency would be increased to twice a day.
“More direct domestic flights to Sarawak will drive mobility and flexibility, which will facilitate visitor arrivals, one of the key contributors of economic growth,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after witnessing the arrival of the inaugural direct Firefly flight from Penang at the Kuching International Airport here today.
Malaysia Aviation Group, in a statement, said Firefly will operate its Boeing 737-800s from Penang to Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching starting today.
The reinstatement of Firefly’s jet operations from its Penang Hub marked another significant milestone in the group’s path to spur air travel and domestic tourism recovery.
Abdul Karim said this would help Sarawak to achieve its target of 1.2 million tourist arrivals this year.
“We look forward to seeing more new direct routes and increasing the frequency of direct flights from domestic hubs in Malaysia such as Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu,” he said.
“Sarawak has recorded 229,678 visitor arrivals from January to March 2022, a growth of 569.25 per cent over the same period last year,” he said.
Sarawak has increased its number of domestic flights to 615 weekly from 576 previously.
When asked on the increase in air fares during the festive season, Abdul Karim said consumers should buy flight tickets early to avoid such hassle. — Bernama