KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Malaysia Airlines will resume its direct flights from Penang to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu from December 2021 to March 2022 as demand for domestic travel starts to show a positive trend following the relaxation of the interstate travel ban and the upcoming year-end holidays.

Malaysia Aviation Group (group) chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail said these routes will be served by the airline’s sister company, Firefly from April 2022 onwards, resuming its jet operations based in Penang which was suspended since April 2021 due to the prolonged movement control order.

"This move complements Malaysia Airlines in serving the leisure market while diversifying Firefly’s base connecting secondary cities in Peninsular to East Malaysia,” he said in a statement, today.

The inaugural flight MH2721 from Penang arrived at the Kuching International Airport today.

Izham said with these direct flights from Penang to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, coupled with additional frequencies from Kuala Lumpur serving the routes, the airline is confident that this connectivity will reinvigorate domestic tourism for the country’s largest secondary cities.

He said the airline currently utilises the B737-800 aircraft on both routes and operates four times weekly for Penang-Kota Kinabalu and two times weekly for Penang-Kuching routes.

Customers with travel plans between these sectors can enjoy low fares starting from RM219 and RM279, respectively, for travel up until March 2022. — Bernama