MALAYSIA’S brand new low-cost carrier, MYAirline Sdn Bhd (MYAirline) has officially touched down in Penang today! The Pearl of the Orient is the airline’s latest destination.
MYAirline chief executive officer Rayner Teo said Penang is the second destination in the northern region and it marks another milestone in the airline’s network strategy.
“It is great to be able to make our entrance as a low-cost airline in one of the key destinations in the country.
“Passengers can now enjoy affordable fares to Penang where business, arts and culture are intertwined.
“We believe that our presence in Penang will encourage economic growth, not only for Penang but other northern states as well.
“We have also seen encouraging demands from travellers since our launch on Dec 1 this year with an overall load factor of over 85%.
“And we will keep adding new destinations and increase our frequencies as we expand our route network,” Rayner told a press conference at the Penang International Airport (PIA) today.
Operating a once-daily flight to Penang for a start, MYAirline will be increasing its frequency to twice-daily flights from Jan 7, 2023, onwards.
The carrier will later increase its flight frequency to three times daily from March 15, 2023, to give passengers more flexibility in their travel timings.
MYAirline’s current route network consists of eight domestic locations in Malaysia namely Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Kota Bharu, Sibu, Tawau, Miri and Penang as the latest location.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was present at the Penang International Airport earlier to welcome passengers onboard the MYAirline flight. The travellers flew from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2) and arrived at PIA at 1pm.
Upon arrival, the passengers received goodie bags, courtesy of MYAirline, from Chow, Rayner and Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan.
Chow said as an economic hub in the northern part of Malaysia, Penang welcomes MYAirline as it contributes to the state’s economy and tourism.
“We are confident that the arrival of MYAirline will further strengthen our position as one of the top destinations for economic activities and tourism in Malaysia.
“I would like to take this opportunity to commend MYAirline for its support in rebuilding the tourism sector,” he said.
Chow also announced that Penang International Airport has recorded 3.64 million passengers as of Nov 30 this year compared to the same period in 2021 when the airport only recorded 366,000 passengers.
“So, it was about 10 times more than last year’s total but it was still lower if compared to that of the pre-pandemic period. This is understandable since international flights had just resumed recently.
“Nevertheless, the figure indicated a good sign that tourism is recovering very well in Penang. Our tourist arrival figures also showed that the numbers are growing.
“We look forward to 2023 for more flights to come in and out from the Penang International Airport and hopefully they will boost the tourism industry in the state,” Chow added.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis
Video by Law Suun Ting