Air Asia adds int’l routes from Hanoi, Phuket to Penang

Malaysia’s Air Asia has begun offering four direct flights from Penang to Hanoi per week and one direct flight from Penang to Phuket daily.

State Tourism Development, Heritage, Culture and Arts committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, AirAsia Malaysia Head of Commercial Spencer Lee and Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan were present at Penang International Airport to receive the inaugural flight from Hanoi.

Lee, in his speech said the two new flight routes enhance Air Asia’s Penang presence.

“Since 2015, Air Asia has flown more than 11 million passengers in and out of Penang. Up till April this year, the Penang market made up of 68 percent of our direct flight routes,’’ he said.

He is looking forward to Air Asia connects Penang with more international destinations in northern region.

In a press conference later, he said Air Asia hopes to increase the number of flights for the two routes and considers more direct flight routes from other countries to Penang, provided it has the hardware support such as airport expansion.

Yeoh said Air Asia’s plan to have more new international routes is in line with the state government’s plan to attract more tourists to Penang.

“This means Penang will have more tourists from Vietnam and Thailand in future,’’ he said.

Air Asia started flying directly to Ho Chi Minh from Penang on January 2016. It had planned to increase the number of flights from four to seven in a week since last year.

Air Asia is currently having promotion on the two new international flight routes from July 2 to 8. Departure date is from July 2 this year to January 31, 2019.

SIN SIN CHEW DAILY Employees pose in front of an advertisement for new Air Asia routes.

PETER PARKS/AFP A sign, seen in a Coles supermarket, advises its customers of its plastic bag policy in Sydney on July 2.