GEORGE TOWN, Dec 23 — Malaysia’s new low-cost airline MYAirline Sdn Bhd has officially touched down in Penang today, its second destination in the northern region and subsequently notched another milestone in its network strategy.

MYAirline chief executive officer Rayner Teo said Penang, being the airline’s latest stop, serves as one of its key destinations in the country.

"Passengers can now enjoy affordable fares to Penang and we believe that our presence in the state 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 December 1 this year with an overall load factor of over 85 per cent, and we will keep adding new destinations and increase our frequencies as we expand our route network,” he told the media at the Penang International Airport (PIA) today.

The inaugural flight flew the passengers from KL International Airport 2 (KLIA2) and landed at the PIA at 1pm.

Rayner said the airline would be operating a once-daily flight to Penang for a start, then twice-daily flights from January 7 onwards, and eventually three times daily from March 15 to give passengers more flexibility in their travel arrangements.

He said MYAirline’s current route network consists of eight domestic locations in Malaysia, namely Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Kota Baru, Sibu, Tawau, Miri, and now Penang.

Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow who was present to welcome passengers onboard the inaugural flight said that as an economic hub in the northern part of Malaysia, the state welcomes MYAirline as it contributes to its 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 also would like to take this opportunity to commend MYAirline for its support in rebuilding the tourism sector,” he said.

Chow said PIA recorded 3.64 million passengers from January to November 30 this year versus 366,000 passengers recorded in the same period in 2021.

He said this is about 10 times more than last year’s total, but the figure is still lower than that of the pre-pandemic period.

He said this is understandable since international flights have just resumed recently.

"Nevertheless, the figure (represents) a good sign that tourism is recovering very well in Penang. Our (recent) tourist arrival figures also show 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. — Bernama