Malaysia opens direct air route between Kunming and Penang

Batik Air Malaysia flight OD666 departed from Penang International Airport in Malaysia for Kunming at 10:20 pm on September 23. Approximately 3 hours later, this flight landed at Kunming Changshui International Airport.

Photo by Wang Jingzhong

And later at 3:28 am of September 24, the same airplane took off again, carrying a total of 177 passengers back to Penang.

This is the first regular direct passenger flight that has ever been resumed between these two cities since the period of COVID-19 pandemic.

Founded in 2012, Batik Air Malaysia (known as Malindo Air previously), is a full-service carrier from Malaysia, with headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Currently, it flies to dozens of destinations across the Asia-Pacific region, including China, India, Japan, Thailand, Australia and so forth.

Penang sits off the northwest coast of Malaysia. For decades, it has been a top Southeast Asian travel destination for tourists from across the globe. The city is primarily well-known for its rich history, dynamic vibe and multicultural atmosphere, with a long-standing contribution from its local Chinese communities.

 

A scenic beach in Malaysia. Online photo

After re-opening, this flight between Kunming and Penang will be carried out by Boeing 737 Max 8 or Boeing 737-800, with an average flight time around 2 hours and 56 minutes. And it is planned to be carried out once a week (every Monday) at the initial stage.

In order to continuously increase the number of passenger flights between Yunnan and Malaysia, Kunming Changshui International Airport has been working closely with Batik Air Malaysia since the beginning of this year. According to the airline, regular flights between Kunming and Johor Bahru will also be opened in October.

Meanwhile, as Yunnan’s international travel demands keep increasing, direct flights from Kunming Changshui International Airport to a number of Malaysian destinations, such as Sabah and Kuching, will soon be added.

Yunnan has been keen on turning itself into China’s pivot facing South and Southeast Asia. Provincial authorities believe that the opening of new air routes will further enhance Kunming’s status as a regional aviation hub, strengthening Yunnan’s economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges with ASEAN countries.

Trans-editing by Wang Jingzhong; Proofreading by Wang Huan & Wang Shixue