A popular route for expats is back in operation now Firefly Airlines recommenced its flight route between Phuket and Penang. On Friday, the trip resumed for the first time in over two years since being grounded, like so many other flights and routes, by the Covid-19 pandemic. The flight will run four times per week connecting the two popular island destinations.
A busy flight of 134 passengers arrived on Friday in Phuket at 2.20pm, the inaugural journey of flight FY3600, which brought travellers from Penang aboard a newly renovated Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Firefly Airlines is a hopper subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group, which owns the flagship carrier of the country, Malaysia Airlines. Introductory fares offer options for flight change flexibility, 20 kilogrammes of checked baggage, rewards points, and optional priority services.
The CEO of Firefly, along with the Executive Chairman of Penang Global Tourism, and the directors of both the Phuket and Kuala Lumpur offices of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, sung the praises of the route and the two popular destinations connected by the new flight.
One thing curiously undersold – the route, along with a Koh Samui to Penang flight, was a very popular and convenient option for a variety of expat visa holders who were often required to go to embassies in Penang to get the proper stamps, often every 90 days. The direct option adds massive convenience over flights to Kuala Lumpur and back up, or the gruelling all-day bus ride across the border.
They instead highlighted their aim to arrive in the afternoon so tourists can get straight to the beaches, markets, nightlife, food and drinks of Phuket, and how likewise in Penang, travellers can enjoy the legendary street food as well as beaches and colonial history and buildings.
The TAT officials observed that Penang and Phuket share many similarities – islands connected to the mainland by bridges, famous for beaches and cuisine. They observed that over 560,000 Malaysians travelled to Thailand so far this year and Phuket saw 890,000 international travellers.
The flight from Phuket will also help travellers from Thailand connect to other hot destinations across the country with Firefly operating routes from Penang to Langkawi and Johor Bahru on peninsular Malaysia, and Kuching and Kota Kinabalu on Borneo.
SOURCE: The Phuket News