By V. Sivaji
The Penang International Airport added to its fleet of new airlines when the inaugural flight of Myanmar Airways to Penang International Airport (PIA) touched down at 6.25pm yesterday.
Brazilian built Embraer (E190) Flight no 8M 0505 carried 98 passengers to Penang.
Present to welcome the flight was State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Wong Hon Wai, Ambassador of Myanmar to Malaysia H.E Aung Soe Win, CEO Myanmar Airways Tanes Kumar, Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director-General (Promotions 11), Samuel Lee, Tourism Malaysia Northern Region Director Abdul Hadi Che Man and MOTAC Penang Director Dr Annuar Mohamed
The welcoming committee also consisted of Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, Malaysia Association of Hotels Penang Chapter chairman Dato Tony Goh, Penang Airport senior manager Mohamed Nadzim Hashim among others.
The incoming guests were given a traditional kompang welcome ceremony and goody bags.
Myanmar Airways will fly twice weekly- Mondays and Thursdays to Penang. This Penang route expands MAl’s presence in Malaysia, complementing its established Yangon-Kuala Lumpur service, which commenced in April 2022 and currently operates 14 weekly flights.
In his address, Wong said that the new airline will help boost tourism and trade to Penang.
“We warmly welcome MAl’s new Yangon-Penang direct flight, which enhances our international connectivity and creates exciting opportunities for tourism, business, and cultural exchange.
“This strategic link further strengthens Penang’s position as a dynamic gateway to Malaysia and a vibrant destination for global travelers. We also look forward to welcoming more visitors from Yangon to explore Penang’s renowned offerings, including our world-class medical tourism services.” said Wong in his address.
Flights depart from Yangon at 1445 hrs (local time) and arrive in Penang at 1815 hrs (local time).
Myanmar Airways has 10 aircrafts namely Airbus A319, A320, Embraer ERJ-190LR and ATR72-600s. They are currently flying to Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, India, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea, Russia, Laos, and Qatar.
The PIA also has eight direct flights from China and one direct flight from India among others.
