PHUKET: Tourism in this island province has been boosted by the introduction of the latest air link from Penang operated by Malaysia-based Firefly which launched its inaugural flight on Friday.
The airline, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines and owned by the Malaysia Aviation Group, launched its first scheduled flight to Phuket using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The flight, FY 3600, touched down in Phuket on Friday with 134 passengers. It will be one of Firefly's four weekly flights serving Phuket, the airline's second international destination, after Seletar in Singapore.
Philip See, Firefly's chief executive officer, said passengers were excited to get back to travelling free of pandemic-imposed restrictions as they look forward to taking their favourite holiday trips.
The airline is making it possible for people to reconnect to the world and enjoy their holidays at popular destinations, he said.
Firefly flights depart from its hub in Penang and arrive in Phuket in time for early afternoon check-in.
Nongyao Jirandorn, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s Kuala Lumpur office, said it was a delight that visitors from Penang have taken a keen interest in travelling to Phuket via Firefly's direct flight from Penang.
Penang and Phuket, both resort islands, share similarities in terms of their rich cultures and history.
So far this year, Phuket has welcomed 890,000 foreign tourists. In total, 560,000 Malaysians have travelled to Thailand since the beginning of the year.
Nanthanasiri Ronsiri, director of the TAT's Phuket office, said Phuket has much to offer visitors from Malaysia, from authentic street food to world-class hotels and resorts.
Ooi Chok Yan, CEO of Penang Global Tourism, said a goal has been set to lift the number of tourist arrivals to Penang. Thanks to Firefly's expanding reach, Malaysians in Penang and the northern Malaysian states now enjoy wider options for international travel.
