CHENNAI: A direct daily flight service will connect Chennai and Penang island in Malaysia from December 21.
The service, operated by IndiGo Airlines, comes after years of demands from Tamil organisations seeking better air connectivity to Penang, which is home to a large Tamil population. However, the Airports Authority of India had delayed granting permission for a direct flight service on the route.
The direct flight will depart from the Chennai International Airport at 2:15 am and reach Penang in the morning. The return flight will depart from Penang in the morning and arrive in Chennai at 10:35 am.
The direct service from Chennai to Penang will cut travel time from 7 hours to just 4.5 hours approximately. Additionally, IndiGo plans to resume flights between Bengaluru and Kuala Lumpur on the same date.
The Airbus 320 aircraft that will be operated for this direct flight service can carry more than 180 passengers.
Currently, Penang is connected to several international cities like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong, but there has been no direct flight service from India until now. Penang is IndiGo’s third direct destination in Malaysia, alongside Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi.
The launch of the new flight service will also enable passengers from cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai to travel to Penang via Chennai.
The popular tourist destination of Penang boasts of colonial architecture, natural attractions, like tropical rainforests and white sand beaches, and an array of street food.