Sarawak Welcomes Back Malaysia Airlines Direct Flight From Penang To Kuching

By Anthony Tan
VIRGIN Communications 
email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk

2 December 2021 will go into the historical records on Malaysia Airlines’ resumption of its direct flight from Penang to Kuching. Before this, business and leisure travellers have to transit at KL International Airport for their connections to Sarawak’s capital city.

The Penang-Kuching flight operates twice weekly with average fare at RM209 one way. The national carrier is using Boeing 737-800 which offers 16 Business Class and 144 Economy Class seats.

MH2721 flight, carrying 140 passengers, touched down at Kuching International Airport at about 9.50 am and was a given the traditional water cannon salute by two fire water trucks from Malaysia Airports’ Fire Department to celebrate the occasion. 

The passengers were welcomed by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MTAC) Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah; its Permanent Secretary and Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) Deputy Chairman Hii Chang Kee; STB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor; Malaysia Airlines Head of Sales Roslan Ismail and Maswings Chief Operating Officer Captain Nasaruddin A Bakar. 

A Sarawak cultural performance troupe was also part of the welcome delegation

Abdul Karim, in his welcoming speech, said, “Sarawak is nestled on the beautiful island of Borneo, separated from the Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea. One of the ways in and out of the island is by air connectivity. 

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MTAC)
 Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

“It is so good to see we are now connected via Malaysia Airlines to another beautiful island, Penang. With travel restrictions easing up in Sarawak, the state is looking forward to more new direct routes and increased frequency of direct flights from Malaysia’s other hubs such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Kota Kinabalu as well as greater collaboration with the national carrier.

“Passengers’ safety will always be our main priority with stringent standard operating procedures enforced so that they will have peace of mind while travelling to Sarawak.

“Fully vaccinated domestic travellers from all states in Malaysia need not quarantine upon arrival to Sarawak and no PCR or RTK Covid-19 tests are needed prior to departure. 

“The only requirement needed is the application for ‘Enter Sarawak’ for non-Sarawakians and filling in the e-Health declaration form,” he added.

Sharzede quipped, “We are heartened to welcome passengers from Penang to Sarawak. A unique plethora of culture, adventure, nature, food, and festivals, we are certain travellers from Penang will enjoy the many offerings of Sarawak.”

“We extend our appreciation to MTAC Sarawak and Malaysian Airlines for the addition of this new route and look forward to welcoming more visitors from Penang during the upcoming holiday season.

“We will continue creating meaningful experience for our travellers whilst spearheading responsible tourism initiatives as we believe it will contribute to the wellbeing of our local communities and the environment.”

Malaysia Aviation Group CEO Captain Izham Ismail remarked, “Malaysia Airlines is honoured to recommence operations between these two key domestic sectors, Penang and Sarawak. As national carrier of the country, we play a unique role in stimulating the travel and tourism industry. 

“This move is very timely as air travel gradually picks up domestically and we are ready to serve business or leisure travellers with the connectivity they need.

“Our sister company MASwings is also supporting with increased operations from Kuching to Miri with 12 times weekly flights effective 1 December 2021, signifying our commitment to provide better air connectivity within Malaysia and into the rural areas of Borneo.”