Indigo is expanding its service to Malaysia from southern India with three launches - two from Bengaluru and one from Chennai - this month.
On December 16, the airline will commence two services - a daily direct flight between Bengaluru and Langkawi, and from Bengaluru to Kuala Lumpur, said J Srinivasan, Senior Manager, Sales, Tamil Nadu, IndiGo Airlines.
On December 21, the airline will start a daily direct service to Penang, said Agnel Pinto, AVP, Sales, IndigGo Airlines.
The flight from Chennai will leave at 2.15 am (IST) and arrive at 8.30 (Penang time). In the return direction, the flight will leave the same day at 9.30 am (Penang time) and arrive Chennai at 10.35 am (IST), he told newspersons.
According to Srinivasan, the one way fare from Chennai to Penang will be ₹10,000. The airline is targeting business and leisure travellers, he said. In addition, the airline will use Chennai as transit for passengers travelling from various other Indian cities, including Mumbai and Madurai and for international travellers from the Middle East, he added.
Ashwin Gunasekaran, CEO, Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau, there is no data on how many passengers from India travel to Penang. At present passengers from Indian cities travel to Kuala Lumpur and take road trips to reach Penang. However, the direct service from Chennai will help passengers fly directly to Penang, which is an attractive destination for both business and leisure, he said. There are nearly 475 multinational companies in Penang and many Indians are working in these firms, he added.