KOTA KINABALU, 13 April 2022: Firefly celebrated its inaugural flight from Penang to Kota Kinabalu on Monday, with 85 passengers on board.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was greeted with a water cannon salute as it touched down at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport Monday evening.
Sabah Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin and his assistant minister cum Sabah Tourism Board chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai were present to welcome the passengers.
They were accompanied by the state’s tourism ministry permanent secretary Datuk Mohd Yusrie Abdullah @ Yantis Goduan; Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Noredah Othman; Malaysia Airport Berhad (Sabah) acting senior general manager Kamaruzzaman Razali; MASWing chief operational officer Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar; and Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board deputy chairman Datuk Seri Dr Anil Jeet Singh Sandhu.
According to Jafry, the launch of Firefly’s new Penang-Kota Kinabalu route should increase tourist arrivals to Sabah, especially since Penang is close to Langkawi, which receives international flights.
“The state government thanks Firefly for choosing Kota Kinabalu as its destination route. I hope that cooperation between the state government and Firefly will be strengthened further to boost the state’s tourism industry.
“This Firefly route has unquestionably made Sabah more accessible to Malaysians and visitors alike. As such, I invite everyone to visit Sabah and immerse themselves in the state’s numerous fascinating attractions and culture,” he said.
Jafry added his Ministry is committed to working with all airlines in the country and welcoming more direct flights to Sabah in the future.
Meanwhile, Nasaruddin stated that Firefly will operate a daily flight between Penang-Kota Kinabalu and Kota Kinabalu-Penang until 24 April.
From 25 April onwards, the airline will operate two flights daily on each route.
“The response has been very promising and encouraging, especially during the festival and holiday seasons. The Penang-Kota Kinabalu route is currently priced at MYR119 until 27 April.
“Pricing will change depending on supply and demand, so we encourage passengers to book their flight early and keep browsing for the best deal,” he said.
Firefly is a subsidiary company in the Malaysia Aviation Group, which also includes Malaysia Airlines and MASwings.
For more information visit: www.sabahtourism.com
(Your Stories: Sabah Tourism Board)
