Melaka airport to resume 2 Batik Air flight routes
KUALA LUMPUR: Melaka International Airport (MIA) in Batu Berendam will resume operations with Melaka-Penang-Melaka and Melaka-Pekanbaru-Melaka flights by Batik Air on Sept 12.
The flight from Penang, OD 1330, will arrive at 11.30 a.m. at the airport. It will subsequently depart MIA at 11.50 a.m. via OD 310 for Pekanbaru, Indonesia.
Following that, Batik Air will arrive at MIA at 2.25 pm on the same day from Pekanbaru via OD 311 and depart at 2.45 pm to continue its trip to Penang through OD 1311.
Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis, chairman of the state tourism, heritage, and culture committee, said the introduction of air routes through MIA was critical in the endeavour to revitalise the state’s tourism business.
Melaka expects 5.6 million tourists this year.
According to Jailani, this was doable because opportunities and silver linings were beginning to predominate with the opening of international boundaries.
He had previously said the launch of the air route would result in around 30,000 tourists using the airline service during the next six months.
It was reported in July that flight tickets were already on sale, with prices starting from RM299 for one-way flights to Pekanbaru, and RM199 for one-way flights to Penang.
Arasu Soundarajan, Batik Air’s head of commercial sales, had said the Melaka-Penang-Melaka route would be served by an ATR-72 aircraft capable of carrying 72 passengers.
Previously, the airline operated out of MIA for both destinations, Penang and Pekanbaru, under the Malindo Air brand.
In a July statement, Penang state exco for tourism and creative evonomy Yeoh Soon Hin said the Melaka-Penang-Melaka flight route was the 9th domestic route departing from Penang International Airport.
He said the domestic route ws a catalyst for solidifying the Penang-Melaka dual Heritage Site tourism programme, which was anchored in the greater aim of promoting tourism and culture in both regions.
NST
