BENGALURU- India’s largest airline by passengers carried and fleet size, IndiGo Airlines (6E) has started non-stop flights between Chennai (MAA) and Penang (PEN) in Malaysia, a city located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
The airline has started two new flights from two Indian cities to Malaysia from today i.e. 21st December 2024.
IndiGo Chennai to Penang Flight
IndiGo (6E) will fly daily to Penang from the coastal city of Chennai starting today i.e. 21st December 2024.
Penang becomes IndiGo’s 3rd destination in Malaysia, after Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Langkawi (LGK), and also marks the airline’s 37th international destination in its ever-growing network.
IndiGo (6E) started daily flights to Langkawi (LGK) in Malaysia just a few days back from Bengaluru (BLR) from 16th December 2024.
The airline will also start a non-stop flight between Bengaluru (BLR) and Kuala Lumpur (KUL), the capital city and federal territory of Malaysia. The airline will fly daily between the two cities from today i.e. 21st December 2024.
- The flight, 6E1045, will depart from Chennai (MAA) every day at 02:15 am IST and will land at Penang International Airport (PEN) at 08:30 am local time. The anticipated flight time is 3 hours and 45 minutes.
- The return flight will depart Penang (PEN) every day at 09:30 am local time and will land in Chennai International Airport (MAA) at 10:35 am IST. The anticipated flight time is 3 hours and 35 minutes.
Why Chennai-Penang?
With this, Chennai has become the only Indian city with a direct connection to Penang (PEN) in Malaysia. While Penang is said to be a tourist hotspot, there’s more to this route than what meets the eye.
Tamil Nadu shares deep historical and cultural ties with Malaysia, including Penang. As per a recent study, Indians constitute about 11% of Penang’s population, the larger section of which would be Tamilians. This cultural connection makes the Chennai-Penang route a natural choice which can further strengthen the ties between the two regions.
Other than tourism, this flight has the added advantage of becoming a link for family, cultural exchange, and even business investment which further emphasizes a reason as to why there should have been a direct connection.
Penang: A Familiar Destination for Chennai
Many would argue that this is the resumption of flights and not actually the introduction of the flights. Well, it is actually true.
This is not the first time the city of Chennai has seen the flights to Penang. The city had flights to Penang even before, back in the 2010s.
This isn’t exactly a route resumption for IndiGo but rather a revival of non-stop flights in this sector for the city. Chennai previously had a direct connection to Penang back in 2012.
Air Asia (AK), Southeast Asia’s largest low-cost airline, introduced a non-stop flight between Chennai (MAA) and Penang (PEN), but later the airline terminated flying between the two cities, citing low demand as a reason.
There were many reports later in 2015, 2016, 2018, etc…. claiming that Malaysian carriers would launch flights to Chennai from Penang, but nothing actually happened.
Another India-Penang Connection which failed
If you think Chennai is the only city in India that had non-stop flights to Penang (PEN) in the past, then you’re in for a surprise.
Besides Chennai, Another Indian city also once had direct connectivity to this popular Malaysian destination. Interestingly, this too was a city from Tamil Nadu.
Batik Air Malaysia (OD) (formerly known as Malindo Air, started 2x weekly flights between Tiruchirappalli (TRZ) and Penang (PEN) in 2015.
However, the flight had a brief lifespan and was discontinued shortly after its launch. The airline had cited low demand as the primary reason for ceasing operations between the two cities.
One can only hope that India’s leading LCC, IndiGo, will manage to make this sector work. With its highly competitive and dirt-cheap fares and extensive domestic connectivity through Chennai, the airline appears well-positioned.
However, only time will reveal whether the airline can sustain these flights in the long term or not.
Also Read: IndiGo Expands Malaysia Network with Flights to Langkawi
IndiGo Bengaluru to Kuala Lumpur Flights
IndiGo (6E), the largest airline by market share at Bengaluru (BLR), launches yet another flight. The expansion spree of the airline from Bengaluru (BLR) continues, as IndiGo launches flights to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) in Malaysia.
This new flight to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) follows closely behind IndiGo’s recent launch of flights to Langkawi (LGK) from Bengaluru (BLR) itself, which began on December 16, 2024.
The Bengaluru (BLR)- Kuala Lumpur (KUL) flights were announced just shortly after IndiGo (6E) and Malaysia Airlines (MH) signed a codeshare partnership.
Bengaluru (BLR) becomes only the second city for the airline in India to be served with non-stop flights from Kuala Lumpur (KUL). The airline already flies daily to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) from Chennai (MAA).
- The flight, 6E 1037, will leave Bengaluru (BLR) every day at 19:05 pm IST and arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) at 02:00 am local time. The estimated flying time is 4 hours and 25 minutes.
- The return flight, 6E1038, will leave Kuala Lumpur (KUL) every day at 03:00 am local time and arrive at Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) at 05:00 am IST. The estimated flying time is 4 hours and 30 minutes.
However, this particular flight is a proper resumption. IndiGo last operated this flight until March 2020. This is the first time the airline is again operating in the sector post-pandemic after nearly 5 years.
Bengaluru: Key Hub in South India
From having just a mere 6x daily international departures from the city in January 2024 to about now having 15x daily international departures in December 2024.
This shows the airline’s focus has been strong from the city. Especially in terms of international flights.
The airline grew its international presence in the city tremendously. The international flights have grown by 150% by December 2024, compared to January 2024. This is truly a fantastic capacity that has been added by the airline.
Kuala Lumpur (KUL) becomes the airline’s 13th international destination from Bengaluru (BLR). IndiGo also serves 65 domestic destinations, with plans to further expand its domestic network from the city.
The airline has surely achieved a milestone at Bengaluru (BLR). The airline now serves 78 destinations from the city with non-stop flights.
In the coming days, the airline will expand its reach to 80 destinations with two new domestic flights.
The airline has achieved a significant milestone at Bengaluru (BLR), now serving 78 destinations with non-stop flights.
In the near future, the airline plans to expand further from the city, with the addition of two new domestic routes, bringing its total reach from Bengaluru (BLR) to 80 destinations.
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