AirAsia looks to re-establish Penang hub

AirAsia is looking at re-establishing its hub in Penang on the back of strong demand for direct flights to the island regionally. AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said despite the overwhelming demand from other countries in the region for direct flights to Penang, the airline’s capacity is limited with only two aircraft operating from the island currently, Bernama reported. “When compared with pre-Covid levels, our operations in Penang right now are at about 60% in terms of scheduled flights and we aim to increase it to 80% by year-end. A third aircraft will enable us to achieve that target sooner,” he said. "In the first quarter of next year, things will likely stabilise even more considering ASEAN is more open now and not that strict when it comes to COVID-19 protocols,” he told the media after signing a memorandum of collaboration (MoC) with Penang Global Tourism CEO Ooi Chok Yan here today. The MoC encompasses greater commercial collaboration and partnerships between the airline and the tourism body to create new business opportunities, develop joint sales and marketing campaigns, strengthen flight connectivity, and boost the state’s economy through tourism.<br/>