Qatar Airways commenced flights to Penang (PEN) on 6 February, its second destination in Malaysia, as it continues its robust expansion plans in Southeast Asia.

The three times weekly service from its Doha (DOH) hub will be flown by the oneworld carrier’s 254-seat 787-8 fleet. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to launch direct flights to Penang, a long-anticipated addition to our global route network. Our Kuala Lumpur service started in 2001, and it has since grown to a triple-daily direct non-stop service. The addition of Penang to our global network comes as part of our continued expansion plans in Southeast Asia, as we have recently launched direct services to Thailand’s Chiang Mai and Pattaya, as well as adding extra services to Krabi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.” MD of Malaysia Airports, Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, said: “With the current triple-daily frequencies to Kuala Lumpur catering to the many passengers travelling to destinations in North America and Europe, we believe that the same demand for these destinations from Penang is growing rapidly. As one of the busiest airports in Malaysia, Penang recorded seven million passenger movements last year.” At a press conference held after the inaugural flight arrival, Qatar Airways CCO Ehab Amin, announced the new route will be boosted to a four times weekly frequency from 1 July. No other carriers operate this city and neither of Qatar Airways’ fellow MEB3 carriers Emirates or Etihad Airways flies to Penang either. On 11 February, the oneworld carrier also added a daily 777-300 service from its home hub to Canberra (CBR), its fifth destination in Australia. The flights operate via Sydney, which as a result of this expansion now increases to a double-daily service. There is no competition on the 12,604-kilometre sector to the Australian capital city, and it should be noted that Qatar Airways does not have permission to sell seats on the Sydney-Canberra leg.

aenna