Dubai-based carrier Emirates has announced that it will be expanding its daily Dubai-Singapore route to Penang, after acquiring secured fifth freedom rights between the two countries.
The airline will be putting the change into effect from 9 April, using Boeing 777-300ERs, configured with 354 seats across three classes – bringing nearly 2,500 seats per week on the route.
Emirates currently operates four daily flights from Dubai to Singapore, and three daily flights to Kuala Lumpur. The carrier will be the second intercontinental operator to serve Penang after Qatar Airways, which operates a Doha-Penang-Langkawi service.
“The introduction of flights to Penang will help us meet growing demand from leisure and business travellers, both to and from Malaysia,” says Emirates’ chief commercial officer, Adnan Kazim.
“We are also pleased that the fifth freedom flights between Penang and Singapore will connect two sister cities and increase connectivity for passengers in Southeast Asia”.
Penang’s international connections are currently limited to destinations in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Qatar.
In particular, the Singapore-Penang route is dominated by low-cost operators AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, and Scoot, while SilkAir is the only full-service carrier.
