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AirAsia will be expanding its route network in the Northern Gateway with the inclusion of another international flight from Penang to Hong Kong. This new service which is set to commence on 31st July 2009 is AirAsia’s 6th international service from Penang after Singapore, Bangkok, Medan, Jakarta, Macau and 3rd international service from Hong Kong after Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. AirAsia is establishing Penang as its 8th hub after Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Bandung, Bali, Jakarta, Bangkok and a ‘virtual hub’ in Singapore .

Thus AirAsia’s new service from Penang to Hong Kong is certainly timely and will be well received by many as it has great advantage by the virtue of its extensive route network and low-fares to the masses without compromising on safety and quality. In addition to that, the pioneer of low-fare in Asia is also increasing its second frequency to Singapore from Penang, the city which is dubbed as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ to cater to the overwhelming demand from leisure and business travellers.

The new sector to Hong Kong and the introduction of 2nd frequency to the ‘Lion City’, opens for sale for the booking period from 7th – 12th July 2009 for the travel period from 31st July 2009 – 30th April 2010. AirAsia will be offering an all-in-fare from RM99 to Hong Kong and RM51 to Singapore to mark the launch of these sectors.

And to make the deal sweeter, AirAsia through its holiday division GoHoliday, is offering guests FREE ROOMS when guest book at its partner hotels in Hong Kong such as Chartherhouse Causeway Bay, Empire Hong Kong Wan Chai, Empire Hong Kong Causeway Bay or Empire Kowloon Tsim Sha Tsui.

Kathleen Tan, Regional Head of Commercial AirAsia, says “At a time when some airlines are cutting routes and downsizing capacity, AirAsia is breaking the trend with our aggressive expansion plans, increasing frequencies where there is proven demand, which there certainly is for the Penang - Hong Kong and Penang - Singapore routes. We are very proud to establish Penang as a hub and position the city as an affordable travel option. With the inscription of George Town as UNESCO's World Heritage Site, the city will draw more attention to its endless attractions, heritage sites, fast-growing industrial and trading centre thus its air connectivity has to be expanded to cater to the ever increasing traffic demands from the inbound and outbound travelers. Moving forward, we are hoping to introduce new sectors to Shenzhen and Guangzhou from Penang in the future,”

“Hong Kong has always been a prominent destination due to its significance as a growing centre of international commercial and financial hub. Furthermore, it has long been on the radar as shopping and cultural haven for leisure tourists. In fact, with the Hong Kong International Airport’s exclusive infrastructure, serving as an international hub feeding on traffic to international destinations has allowed us to expand and tap new markets. The number travellers from Hong Kong to Malaysia has also increased as Malaysia offers a variety of vacation spots with white sandy beaches and historical sites as a holiday getaway. The launch of the 2nd frequency to Singapore from Penang is also timely as we are offering travellers to visit Asia for less, especially in these challenging economic times.” concluded Kathleen

The Hong Kong route forms part of AirAsia’s strategy to establish Kuala Lumpur as a gateway to other Asia destinations, using its vast route network across Asia. The airline’s relationship with its long-haul affiliate AirAsia X will also connect traffic from Australia, UK to the Chinese cities.