AirAsia expands Penang hub

Travellers flying out of Malaysia’s northern hub Penang can now book AirAsia newest flights to Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, China.

AirAsia will launch a Penang- Chengdu service 8 March with three weekly direct flights.

AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat said: “Penang is one of our largest secondary hubs in Peninsular Malaysia, to which we flew more than 2.4 million guests to the island last year. This is our first route from Penang to Mainland China, and we are confident this additional route will continue to boost visitor arrivals into Penang, and vice versa.”

Members all-in fares from Penang to Chengdu start from MYR99*, available for booking on airasia.com and the AirAsia mobile app until 19 January 2020, for travel between 8 to 28 March 2020.

Return flights with three-day, two-night hotel stays starting from as low as MYR332** per person are also up for grabs through SNAP on airasia.com.

Best known as home to the adorable giant pandas, Chengdu is a thriving city with many natural, cultural and historical sights. Some of the must-visit attractions include the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Jinli Ancient Street and the Leshan Giant Buddha and Wenshu Monastery.

Named by UNESCO as a “City of Gastronomy”, many popular Chinese dishes such as Mapo Tofu and Kung Pao Chicken originate from the region. Travellers can also choose to unwind by enjoying aromatic tea at any of the local teahouses.

Chengdu is also a gateway to the western territories of China, including Tibet, which its capital Lhasa is home to the historical centre of Tibetan Buddhism and famous Potala Palace; as well as the Unesco World Heritage Site Jiuzhaigou, one of the most scenic places in China.

Besides Chengdu, AirAsia currently flies to 12 destinations from its Penang hub, namely Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Surabaya, Jakarta, Medan, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Melaka, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.