Kolkata: Malaysia Airlines on Monday restarted its direct flight between Kolkata and Kuala Lumpur after 18 long years. A Boeing 737 Max landed at Kolkata airport at 11.10 pm on Monday and flew out with nearly full capacity passengers at 12.10 am on Tuesday.
Malaysia Airlines is the first international carrier to resume connectivity with Kolkata after the pandemic. The flight will be operational five days a week. It will reach Kolkata on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The departing flight, MH 185, will take off at 12.10 am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
This will be the Malaysian carrier's third entry into the city, after 1998 and 2005. On earlier occasions, the carrier had stopped operations within a year. With this new initiative, Malaysia Airlines will join AirAsia as the second carrier offering direct flights connecting Kolkata and Kuala Lumpur. AirAsia has daily connections between the two cities, with the flight leaving Kolkata airport at 1.05 am.
"The re-introduction of direct flights by Malaysia Airlines between Kolkata and Kuala Lumpur after 18 years is the reaffirmation of the potential of both trade and tourism between Malaysia and Bengal. Also, Bengal being the gateway of the entire Northeast, Kolkata airport will act as a catalyst for onward direct connectivity to Kuala Lumpur," said Sanjay Budhia, the Honorary Consul of Malaysia.
Travel and tourism operators also reiterated that the timing could not be better. "As the year draws to a close, travellers seek convenient travel options and transportation links to arrange their holiday getaways. The introduction of this direct flight service, offering both business and economy seating at competitive prices, will undoubtedly enhance tourism along this route," said Travel Agents Federation of India National Committee member Anil Punjabi.