New airline to start direct services from Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur in July
In a huge boost for local tourism and for South Australians seeking competitive airfares, Adelaide Airport will welcome a new airline offering direct flights to Asia from July.
Lifestyle
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Adelaide will have new direct flights to Kuala Lumpur from July as Batik Air Malaysia starts services in competition to Malaysia Airlines.
It will be the first time the carrier flies non-stop to and from Adelaide to Malaysia.
Batik Air Malaysia (formerly Malindo Air) will operate three services a week from Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur departing at 8.40am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and returning from Kuala Lumpur to Adelaide on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday departing at 11.10pm.
The new service comes as international tourism recovers from the pandemic lockdowns and as Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox pursues an ambitious plan Network Vision 2050 plan for direct flights to 37 cities.
Mr Cox welcomed the announcement noting Malaysia is a strong long-term market for travel to and from Adelaide.
“It’s fantastic news to welcome another airline flying between our two great cities. It is exciting to link Adelaide into Asia through Batik’s considerable network,” Mr Cox said.
“Batik Air Malaysia offers connections through Kuala Lumpur across its network for travellers wanting to continue to other destinations throughout South East Asia, China, Japan and India.
“Batik is a full-service airline so baggage is included in your fare. The airline previously operated a one-stop service via Bali under its previous Malindo Air banner, but this is the first time it has offered a non-stop service to and from Adelaide.”
Group Strategy Director for Lion Air Group which owns Batik Air, Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, said: “Looking ahead to the rest of 2023, we see stronger demand for flights to destinations across Australia and therefore, we expanded our wings to Adelaide.
“With the launch of our flight to Adelaide, we are not only linking the city to Kuala Lumpur but also providing network connectivity to over 45 Batik Air destinations via Kuala Lumpur International Airport.”
Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the news shows international travel continues to recover post-pandemic.
“We are very excited to welcome Batik Airlines to SA and have Adelaide linked into Asia with Batik’s network,”: Ms Bettison said.
“This creates another opportunity for South Australia to enter a competitive market with direct access for travellers to visit and explore our beautiful state.
“This is exactly what our tourism economy needs as we continue to recover from the pandemic and focus on bringing international visitors back to our state.”
Malaysia Airlines flies direct from Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur five days a week.
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