KUALA LUMPUR: National carrier, Malaysia Airlines commenced its inaugural flights between Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Amritsar (ATQ) and Trivandrum (TRV) with a send-off event held at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 on Nov 8 and 9, 2023 respectively.

Flight MH118 bound for ATQ departed from KUL at 6:50 pm local time, whereas flight MH116 took off for TRV from KUL at 9:30 pm local time, after which both flights were greeted with a water salute upon arrival at the destination airports.

Both flights were operated by the airline's Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, said the Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd (MAG) in a statement today.

"For Amritsar and Trivandrum, we proudly hold the distinction of being the first full-service premium carrier to offer flights to South Asia and the Pacific.

"The expansion of our routes to India goes beyond mere connectivity, as this effort yields a range of positive outcomes, from driving economic growth to boosting tourism, nurturing cultural exchange, and facilitating global collaboration," said the airline's chief executive officer Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi.

The introduction of two new routes expands Malaysia Airlines' point-to-point connectivity from Kuala Lumpur to India to eight key hubs, including New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kochi.

Malaysia Airlines remains dedicated to enhancing connectivity and will soon commence operations to Ahmedebad (AMD) in December this year.

For more information, visit the airline's website at https://www.malaysiaairlines.com/my/en/home.html.

-- BERNAMA