Malaysia Airlines Resumes Kolkata-Kuala Lumpur Direct Route After 18 Years

Malaysia Airlines has announced that it will reinstate direct flights from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Kolkata (CCU) after an 18-year hiatus. The carrier revoked its direct flight connectivity between Kolkata and Kuala Lumpur in 2006. This will be one of the most historic returns of an airline because Malaysia Airlines will become the first international airline to connect with Kolkata after COVID-19. Before this arrival, the concerned airline operated in this Indian city twice, after 1998 and 2005. On both occasions, Malaysia Airlines withdrew its operations after one year. The concerned airline will connect with the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on December 2, 2024. It will operate five weekly flights on this route with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Arriving flight MH 184 will reach Kolkata at 11:10 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The departing flight - MH 185, will take off at 12:10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays.

Malaysia's honorary consul general in Kolkata, Sanjay Budhia, stated, "Visa-free entry and direct flight from Kolkata" will boost trade and tourism between the two nations. Furthermore, Malaysia Airlines declared in a statement on Monday that this will bring the airline's direct connectivity to nine cities of India besides Kolkata — New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Amritsar, Trivandrum, and Ahmedabad. In addition to Kolkata, the concerned airline will have 71 weekly flights between India and Malaysia.

Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi, Chief Executive Officer of Airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group, announced, "We are delighted to recommence direct flights to Kolkata, marking a pivotal step in our ongoing efforts to offer enhanced connectivity for travelers between Malaysia and India. India is a market key for us." The resumed services of Malaysia Airlines in Kolkata explicitly depict the strategy of the respective airline, which is to strengthen its position as a gateway to Asia and beyond.

Anil Punjabi, a Travel Agents Federation of India National Committee member, said, "The travel trade community will support the airline and hope it will connect not just Kuala Lumpur but other destinations in Malaysia and beyond." Their statement signifies that the re-entry of Malaysia Airlines was a notable and significant development step towards the growth of Kolkata, and it would also encourage other airlines to scrutinize opportunities in this city. To promote the new route, Malaysia Airlines launched a "Time for Kolkata" campaign from October 8 to November 8, 2024.