FIREFLY passengers will get to enjoy bigger leather seats with wider leg space with the airlines’ newly launched ATR 72-500 aircraft.
The plane, which departed from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang at 6.50am yesterday, arrived at the Penang International Airport at 9.30am after a brief stopover in Kota Baru.
At the runway, the bright orange aircraft was greeted with a water salutation by the airport’s fire brigade while its passengers received a warm and colourful welcome from a kompang troupe.
Firefly managing director Eddy Leong said the new aircraft was more fuel-efficient and had a more comfortable cabin interior compared to the Fokker 50-seater planes.
Special reception:Guests from Firefly's ATR 72-500 plane were given a warm welcome during its first landing at the Penang International Airport yesterday. He said the company planned to replace all its Fokker-50 aircrafts with 10 new ATR 72-500 planes by next August.
Leong said the airline’s cheap airfares, flight experience and direct flight services made it a premium airline.
“We don’t require lengthy check-ins because we are smaller in size. We will also be introducing complimentary in-flight refreshments in November,” he said, adding that Firefly passengers now received a generous 20kg baggage allowance.
Among the special guests on board the inaugural flight were 14 pupils and four teachers from SRJK Sabak in Kota Baru and journalists from Kuala Lumpur.
“Today’s the most exciting day of my life! I woke up very early in the morning as I couldn’t wait to get up the plane,” said 12-year-old Anumi Nur Afifah, who was flying for the first time.
Penang Tourism Action Council (PTAC) chairman Datuk Kee Phaik Cheen, who was at the airport to welcome the passengers said as Firefly was flying in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMTGT) region, Penang had a tourist catchment of 70 million.
The airline currently operates flights from Penang to Subang, Langkawi, Kuantan, Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Phuket, Koh Samui, Medan, Bandar Aceh and soon to Sumatra.
Source : STAR
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