New direct flight route brings Malaysians closer to Gujarat, India

The city of Ahmedabad is home to a rich architectural heritage, which is why this walled city was also India’s first city to be declared as Unesco World Heritage City. — Wikimedia Commons

The Western India state of Gujarat is now closer to Malaysians thanks to a new direct route from AirAsia. The carrier is flying directly to the city of Ahmedabad from Kuala Lumpur, starting April 29.

The introduction of this new direct route follows the Indian government’s announcement late last year to reduce India’s electronic tourist visa fees for eligible Malaysians.

The current fee structure has been reduced from US$100 (RM411.25) for a one-year multiple-entry tourist e-visa to US$10 (RM41.13) for a 30-days tourist e-visa for April to June and US$25 (RM102.81) for July to March for all eligible Malaysians.

AirAsia X Malaysia chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail said the cost for the tourist e-visa fee for Malaysians is currently at its lowest.“India has never been more affordable so there is no better time to travel. We are running some of our biggest sales yet to every India destination we fly to, ” he said.

The city of Ahmedabad is home to a rich architectural heritage, which is why this walled city was also India’s first city to be declared as Unesco World Heritage City.

Visitors can travel back in time at the Bhadra Fort, marvel at the magnificent Adalaj Stepwell, find peace at Hutheesing Jain Temple and pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram, where he had stayed for over 12 years.

According to Benyamin, the direct route will also encourage more Indian travellers to visit Malaysia in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020 (VM2020).

In another aviation development, Taiwanese flight company Starlux Airlines has chosen Penang for its maiden flights to Malaysia.

The direct flight between Penang International Airport and Taoyuan International Airport is operated by Airbus A321 Neo aircraft, which flies once a day with a seating capacity of 188 passengers.

According to Tourism Malaysia, the route is expected to boost the arrivals of Taiwanese tourists to the country.

Malaysia received 304,273 Taiwanese tourists from January to September 2019. VM2020 campaign sees target of 450,000 Taiwanese to visit Malaysia by the end of 2020.