HK Express introduces direct flights to Penang

HK Express introduces direct flights to Penang

August 23, 2024. Hong Kong’s budget airline HK Express Airways will be adding daily direct flights between Hong Kong and Penang. Malaysia starting from November 21.

“We are delighted to launch a new route from Hong Kong to Penang, which not only marks a milestone of HK Express’ entry into the Malaysian market but also our strategic deployment in connecting Hong Kong with the rest of Asia,” said the airline’s CEO, Jeanette Mao.

Flight number UO748 will depart Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok airport at 20.10 arriving in Penang at 00.10 the following day. The return flight, UO749, will take off from Penang at 00.45 arriving back in Hong Kong at 04.40.

Penang is an island located off the northwest coast of peninsula Malaysia. Among its many attractions are the Unesco heritage sites of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, an area of almost 13,000 hectares of protected rainforest. The biosphere is an important area for biodiversity conservation that boasts a rich diversity of both animal and plant life.

Art and Food

Georgetown, the island’s capital and commercial centre is also a Unesco heritage site and a cultural melting pot. The city was established as a trading post by the British in 1786. Thanks to its proximity to shipping routes in the Strait of Malacca it attracted immigrants from all over Asia. It grew rapidly in its early years and was briefly the capital of the British Straits Settlements from 1826 to 1832.

“We are thrilled to welcome the upcoming direct flights from Hong Kong to Penang offered by HK Express. Penang residents are proficient in multiple languages, including Malay, English, Mandarin, Cantonese and various Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Teochew and Hakka. This linguistic diversity fosters a deep connection between Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area and Penang,” said Penang State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy, Wong Hon Wai.

The city is also famous for its mouthwatering mix of Malay, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisines and for its street art. The latter took off after 2012 when the George Town Festival commissioned a project called Mirrors, a series of murals by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic depicting local culture and people.

Read also: Penang’s living art gallery

Picture: Boy on a Bike by Ernest Zacharevic

Hotel suggestions
The George Penang
Hompton by the Beach