Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC), inaugurated its direct flight between Kuala Lumpur and Sharjah. The seven-hour flight between the two cities is the first direct flight by a low-cost carrier connecting Malaysia with the UAE and GCC.

The inaugural flight landed at KL International Airport (IATA Code: KUL) at 08:50am local time and was received by an official delegation including YB Datuk Mohammadin bin Ketapi, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia, YM Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin, Group Chief Executive Officer Malaysia Airports, Mr. Adel Al Ali, Air Arabia Group Chief Executive Officer, senior management of Malaysia Airports, Air Arabia, UAE Embassy & Tourism Malaysia in addition to media. The welcoming function was then followed by a press conference held upon arrival in KLIA.

Commenting on the inaugural launch of the route, Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “We are delighted to be the first low cost airline to connect Kuala Lumpur with the UAE and GCC. We are confident this new service linking the two cities will further strengthen the trade and tourism ties between both nations, while providing our customers with a great value-for-money option to travel between both countries and beyond. We thank Malaysia Airports and Tourism Malaysia for their warm welcome and continuous support.”

According to YB Datuk Mohamadin Ketapi, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia: “This year, our target is to have 337,100 tourists from West Asia region, and I believe that the establishment of Air Arabia’s Sharjah-Kuala Lumpur route will certainly help with increasing tourist arrivals from this region.  The flight couldn’t have come at a better time as we are also aggressively promoting Malaysia in the run-up to our Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign.”

Raja Azmi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airports, congratulated Air Arabia for being the 75th airline to operate from KLIA main terminal. He said, “Malaysia Airports is very pleased to welcome Air Arabia, an international airline from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The airline is known to be the largest low-cost airline in Central Asia and North Africa connecting over 170 destinations across Asia, Africa and Europe. This vast connectivity will be a sure-win factor for our passengers. At the same time, we are also proud to partner Air Arabia in promoting Malaysia as a preferred holiday destination for the Emiratis and the global community”.

The seven-hour flight operates daily. Flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays depart KLIA at 03:35 hours local time arriving Sharjah International Airport at 06:50 hours local time. The return flights depart Sharjah International Airport at 14:55 hours arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 02:25 hours local time.

Flights operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays depart KLIA at 09:55 hours local time arriving at Sharjah International Airport at 13:10 hours local time. The return flights depart Sharjah International Airport at 21:20 hours arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 08:50 hours local time.

Encapsulating all that Asia has to offer in just one city, Kuala Lumpur, is a modern metropolis dominated by the tallest skyscrapers in Southeast Asia including the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, inspiring blend of cultures, countless eateries, and spectacular sites and monuments.

Air Arabia currently operates flights to more than 170 routes across the globe from four hubs located in the Middle East and North Africa.