KUALA LUMPUR: Batik Air launched its maiden journey from KL International Airport (KUL) to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) in Istanbul, Turkiye on Feb 9.
According to the airline, flight OD723 smoothly departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 at 3.50pm.
Batik Air group strategy director Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy said the airline is delighted that its inaugural flight to Istanbul is operating at full capacity.
"This journey not only strengthens the bond between Malaysia and Turkiye but also marks a significant milestone in Batik Air's journey towards connecting people and cultures across borders.
"With the introduction of this new route, we take pride in providing our passengers with increased options for effortless travel between Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul, and eagerly anticipate welcoming more travellers aboard," he added.
The send-off ceremony was attended by senior officials from Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, underscoring the collaborative efforts between Batik Air and KLIA in making this inaugural flight a success.
According to Batik Air, the return flight made a safe touchdown and taxied in at 3.55pm on Feb 10.
Passengers were welcomed with delightful goodie bags personally handed out by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Batik Air chief executive officer Captain Mushafiz Mustafa Bakri and senior management from MAHB.
Tiong said from January to November 2023, Malaysia welcomed 15,623 arrivals from Turkiye, a positive growth of 10.8 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2019 with 14,096 arrivals.
"Officially surpassing its pre-pandemic benchmark, Tourism Malaysia is determined to foster more smart partnerships and collaborations with international airlines to create more travel demand from Turkiye," he noted.
This direct service will operate four times weekly, departing every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 3.50pm, and arriving at SAW at 10.45pm (local time).
The return flight operates on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays departing at 12.05am (local time) and arriving in KUL at 3.55pm.
This is the longest flight operated by Batik Air to the crossroads of Asia and Europe by the A330-300 aircraft.
The flight time is 11 hours and 55 minutes to Istanbul and 10 hours and 50 minutes for the return journey.
Batik Air also offers generous baggage allowances which includes a minimum of 20 kgs for Economy Class and a minimum of 30 kgs for Business Class.