Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, made history today by being the first airline to provide direct air linkages connecting the south and the East Coast of peninsular Malaysia.

Passengers who boarded the community airline’s inaugural flight this morning from Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kota Baru were given a warm welcome upon their arrival at Senai International Airport, Johor Baru.

Firefly’s chief executive officer Ignatius MC Ong said the airline’s direct, thrice weekly services, with a travel time of about one hour and 40 minutes, provided tremendous convenience to travellers.

“We offer the best solution for leisure and business travellers who need to arrive at their destination quickly and safely,” he said in a statement today.

In addition, he said Firefly’s web check-in facility is also a boon to travellers as it allowed them to check-in conveniently from their home or office and print out their boarding passes.

“Time saved at the airport by skipping the check-in queue allows passengers to spend more time at their destinations,” Ong added.

Besides domestic travellers, the airline was targeting Singaporeans keen on visiting Kota Baru and other parts of the East Coast.

To promote this route and others on Firefly’s network, the airline is currently running an online promotion for bookings made up to May 6, 2012 for travel from May 7 to June 30, 2012.

The airline is also participating in the Matta Fair in Kota Baru Mall from tomorrow until April 29.

- Bernama