FIREFLY FLIES DIRECT FROM SUBANG TO HATYAI

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

FIREFLY HAS RESUMED ITS DIRECT FLIGHT FROM KUALA LUMPUR TO HATYAI, THE DEFACTO CAPITAL OF SOUTHERN THAILAND. 

From today, Firefly flies every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday and if all goes well, Firefly will fly daily. RM 99 one way
www.fireflyz.com.my



Ignatius Ong CEO of Firefly (right) and Captain Shahrul Affendi plus 2 hot chicks introducing the new KL-Hatyai route


Firefly used to fly from Subang International Airport to Hatyai but stopped after the disturbances from the restive south. But now things are back to normal and Firefly was given a rousing welcome for the second time when it landed at Hatyai International Airport.

We were given the traditional welcome and I was garlanded thrice since I was so glittering and auspiciously clad in red as opening ceremonies and launches go better with red. A few wore black and I had to remind them we were not attending a funeral but a reawakening of old routes between KL and Hatyai. I always wonder why people purposely chose to wear black for a happy occasion when they could purposely chose to wear any other colour! 

A press conference was held at the airport's VIP Room with local media. We were assured by the authorities in southern Thailand all is under control. Said the governor, "Security  is tight and tourists can feel safe. All cars are checked when entering Songkhla province and locals now act as police agents as they keep an eye on everything and if they see something suspicious they will contact the police." After that we adjourned for lunch at the airport restaurant before checking in at Sakura Grand View hotel 8 minutes walk from Lee Gardens Hotel which faces Centara hotel and Central, Hatyai's main department store.


Kee Hua Chee wore red to celebrate the auspucious occasion and was warmly welcomed by Hatyai VIP on the tarmac as Firefly landed after the traditional washover!                                                                       
Our arrival was warmly welcomed in Hatyai though the signboards looked as if the locals were protesting!

Everyone on board the inaugural flight was garlanded and given a goody bag

An event to remember!

The press conference


Anegelina Fernandez, head of marketing and communications of Firefly, represented the Malaysian contingent

Angelina doing the traditional 'wei' gesture

Angelina Fernandez presenting a token of appreciation to the Governor of Songkhla province where Hatyai is located

Angelina Fernandez on behalf of Firefly also presenred tokens of appreciation to the heads of various bodies and organisations involved in the tourism industry of Songkhla.











BELOW; RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY TO MARK THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF FIREFLY COUNTER IN HATYAI AIRPORT











The former Prime Minister of Thailand (left)

The former Prime Minister of Thailand with Governor of Songkhla province

17 August 2012
Firefly welcomes passengers on-board its brand-NEW Subang-Hat Yai flight

Subang – Firefly commenced its four weekly services between Subang and Hat Yai, in the Southern Gulf Coast of Thailand, when its inaugural flight FY3614 took off with an encouraging 96 percent passenger load today.  

Passengers and media delegates, who boarded the one hour 20-minute flight at 9.50am from Kuala Lumpur’s city airport in Subang were given a warm reception by a Thai cultural troop as well as greetings with flower garlands and gift bags by Thai authorities as they disembarked at the Hat Yai International Airport. The Firefly aircraft was also given the traditional aviation industry welcome of water-spraying guard of honour.

Firefly’s Chief Executive Officer, Ignatius Ong, said in a statement, “We have been anticipating for the launch of this new destination, as this service adds another historic milestone in Firefly’s regional network and concurrently strengthens our Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) agenda. A new destination certainly is an encouraging indication of an airline’s successful growth, and that’s exactly the path that we are at and in which we will continue heading towards. The celebration of Firefly’s two other new routes between, Kota Bharu-Singapore and Penang-Koh Samui just last week, further reiterates the achievement of our expansion plan which was announced earlier this year.”

“As we continue to market our new routes and destination, we assure passengers of our commitment to providing top-notch service coupled with our signature warm hospitality. A positive customer experience is a part of our brand promise and we intend to keep it,” he added.

Firefly’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Ms Angelina Fernandez said, “Malaysians are attracted to Hat Yai for its extensive shopping options and a vast variety of delicious authentic Thai food. Hat Yai is also the gateway to Satun and Trang provinces, which are popular island destinations in the southern coast of Thailand.  We expect passengers travelling from Subang to Hat Yai to comprise Malaysians and members of its expatriate community in search of a quick convenient getaway; and we also anticipate it to include in-bound tourists who choose to’get a taste of Thailand’ while in Kuala Lumpur city.

She added, “As for passengers from Hat Yai, upon arrival in Subang, they will find the city airport to be very strategically situated due to its close proximity to international universities, theme parks such as Sunway Lagoon, and the vibrant Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), which is just 30 minutes drive away. Resorts World Genting is also a popular attraction with this market and it is only about an hour’s drive from Subang.”

In conjunction with today’s inaugural flight celebrations, Firefly will be offering an incredible all-in one way deal that starts from RM99 for this new destination.  Booking period is from now to 26 August 2012, for travel from 24 August to 31 October 2012.

Ticket purchases can be made from Firefly’s website (www.fireflyz.com.my), mobile application, airport and city ticketing offices, call-centre and through travel agents. Travellers are encouraged to take the opportunity to enjoy the promotional airfares and explore Firefly’s exciting new routes and destination.

Flight Schedule

Hat Yai (HDY) – Subang (SZB)

Commencement: 17 August 2012

Flight No	Route	Departure	Arrival	Flight Time	Days
FY 3614	SZB-HDY	9.50 am	10.10 am	1 hour 20 min	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun
FY 3615	HDY - SZB	10.30 am	1.00 pm	1 hour 30 min	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun

FIREFLY’s Background

Firefly, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, began operations in April 2007. Currently, it operates a fleet of 12 ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft out of Penang and Subang, connecting secondary destinations within the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle as well as providing air linkages between Malaysia and Singapore.

Firefly provides incredible value as well as convenient flight timings and excellent service to its passengers. With Firefly, passengers enjoy 20kg of checked-baggage allowance, complimentary in-flight refreshment, assigned seating and the convenience of city airports.

Firefly has also received numerous accolades. The most recent was in April 2012 when Firefly was named the Most Promising Brand of the Year in the Transportation, Travel & Tourism category by Putra Brand Awards. Five months prior to this, in November 2011, Firefly was conferred the “Superbrand” status. Other awards received include the 2010 Frost & Sullivan Value Airline of the Year award and the Green Initiative of the Year 2010 award by Leaders in Aviation in conjunction with the Doha Aviation Summit. In 2009 Firefly was also recognised as the Best Brand in Aviation by the BrandLaureate.