SKS Airways, Malaysia’s newest airline, took off from Subang Airport near Kuala Lumpur on January 25, 2022, for a journey to Pangkor, a tax-free island in northern Malaysia. It is the first airline to offer service to the island.
SKS Airways will also use a 19-seater Twin Otter turboprop aircraft to travel to Redang island, a popular scuba diving sanctuary in the northeastern region, and Tioman island in the south. There are no commercial flights to the islands right now.
On January 25, 2022, the first flight took place. Flight KI 357 took off from Subang’s Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at 13:15 and landed at 14:00 on Pulau Pangkor.
INAUGURAL FLIGHT SKS AIRWAYS | 25JAN2022 | PANGKOR AIRPORT
Flt KI357 departed fm Subang Airport at 1315 hrs headed to Pulau Pangkor. Delegation led by Dato’ Rohman Ahmad, Director SKS Airways was greeted by YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani bin Mohamad, Chief Minister of Perak & entourage. pic.twitter.com/VVhTQyYVBj— SKS Airways (@sksairways) January 25, 2022
The route was flown by a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter series 300 turboprop aircraft operated by the new airline.
“As a new set-up, we are nimble, agile, flexible, and able to tap into any opportunities that arise. We are positioning ourselves to capitalize on the current pent-up demand for domestic travel,” SKS Airways director Rohman Ahmad said to local media at the launch event.
The SKS Group, a real estate firm based in the Malaysian state of Johor, owns SKS Airways.
The airline stated that its initial concentration will be on the island and seaside resorts, with connections to key towns around Peninsular Malaysia.
It intends to connect Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries, as well as southern China, in the future.
