Operated by sister company Berjaya Air, the new air service will link Redang Island to Kuala Lumpur’s Subang Airport, and address the issue of limited accessibility by cutting connection time from five hours to one.
Berjaya Hotels & Resorts will be acquiring two pre-owned ATR 42-500 aircraft to launch air services to the Malaysian island of Redang where it has two resorts – The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort and Redang Island Resort – starting June.
This was announced at the Singapore Air Show on Wednesday (February 7).
Operated by sister company Berjaya Air, the new air service will link Redang Island to Kuala Lumpur’s Subang Airport, and address the issue of limited accessibility by cutting connection time from five hours to one.
This will help to further boost tourism to the island, and allow the hotel group to cater to more tourists, both from the FIT and MICE sectors, according to Hanley Chew, CEO of Berjaya Hotels & Resorts.
“Our intention is not to make money from the flights, but to fill up our resorts. We’re not positioning ourselves as an airline company. It’s a catalyst to drive business,” he said.
Prior to making the decision, the hotel group spent a year testing market response with a 10-seater charter aircraft. The take-up rate was ‘good’, according to Chew, who revealed that at least 80% of each flight was filled.
On the choice of buying existing aircraft, he explained it was due to the long wait of two years for new ones.
Each of the 50-seater ATR 42-500s will feature 36 passenger seats, allowing for ample legroom.
To complement the new service, Berjaya will be refurbishing its resorts, as well as extending the resort experience to pre-departure. For instance, guests can look forward to having check-ins done earlier at the airport lounge and receiving their room keys in advance.
Berjaya has already seen interest from various markets, having signed contracts with major wholesalers in Germany, Italy and the U.K.. Chew foresees the Japanese and Singapore market to be significant as well.
By the end of the year (or early next year), the hotel group will also look to link Redang island to Singapore’s Seletar Airport.
This spells opportunities for travel agents, who can then feature the packages as an extension to city tours in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, suggested Chew.
Basic packages start at 3,500 ringgit (US$895.50) on a twin-sharing basis for two nights, with meals and most activities included.