Emirates to Fly to Penang via Singapore from 9 April 2020
Emirates announced on 27 January 2020 that it plans to launch a new daily service from Dubai (DXB) to Penang International Airport (PEN), via Singapore (SIN), from 9 April 2020. Penang will become Emirates’ second destination in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur, which the airline currently serves with three flights a day and is a route that has been operating since 1996. The flight will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration, offering eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class.
The new route enables travellers from the Northern cities of Malaysia to enjoy convenient onward connections from Dubai to destinations in Europe, North America and the Middle East. The flights will operate with timings as follows (all times are local):
| Flight no | From/ to | Departure time | Arrival time |
| EK348 | Dubai/ Singapore | 02:30 | 14:05 |
| Singapore/ Penang | 15:35 | 17:15 | |
| EK349 | Penang/ Singapore | 22:20 | 23:50 |
| Singapore/ Dubai | 01:40 | 04:55 |
Will it Benefit Penangites?
There is so much fuss about this latest announcement, the question is will it really benefit Penangites? Let’s analyze some of our options to fly from Penang for a comparison. Assuming we will be traveling from Penang to Paris on 7th September 2020 via the top 3 full service carriers available, i.e. Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways in their lowest price bracket without seat selection.
| Flight | Price | No. of Stops | Travel Time | Baggage |
| Emirates | RM1,807 | 2 | 21h:10m | 25kg |
| Singapore Airlines | RM1,913 | 1 | 16h:20m | 30kg |
| Qatar Airways | RM3,244 | 1 | 16h:50m | 30kg |
At one glance, Emirates provide the most competitive pricing compared to the two other carriers. However, for additional RM100+ I would prefer to fly Singapore Airlines for a much quicker traveling time and an additional 5kg of baggage compared to Emirates. Those flying Emirates would have to make additional stop at Dubai after the transit at Singapore. As for Qatar Airways, their pricing are out of reach and non-competitive compared to the two.
The Verdict
In conclusion, Emirates move to add Penang as an additional destination is good news for Penangites as it increases the competition that forces airlines to keep their prices low and competitive. If Emirates could fly directly to Dubai or decrease their price even further, it would certainly give SIA a run for their money. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
