FIREFLY will launch four weekly services between Kota Bharu and Singapore and re-introduce three weekly flights between Penang and Koh Samui which were suspended in 2009.

The flights will start from August 10. Three weekly services between Subang and Hat Yai will also be launched on August 17.

Firefly will be the only airline to provide air links between these destinations.

PYO Travel, senior manager, sales, distribution & global support, John Chan, said: “It opens up opportunities to tourism players in these destinations and allows them to tap the Gen X and Gen Y segments with money to travel and are looking for short breaks to distract them from work and daily pressures."

The new services and increased frequencies on certain high traffic routes are designed to maximise its 12 ATR72-500 aircraft utilisation.

Effective August 10, Firefly will add one service on Sunday between Subang and Pekanbaru in Indonesia, bringing the weekly number of services to four. Services between Singapore and Kuantan will be increased to daily, from four weekly services.

To make way for the new services between Kota Bharu and Singapore and the increase in frequencies between Singapore and Kuantan, Firefly will reduce its weekly services between Subang and Singapore from 49 to 42 weekly services as it does not have additional traffic rights.