BENGALURU- IndiGo Airlines (6E), India’s leading low-cost carrier, has expanded its destinations to include Malaysia. Travelers looking for a holiday have a new option to consider.
IndiGo now operates daily flights from Bengaluru (BLR) to Langkawi (LGK), Malaysia. Langkawi will become IndiGo’s 36th international destination and 124th overall location to join the massive 6E network, marking a significant milestone for the airline.
IndiGo Langkawi, Malaysia Flights
This demonstrates IndiGo’s desire to connect passengers between India and Malaysia, a popular destination for leisure travelers. Langkawi, sometimes known as the “Jewel of Kedah,” is a fantastic tourist destination.
The island provides a one-of-a-kind vacation experience with its white sandy beaches, popular tourist spots with breathtaking sceneries, and duty-free shopping. The island is part of a larger archipelago of 99 islands.
The first aircraft from Bengaluru left with a short delay at 03:56 instead of the scheduled departure time of 03:40 am IST.
However, the flight arrived in Langkawi over 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. The plane landed at Langkawi International Airport at 10:18 a.m. local time. The flight lasted three hours and fifty-two minutes.
The return flight from Langkawi, Malaysia, departed Langkawi (LGK) at 11:38 am local time, 15 minutes later than the scheduled departure time of 11:25 am.
However, like the Bengaluru-Langkawi flight, this flight arrived in Bengaluru (BLR) 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled time of 12:55 pm IST. The plane touched down at Kempegowda International Airport about 12:40 p.m. IST. The flight lasted three hours and 33 minutes.
According to Bangalore SkyUpdates, the flight departed with an astounding load of more than 85% on its inaugural flight. Even though Langkawi is a new destination for both the airline and the customers, this suggests that the flights are already popular among travelers.
Why Langkawi and Not Others?
Malaysia received approximately 231 million visitors in 2023. In 2023, more than 20 million of these 231 million visitors were international tourists, with the remainder being domestic travelers.
Langkawi received 2.5 million tourists during the same period, representing a 150% increase over 2021, when visitation fell due to COVID-19. This illustrates Langkawi’s popularity among holidaymakers.
In 2023, Malaysia received more than one million Indian tourists. And as of November 2024, Malaysia had already received one million Indian tourists for the year. This demonstrates that the market is ever-expanding.
Malaysia has a sizable Indian diaspora, with over 2.75 million Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) residing in the country. This represents around 9% of Malaysia’s population.
Malaysia has been marketing tourism from India, emphasizing sustainable tourism and specialty products such as shopping, luxury travel, and sports tourism. The country also grants visa-free travel to Indian nationals living overseas.
These IndiGo flights to Langkawi are well timed to meet the increasing visitor demand between the two countries. Passengers can now fly to this popular holiday island nonstop or one-stop from Bengaluru (BLR).
Previously, the sole option was to fly through Kuala Lumpur (KUL), which might take up to 7-9 hours each way, as opposed to only 4 hours with these nonstop flights.
Why Bengaluru-Langkawi?
While the growing demand for Langkawi and Malaysia is clear, some may ask why IndiGo chose Bengaluru (BLR) over its more popular international hubs in Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM).
While Delhi and Mumbai are IndiGo’s main international hubs, Bengaluru is the airline’s second-largest base for domestic departures.
This substantial domestic network from Bengaluru is believed to have played a significant part in the decision, as the airline can provide seamless connectivity for customers from several Indian cities to Langkawi through Bengaluru.
Furthermore, the additional flights to Langkawi practically coincide with the airline’s previously planned Bengaluru-Mauritius (MRU) route.
IndiGo has been flying to Mauritius (MRU) four times a week from Bengaluru (BLR) since November 2024, and it looks that the flights are operating properly.
Langkawi (LGK) flights, like Bali (DPS) and Mauritius (MRU), have been cleverly scheduled with the airline’s domestic bank in Bengaluru.
On the demand side, Langkawi has only seen about 4,300 people per year go from Bengaluru through 2023, which equates to about 6 PDEW passengers per day each way.
As noted, the figure is tiny, but IndiGo appears to rely on transfer traffic from its domestic network to keep passenger loads strong.
This depicts something bigger than it appears. IndiGo’s long-term strategy likely includes establishing Bengaluru as its South East Asia base.
The airline’s extensive domestic network in Bengaluru, paired with increased international flights, would serve as a gateway for travelers from all around the country to conveniently connect within South East Asia via Bengaluru.
Tail Note
While the present number of passengers from Bengaluru (BLR) may appear insufficient to justify a daily trip, it should be noted that the introduction of non-stop routes typically has a beneficial effect on increasing demand between the two cities.
There have been numerous situations in the past where the arrival of direct flights provided immediate access to previously overlooked markets.
Phuket (HKT) is an excellent example here. From the time G8 and 6E began operations to Phuket, it was quite low. However, this region’s marketplaces have proven to be quite active, with major Indian cities now offering numerous daily flights to Phuket.
Langkawi could follow a similar track. Demand may feel low at times, but it may eventually rise to higher levels.
IndiGo’s non-stop service could open up new opportunities for people and businesses, increasing traffic in the Bengaluru-Langkawi region.
But, as much as these pathways open up demand, the issue remains: will IndiGo be able to sustain this approach for the long term? This will be a fascinating area to monitor how the airline’s plan plays out.