Penang–Phuket Route to Strengthen Medical-Tourism Corridor -- AirAsia

GEORGE TOWN, Dec 8 (Bernama) -- AirAsia Malaysia said its ASEAN network expansion with the launch of the Penang-Phuket route will further boost regional connectivity between Southeast Asia’s two most prominent tourism destinations.

In a statement on Monday, the airline said Penang, one of Malaysia’s leading medical-tourism hubs, is now directly linked to Phuket, globally recognised for its beaches, wellness centres and dynamic lifestyle appeal.

It said the direct Penang–Phuket service is expected to create a strong leisure and medical travel corridor, offering guests greater convenience, flexibility and choice while supporting year-round demand and two-way economic activity.

"Penang’s medical-tourism sector continues its strong momentum, recording more than 200,000 foreign patients and nearly RM500 million in revenue as of August 2025, with steady growth driven by arrivals from Indonesia, China and Thailand since 2023.

"This reflects wider regional travel patterns, including Malaysia’s position as Thailand’s top source of foreign tourist arrivals, with more than four million Malaysians visiting Thailand as of November this year. This underscores the relevance and potential of enhanced connectivity between both destinations," it said.

AirAsia is offering all-in-one-way promotional fares for the Penang-Phuket and Phuket-Penang routes starting from RM179 and THB1,690, respectively, in conjunction with the launch.

Booking for this promotion is available from today until Dec 21, 2025, for travel between March 13 and Oct 24, 2026, exclusively on the AirAsia MOVE app and airasia.com.

-- BERNAMA